TikTok is rife with inventive hair hacks but there is rarely anything as convincing as longevity when it comes to beauty rituals. The latest “trend” taking off on social media – propelled by beauty influencers such as Trinny Woodall – is nothing new at all. In fact it’s thought to have originated in the 19th century, before the popularisation of shampoo and conditioner.
The art of brushing hair 100 times is back. Using a natural bristle brush to help distribute natural oils throughout the hair, it can reduce the need for products and extend the washing cycle. It all equates to something most of us aspire to: less waste without compromising on results.
Maybe the novelty is because hairbrushing is so egalitarian – anyone can do it and a good brush can last a lifetime. Founded by two Parisians Flore and Pauline, the 100 per cent French made brand La Bonne Brosse sells modern artisanal brushes with a modern parisian flair in fashion forward colours and for every hair type which, the brand says, promises to improve hair “mass and glow forever” by stimulating the scalp and refining hair texture.
The French are arbiters of understated taste and experts at self care rituals passed down from generation to generation. Regular brushing, La Bonne Brosse says, is a “slow beauty” technique that can reduce the use of hair cosmetics by half. And in a world of fast fashion, food and beauty, the idea of returning to the old fashioned tradition of brushing hair 100 times a night is resonating with a new audience.
Hair brushing with natural bristles is not dissimilar to the way birds and cats keep their feathers and coats glossy and protected (cats have built-in bristles on their tongue to distribute the natural oils for a natural cleansing process). Working on the preening principle, it all starts with the right brush with the right bristles, says Julia Tissot-Gaillard of Altesse Studio, the last standing artisanal brush manufacturer in France (Altesse makes all French-made brushes the world over.)
The chief executive who took over the company to save the tradition from extinction says the proof is in the visible improvement of the condition of the hair, evident after two to five weeks of following their 100 stroke routine nightly.
Illustrated in a leaflet that’s included in the box of every Altesse Studio brush, the routine is broken down into four 25-stroke routines focused on alternative directions (front to back, left to right, right to left and back to front), the entire ritual takes no more than two minutes to do with a significant return on investment within a month, despite a two week teething period, says Tissot-Gaillard.
“In the first two weeks you will notice that your hair appears more greasy than usual as it acclimates.” But this is a good sign, says Tissot-Gaillard. “We recommend customers persevere by tying their hair back and extending the time in between washes by a day in the beginning,” she explains, adding that “after three weeks you won’t have that feeling anymore and you’ll be able to wash your hair far less often.”
It works by moving sebum from the scalp evenly throughout the length of the hair which eliminates the greasy-roots-dry-ends dilemma for good. But when I point to other well known bristle brushes, Tissot-Gaillard emphasises that not all bristle brushes are created equal. Altesse may be more expensive, but they are 100 per cent handmade using original 19th traditions with real boar silk bristles chosen for their kinship to real human hair (boar bristles are a waste byproduct of the meat industry and not harmed to make brushes.)
“Not all boar bristle brushes are the same. You can buy a cheap bristle brush that’s useless or invest in one that can replace all of your hair care products,” she stresses. “In order to work, boar bristles need to reach your scalp which means they need to be implanted in a certain way and set at different heights to adhere to the natural oils and contour the scalp. Furthermore, we use the root of the boar bristle whereas less expensive brushes tend to utilise the ends which, like the ends of human hair, are softer and weaker thus less effective at stimulating the scalp and catching the natural oils,” adds Tissot-Gaillard.
The results, which include not only a significant reduction in the amount of times you need to shampoo and blowdry your hair but an improvement in healthy hair growth, are evident from two to five weeks, depending on the length of your hair. “The reason one gets greasy roots is because the sebum isn’t being distributed evenly throughout the hair,” explains Tissot-Gaillard. Once you begin a consistent hairbrushing routine, however, the oils form a protective glossy coat from root to tip which protects and nourishes hair strands, protecting it from pollution and the drying effects of UV.
A potential long term solution for dry menopausal hair? “Yes, definitely because during this period your scalp will generate less sebum so it’s important that you brush your hair everyday to stimulate sebum production and stimulate blood circulation to bring nutrients to the hair follicle which in turn can halt hair thinning,” Tissot-Gaillard.
An Altesse 100 per cent handmade Repair & Shine hairbrush, which costs from £270 for the “imperfect” Beauté model (brushes that perform as well but have minor visual marks that haven’t passed strict quality control) to £395 for the Prestige. Each is repairable for life and comes with an olive wood handle, a natural insulator that reduces static.
There’s also a handle-free version for men aptly titled the “Military brush.” If budget permits those with curly hair may also wish to invest in a Detangling brush, £210, which comes with its own pre-wash routine beginning with the ends of dry hair, working your way up – detangling on wet hair when it’s at its most fragile can cause breakage, particularly with curly hair types.
Do you need a £400 hairbrush? Perhaps not. But on a cost per wear basis over a lifetime it could be the smartest investment you’ll ever make, saving you thousands on haircare and styling products and reducing the damage associated with heat styling. Besides, the consistent act of nightly hairbrushing has a calm meditative effect that shouldn’t be underestimated.
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