I think that my paddle brush is killing my hair.

What do you think about paddle brushes?

  • Paddle brushes cause breakage.

    Votes: 20 40.8%
  • Paddle brushes DO NOT cause breakage.

    Votes: 2 4.1%
  • I don't use paddle brushes.

    Votes: 24 49.0%
  • Other (explain below)

    Votes: 3 6.1%

  • Total voters
    49
  • Poll closed .

AFashionSlave

Well-Known Member
I'm in love with my paddle brush. It's awesome at detangling. It loosens all of those icky stray hairs. The paddle brush gets all my napps going in the right direction.

...but I think that it's killing my hair.

I'm fairly certain that most of the hair in my paddle brush is hair breakage.

I've never really tried to grow my hair past bra strap length, but I've actually been making a great effort to get there this past 3 months. I guess I gotta learn to be happy with wide tooth comb detangling, if I want to ever make it to waist length.

Have any of you experienced the same thing?
Did you have to completely eliminate the paddle brush from your routine?
 
As far as brushes go I only use a baby one, but are you doing any detangling with your fingers before using the brush?

Depending on curl tightness, I think any detangling tool can cause bad breakage if one doesn't go in there and remove tangles and SSKs beforehand.
 
The only reason I even own a paddle brush is to use it when I'm wearing a weave. I would NEVER, ever, ever, use one on my own hair.

I even cringe sometimes while using it on a weave :lol:
 
When I'm natural my paddle brush really helps with detangling and curl definition but to someone else's point any tool can cause issues based on situation/technique. My relaxed/texlaxed hair doesn't like it so much probably because in my case the hair is weaker....anywho your question was one I was curious about as well so did some googling. I tried to find something not posted by someone selling brushes :)

"Cushioned brush
This category of brushes includes the oval-shaped cushioned brush (padded head where the bristles are attached) for simply brushing out the hair and the flat paddle brush with an air cushion that's used exclusively for long hair. The latter is an invaluable tool, by the way, because the cushion and bristles are designed to collapse anytime they meet resistance; hence, they prevent long hair from being stretched, split, or broken."
Source: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/choosing-the-right-brush-for-your-hair.html
 
When I'm natural my paddle brush really helps with detangling and curl definition but to someone else's point any tool can cause issues based on situation/technique. My relaxed/texlaxed hair doesn't like it so much probably because in my case the hair is weaker....anywho your question was one I was curious about as well so did some googling. I tried to find something not posted by someone selling brushes :)

"Cushioned brush
This category of brushes includes the oval-shaped cushioned brush (padded head where the bristles are attached) for simply brushing out the hair and the flat paddle brush with an air cushion that's used exclusively for long hair. The latter is an invaluable tool, by the way, because the cushion and bristles are designed to collapse anytime they meet resistance; hence, they prevent long hair from being stretched, split, or broken."
Source: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/choosing-the-right-brush-for-your-hair.html

Maybe that's what I'll do. Ill invest in a collapsible paddle brush. Mine has a hard base and its used for blow outs.

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF
 
Are paddle brushes the ones with the bulb on the ends? If so, I only use that on relaxed hair. When I was natural I used a baby brush for my edges. Someone did give me a Denman and it worked pretty well but I got paranoid and stopped using it.
 
AFashionSlave IMO all brushes are the debil. Instead if separating strands by sliding between them as happens with a comb, you have staggered bristles in a brush where some do that but majority just rake over the surface of strands tearing off the cuticle and creating mid-strand splits. I have never understood why anyone would think blindly raking a brush through strands was detangling. IMO it is ripping through strands and creating weak points.

A single row of teeth as found on a seamless comb and working on narrow sections of hair is the way to comb hair. Using the end tooth of a comb is the way to loosen a tangle. (Think of how you would undo a knot that forms in thread when hand sewing: you would use the needle to go in the spaces of the knot to loosen it so the thread unravels w/o breaking so you can continue sewing. Why should detangling hair w/o damage be any different.

I have never used a brush on my hair and I never have issues with detangling. I have no idea where the idea that one should use brushes to detangle came from.
 
I don't use brushes on my hair. I might every blue moon (once a year) but only to tame my edges for a particular style but only if my hair has plenty of leave-in and I'm gentle, but not for everyday use. I use my fingers to smooth my hair and seamless combs for everything else.
 
I always detangle with a large comb and then use the paddle brush to brush my hair back into a ponytail. I find that the paddle brush rips through my hair.
 
I stopped using a paddle brush a long time ago because it broke off hair in my middle section of my head.
 
Paddle brushes are a no-no for me. I think because the bristle comes out of the base instead of being one solid piece all the way through. My hair always get caught at the base of the bristles.
 
Lol it's so funny you started this thread because I looked at my beloved paddle brush and thought the same thing today during blowdrying. (I only use it during blowdrying and/or flat ironing, for everything else I use a wide toothed comb)

I think my only reservation is that I literally can't imagine my blow-dry/flatiron routine without it :/. As for breakage...I just don't think it would betray me like that lol

What I will say is: Breakage can occur regardless of what type of tool is used, even basic manipulation can damage hair
 
I stopped using any brushes of any kind years ago when I took a good look at the hairs trapped in my old one while cleaning it one day and realized that the majority of them were not shed hairs, but breakage. I would suggest laying off your paddle brush for a month, and see if it makes a difference.
 
If i comb from the ends up i don't have any problems ,however if i comb from the roots down i find alot of hair trapped in the brush.
 
What I will say is: Breakage can occur regardless of what type of tool is used, even basic manipulation can damage hair

Yeah and you can get sick regardless of how you live your life, doesn't mean one should be reckless and abuse one's body.

Minimizing damage should be everyone's aim. You stand a better chance of doing that by not using a tool that not only manipulates, but that is also guaranteed to scrape down the surface of hair ripping at the cuticle of the strands. IMO, brushes are seamed combs on crack.
 
Last edited:
Brushes are a no for me. Denman, Tangle Teaser, any brush gives me breakage and mid shaft splits (which I do not get otherwise).

I use the Magic Star Jumbo Rake (huge widetooth), and occasionally use a medium tooth seamless comb after the jumbo for smoothing. I comb and braid my hair under running water for smoothness.
 
I am against brushes all the way but I use it if I want to lay edges down and brush in whatever I am using to lay it down any farther. I had regular brushes, it just seems to cause breakage for no reason, I could use a wide tooth comb and detangle 100% to the point you comb it and nothing sheds and then I use a brush just to get my edges and there goes hair in the brush, not a lot because I don't go over board but 1 hair to many. But it makes sense for it to break hair, it's like it's forcing your hair down and then putting staring on one part of the hair and pulling it straight so I see why. And with the paddle brush its too many teeth or whatever you call it putting strain on different point of the hair thus you can break 1 hair in several different places and many hairs at a time, I think brushes are evil
 
I'm in love with my paddle brush. It's awesome at detangling. It loosens all of those icky stray hairs. The paddle brush gets all my napps going in the right direction.

...but I think that it's killing my hair.

I'm fairly certain that most of the hair in my paddle brush is hair breakage.

I've never really tried to grow my hair past bra strap length, but I've actually been making a great effort to get there this past 3 months. I guess I gotta learn to be happy with wide tooth comb detangling, if I want to ever make it to waist length.

Have any of you experienced the same thing?
Did you have to completely eliminate the paddle brush from your routine?

I don't think these brushes were designed for kinkier textures of hair. I saw thinning and breakage when I used brushes for detangling. I don't even bother trying them now. The only time I use one is if my hair has been straightened and I still find that at times it pulls my hair out and breaks it, I thought it was just detangling but those things yank hair out, I'm convinced.
 
I am against brushes all the way but I use it if I want to lay edges down and brush in whatever I am using to lay it down any farther. I had regular brushes, it just seems to cause breakage for no reason, I could use a wide tooth comb and detangle 100% to the point you comb it and nothing sheds and then I use a brush just to get my edges and there goes hair in the brush, not a lot because I don't go over board but 1 hair to many. But it makes sense for it to break hair, it's like it's forcing your hair down and then putting staring on one part of the hair and pulling it straight so I see why. And with the paddle brush its too many teeth or whatever you call it putting strain on different point of the hair thus you can break 1 hair in several different places and many hairs at a time, I think brushes are evil

I think that I'm just gonna stop using it. :-(
Oh well.

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF
 
I stopped using my brush a few months ago. Not only was it breaking my hair, but it also cause my hair to thin. Now 6 months on, my hair is regaining its thickness. I use a seamless wide tooth comb to detangle only on wash day. My hairs is much happier.
 
This is bad news for me. I don't know how to do my hair without a paddle brush. They are the delilah to my sampson
 
^^^^^

Lately I find myself, not even caring about the hair that comes out, but making sure I am very meticulous with my techniques, and not losing unnecessary strands due to impatience or carelessness.

This link as mentioned before, changed my hair's 'life'-LOL

http://www.pgbeautygroomingscience.com/hair-care-routines.php

scroll down to 'regular hair care'

This is my issue. I have a lot of hair & it's naturally thick, so I don't really care much about the hair that comes out.
 
[USER=596]AFashionSlave[/USER];18490249 said:
This is my issue. I have a lot of hair & it's naturally thick, so I don't really care much about the hair that comes out.

And indeed you shouldn't worry about the hair coming out because if you do the thorough manipulation once a week, 700 hairs is what should come out. But that isn't the problem; the tearing of strands left behind IS the problem.

pearcey, while reading The World of Hair on the P&G website, did you read this page: http://www.pgbeautygroomingscience.com/hair-damage.php
 
I'm gonna do my hair tonight without the paddle brush. It's gonna suck, but I need to keep more hair on top of my head.

:-(
 
Hi ladies. I have been stalking this forum for quite some time and was somewhat intimidated, but decided to take the plunge and post.

I personally do not use any type of brush. I hate the way it feels going through my hair and the way it sounds, even if my hair is saturated with conditioner.
 
Hi ladies. I have been stalking this forum for quite some time and was somewhat intimidated, but decided to take the plunge and post.

I personally do not use any type of brush. I hate the way it feels going through my hair and the way it sounds, even if my hair is saturated with conditioner.

Hey Stalker! LOL!

Welcome to the boards & thanks for your input.
 
Back
Top