It’s the old age question: how do I get my hair to grow faster? Although there’s no magic formula for lengthening those locks naturally, there are ways you can help encourage your hair to grow healthily and happily.
A vital part of your hair care routine is of course the brushing. However, there’s so much conflicting advice online it’s hard to know how much is enough, and if there is actually too much of a good thing.
The experts at Tangle Angel think that everyone deserves a good hair day. If your goal is to get Rapunzel-esque locks, carry on reading to find out how brushing your hair can help stimulate growth.
What are the benefits of brushing your hair?
Gets rid of tangles: The most important function that brushes have is to help get rid of knots and tangles. Using the right kind of brush such as a specialised Tangle Angel detangler brush can help eliminate knots smoothly and effortlessly.
Eliminates product build up: We use lots of products on our hair in our day to day from dry shampoo to styling wax. Brushing your hair helps remove product build up as well as dry skin and other impurities because it essentially - brushes it out!
Helps with styling: Everyone needs a little helping hand while styling their hair. Using the right brush can help you achieve the style you want, whether that’s a slick back ponytail or gentle waves. Brushing or shaking your head upside down won’t necessarily help with hair growth, but it will give your hair a little extra volume.
Does brushing help to stimulate hair growth?
The bristles on your brush work to stimulate your scalp, which helps promote healthy blood circulation. This brings oxygen and nutrients to the stem, as well as being like a mini-massage at the same time! This contributes to healthy hair growth, but there are a number of other things you can do to help:
- Use less shampoo: Over-washing your hair can strip it of its natural oils, which is what your hair uses to nourish and hydrate itself. For most hair types, shampooing two or three times a week is plenty.
- Avoid heat styling: Overdoing it with your hairdryer, curling wand or straighteners can lead to frizziness, dryness and breakage. Try to heat style sparingly, and when you do, use your tools on a cooler setting.
- Rinse with cool water: We all love a scalding hot shower but sadly they’re not the best for your locks. Rinse your hair with cool water at the end of each shower as it will help strengthen your hair by sealing the cuticle. This can also help with shine, too!
- Take your vitamins: A healthy, balanced diet helps nurture your whole body, not just your hair. Biotin is one of the main active ingredients in hair supplements, in addition to collagen.
- Keep it moisturised: If your hair feels very dry, this is probably because your strands have open cuticles. Conditioning agents can help seal the cuticle, helping trap in nutrients and meaning less friction. For some hair types, regular conditioning will do the trick, and others will need more intense treatments such as hair masks.
Many of us are taught from a young age that 100 strokes a day is the right way to go, but the same can’t be said for everyone. After all, everyone’s hair is different and brushing your hair more doesn’t necessarily make it grow faster. Too much brushing can stress your hair and irritate your scalp, causing it to fall out in the worst case scenario.
Experts recommend most people brush their hair twice a day - morning and night to distribute the hair’s natural oils and help with growth. If your hair is particularly long or thick then you can brush it up to three times a day, whereas if your hair is oily or curly, once a day is enough.
Step by step guide to brushing your hair
- Brush when dry: For many hair types, the best time to brush your hair is right before you step into the shower or bath. The exception to this rule is curly hair - which we would recommend working out your tangles in the shower.
- Section it out: This is particularly important for those with thick hair. Use a tail comb to separate your hair into at least four sections, depending on how thick it is. This will make the task feel a lot more manageable when you do it little by little.
- Start at the bottom: Don’t ever start brushing your hair at the roots, that’s a recipe for disaster and snagging. On each section, brush out the tips of your hair and gradually work your way up. Only once you have worked your way up should you brush from root to tip.
Hopefully we have unscrambled the world of hair growth for you. Brushing can help with hair growth, but it’s also important to look after your hair in other ways and you’ll get Rapunzel-esque locks in no time at all. At Tangle Angel, our experts are here to help you have a great hair day, every single day. If you would like some more hair care advice, get in touch and one of our friendly team would be happy to chat to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of brush should I use?
Different brushes work better for different people, as we are all unique! We have developed a variety of brushes, take a look at our menu to see which is right for your hair type.
Does getting my hair cut regularly help with hair growth?
It certainly does! Your genetics will determine how fast your hair grows, but getting trims every eight to 12 weeks prevents split ends and damage, which in turn make the ends stronger and leads to faster hair growth.
Should I clean my hair brush?
Most of us are good about remembering to wash our makeup brushes, but when was the last time you cleaned your hair brush? Product build up, dry skin and other particles can all build up in your brush, you don’t want to transfer it onto your lovely clean hair. Check out our blog to find out how to properly clean your hair brush.