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Hairbrush

language culture Maturity 11-13 Next article →

A hairbrush is a helpful tool for hair care.

Julienne Mathieu having her hair brushed
Julienne Mathieu having her hair brushed

People use them to smooth and style hair. They also use brushes to fix knots or tangles. You might use one after a shower or after sleep. Brushes work for humans and for animals too. You can find brushes made just for cats, dogs, or horses. A horse might use a special tool called a curry-comb. This tool is made for their tough hair.

There are many ways a brush works.

A round brush helps add fullness and movement. Some round brushes have a metal or ceramic base. This base gets warm when you use a hair dryer. A paddle brush has a wide base for drying. It can help to straighten hair and tame fly-aways. A cushion brush has bristles on a rubber mat. This helps stop hair from breaking while you brush.

Different brushes use different materials. Handles can be made of wood or plastic. Some handles use ebony, beech, or rosewood. Bristles can be made of nylon or stainless steel. Some brushes use hair from animals like boars or goats.

People use soft goat hair for babies. This is because babies have very fine and soft hair. Other materials might be too hard for them. A detangler brush uses wide nylon teeth. These teeth are very gentle on knotted hair.

Many people helped improve the hairbrush in the United States.

Hugh Rock made the first modern patent in 1854. Later, Samuel Firey patented a brush in 1870. His brush had natural bristles and elastic wire teeth. In 1898, Lyda D. Newman invented an "Improved Hairbrush."

Her design made the brush easy to clean. It also had bristles that were far apart. This helped people comb their hair more easily.

Brushing hair can change how it looks.

The results depend on the hair texture. It also depends on if the hair is wet or dry. Straight hair usually looks smoother after brushing. Curly hair tends to expand if you brush it while it is dry. You can even attach tools to a hair dryer. These attachments let you brush and dry at the same time. Brushing is a simple way to care for hair every day.

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File:Julienne Mathieu having her hair brushed.gif
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