WARNING: You could ruin your hair if you use the wrong brush, or if you use the right brush incorrectly!

The right kind of brush and the appropriate technique is KEY to avoiding damage in your hair. Using the wrong brush for your hair type could be damaging it every. single. day. The good news? You might already have the best brush to use at home.

Because most of us consistently use a brush every day, we need to make sure we have a brush that doesn’t damage our hair, and makes it look its best. You can actually find and use a hair brush that makes you feel like you’ve come straight from the salon.

Justin Hickox points at The Wet Brush with an uneasy expression, with the text: "Stop Using This"

In almost 30 years of being a professional hair stylist, I have learned that most people have no idea which brushes to use or how to use them appropriately. And I’m not surprised, because many stylists don’t educate their clients on different brushes and when they should, and shouldn’t be used. At your salon, they might be trying to encourage you to purchase products, when all you may need is the best brush for your hair type and the right technique.

I'm going to share what brushes you should be using every day and what techniques to use when looking for your go-to brush, and more importantly how to use them like a salon pro!

What brushes to use

The Comb: Rat Tail vs. Regular Comb

The comb is basically the wand of the salon professional. It’s also a great guide when you’re styling your hair, with let’s say, a flat iron.

The rat tail comb is hands down the best brush if you are looking for a straight, strong part. It’s long skinny “tail” or end, will allow you to manipulate your strands for the perfect middle or side part. You will find these in the salon, mostly for highlighting, so don’t buy this if you just need a comb.

The regular and rat tail combs are also going to be your best bet to minimize damage when using a flat iron. When used as a guide, both of these combs help smooth your hair strands which can help evenly distribute heat. It can help expose your hair to less heat because you’re going over your hair in less passes.

Justin Hickox helps his wife Dionna Hickox flat-iron her hair

Wide Tooth Comb

The wide tooth comb is the master for detangling curly or wavy hair. Although it has some skeptics, because its rigid teeth can cause breakage when it’s used incorrectly on tough tangles, it’s great for controlling frizz and maintaining curls. So when using this comb, don’t rip through your tangles. Make sure to use this comb starting from the ends, and go slowly up the hair shaft while detangling. If you have straight hair, there’s an even better option, which I will talk about below.

Ceramic round brush

Round brushes are critical in creating volume and shape in your hair. I would go for a round brush with a ceramic barrel, large enough to make sure when drying your hair, you have enough tension. The ceramic is beneficial because it conducts heat well and creates a smooth and even finish to the hair.

The Wet Brush

This is my favorite brush for detangling straight, wet hair, and for most hair types. Plus it’s affordable. The great thing about this brush is that its bristles have a lot of give in them, making it flexible when brushing through hair and tackling tangles. This is a no-fuss all purpose brush..

The Denman brush

This brush performs magic on curly or wavy hair! Check out this tutorial from curly hair guru Manes By Mell. She demonstrates how she uses her Denman brush for incredible curly girl results! If you have curly hair, another MUST HAVE tool is a diffuser. It does wonders for curls when paired with the Denman brush.

My Absolute Favorite brush

The Volumizer

This brush deserves its title. Every stylist in my salon has this brush at their station, and uses it on every client. I swear by this one. It’s awesome for many reasons, mainly because of its design. This brush is a game changer for creating volume on short and medium hair lengths. From the ball ends of the bristles, to the holes on the back for air distribution, this brush is really good at lifting hair up and increasing volume and shape. If you struggle with getting enough volume, you NEED to include this in your hair styling routine.

So there you have it, a run-down of the brushes that salon professionals swear by. I want to make sure to give you tips on how to use the correct tools to minimize damage.

You’ve read my opinions on the brushes I think you should use, but I want to hear from you. What brush have you found works with your hair type, length and texture? What brush makes you feel like your hair looks like it’s fresh from the salon? That’s all that matters at the end of the day.

If you found this article helpful, you can get these articles directly in your mailbox by signing up for my newsletter HERE.