Photo 4/8
You Want to Control Static
The Damage: Hairspray can pull moisture out of hair and most of them are alcohol-based, which actually encourages static," says Flowers.
The fix: Cricket Centrix Premium Carbon Brushes (and ... water?)
How it helps: The carbon acts as a conductor, accepting the negatively charged electrons that cause static electricity. Static happens when there's a lack of moisture in your hair, so a little water (yes, water) can help, says Flowers. She recommends spritzing your hairbrush with water and smoothing your hair from the ends to the roots to smooth the cuticle.
Photo 5/8
You Want to Fight Frizz
The Damage: Lots of product (particularly hairspray) sucks all of the moisture out of your hair and weighs it down -- a great recipe for frizzy, out-of-control hair.
The fix: Sonia Kashuk Hair Brush
How it helps: Flowers says this brush gently smooths the edges of your hair and frizz. "Nylon and boar bristle combination brushes can really grab onto the hair when you're blow drying and can help get the frizz out. The nylon bristles separate the hair and the boar bristles give you a strong grip."
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You Want to Brush in the Shower
The Damage: Brushing your hair while its wet is a huge no-no. "When your hair is wet, it gets more like elastic, and, like a rubber band, it'll eventually snap when pulled or yanked," says Flowers.
The fix: The Wet Brush
How it helps: The bristles on this brush are thin, strong and very flexible, but rapid recovery memory helps each bristle bounce back into place, which decreases your detangling time. Flowers also recommends adding a generous amount of conditioner to your hair as you detangle, always starting at the ends and working your way up to your roots.
Photo 7/8
You Want Curls
The Damage: With all the blow drying and heat styling you do when you attempting to go for curls, your hair is exposed to enough heat to crack the edges of your hair cuticle and cause irreversible damage .
The fix: Olivia Garden Ceramic + Ion Turbo Vent Combo Round Brush
How it helps: A larger round brush with ceramic coating makes styling while drying easier and minimizes the amount of damaging heat. Flower recommends locking in volume by blow drying sections with a ceramic round brush, letting it cool for 30 seconds (naturally, or blast with the "cool" button), then gently twisting the brush out of your hair. This technique gives a great base to your style, minimizes the amount of time your hair is exposed to heat, and adds a bit of wave to your style -- you'll spend less time using that curling iron (if you need it at all), says Flowers.
Photo 8/8
You Want a DIY Blowout
The Damage: There's nothing necessarily wrong with blow drying your hair upside down, but doing so right out of the shower is bad news because wet hair cuticles are most fragile. Blow drying your hair during this time makes the cuticles dry, rigid and brittle. There's also an art to getting that fierce blow out look.
The fix: EcoTools Full Volume Styler
How it helps: Blow drying your hair while it's soaking wet takes forever, says Gueldner. You always want to minimize your hair's exposure to heat. Start drying when your hair is about 70 or 80 percent dry, then you can take the round brush and go over the section to take out frizz to give it a nice finish, Gueldner recommends. If your hair is long, use a bigger brush so it doesn't tangle as you roll it through the length of your hair, says Gueldner. Great blowouts are all about technique, adds Flowers. "You really have to smooth the hair out with the brush, go long with it and then roll it down. Never roll the brush up -- it goes against the cuticle and causes tangles."
Unless you have an army of stylists like Kate Middleton or Beyoncé, chances are you use the same hairbrush for all of your styling needs. Maybe you have the travel-sized version of your paddle brush or a round brush buried in your bathroom drawer. But do you really consider buying different brushes for styling your hair? No? Well, you should.
Turns out, along with heat tools and those super taut hairstyles, the brush you use for practically everything may being doing just as much damage to your hair. Size, bristle type and the shape of your brush have a huge impact on the health of your hair and how it styles. Every type of brush produces a different result, and, just like makeup brushes, not all hairbrushes should be treated the same.
Film and television hairstylist Linda Flowers (whose looks can be seen on the Hunger Games), celebrity stylist for the Kardashians and Jessica Alba, Jen Atkins, and stylist at Rita Hazan Salon, Kim Gueldner, all weighed in to tell us the hair brushing mistakes we've been making all along. Whether you're smoothing, detangling, curling or frizz-fighting, these are the tips that will change your hair care routine for good.
Turns out, along with heat tools and those super taut hairstyles, the brush you use for practically everything may being doing just as much damage to your hair. Size, bristle type and the shape of your brush have a huge impact on the health of your hair and how it styles. Every type of brush produces a different result, and, just like makeup brushes, not all hairbrushes should be treated the same.
Film and television hairstylist Linda Flowers (whose looks can be seen on the Hunger Games), celebrity stylist for the Kardashians and Jessica Alba, Jen Atkins, and stylist at Rita Hazan Salon, Kim Gueldner, all weighed in to tell us the hair brushing mistakes we've been making all along. Whether you're smoothing, detangling, curling or frizz-fighting, these are the tips that will change your hair care routine for good.
