After all, you can brush or comb your hair and in minutes it’s styled the way you like.
Well, there are a lot of benefits to brushing your hair and using a boar hair brush is extremely good for your hair.
Women have been using boar brushes for hundreds of years, but guys must have missed the memo on why it’s important to use one.
Most bearded guys know how important it is to brush their beard and all the same reasons apply to your head hair.
In this article I will go over the reasons you should be brushing your hair more and why a boar hair brush needs to find its way into your grooming toolkit.
Read on for all the details!
Why you need to brush your hair more
It may seem like you brush your hair just to style it. The fact is that there is actually more to it than that.
Brushing your hair gives you a lot of advantages that a lot of men probably never realized.
No Poo
Some of you may have heard about the latest trend to skip the shampoo called “No Poo” or “Low Poo” in the case of limited shampooing.
The thinking is that your scalp produces everything your hair needs to be strong and healthy and shampooing actually does more harm than good.
One way to cleanse your hair so you can skip the shampoo or at least use it less often is to brush your hair. Brush it just to brush it in other words.
It can clear out any dead skin cells that have built up in your hair as well as other impurities that build up and become encrusted on the scalp.
If you use a lot of styling products then even shampooing can leave some of it behind that will be removed by brushing your hair.
Naturally Conditions
Your scalp produces a substance called sebum. When your hair feels greasy it is because of this sebaceous oil. This sebum coats your hair and gives it its shine. It also keeps your hair hydrated and healthy.
By brushing you are making sure your hair gets coated evenly with sebum so it doesn’t end up looking greasy, but instead looks conditioned. It will be soft and supple without needing to use a post shampoo conditioner.
Strengthens Hair
One of the most important things for your hair is blood flow. Blood brings all the nutrients your hair needs right to the roots so it can be easily absorbed.
If you are taking any hair growth supplements, then increasing your circulation will make sure you see some benefits from them as it will bring more of the nutrients in your system to the hair.
Brushing your hair is also brushing your scalp. This stimulates the circulation in your scalp bringing more and fresher blood directly to the roots of your hair.
Thickens Hair
All of the benefits I just mentioned could all lead to your hair growing in thicker. From the natural conditioning to the strengthening of the hair, you should see your hair growing in thicker where it may have been previously thin and wispy.
No, it won’t suddenly grow your hair back if you’re bald, but if you have thin spots where the hair seems weak, it will help you.
Benefits of using a boar brush
Any type of hair can benefit from using a boar hair brush, but especially if you have long hair, or your hair is thin.
Detangles
If your hair is often getting tangled or knotted up then brushing with a boar brush is the way to go thanks to its bristles. They are rigid enough to penetrate the hair and go through strand by strand.
Distributes oil
To keep your hair from getting greasy from too much sebum, the density of the bristles will spread the sebum out over your hair more evenly than other types of bristle brushes.
Gentle on hair
Since the bristles are able to penetrate the hair well and go through evenly, it won’t pull your hair.
Not only that, but the hairs themselves don’t fray which would cause shredding of your hair which would be pretty bad.
Plastic or nylon brushes will do damage to your hair as they cause static electricity and often rip your hair when brushing.
Less styling products needed
Since you will naturally be adding a healthy shine and more manageability to your hair, you may be able to forego the waxes, creams and hairspray for your hair. At least you should be able to start using less of it.
If you are going for the natural, slightly messy look then using a boar brush is essential.
Alternatives to boar hair brushes
What happens when you are vegan, Halal or Kosher and you want to get the same benefits as a boar brush?
The one thing you do not want to do is to use a nylon or plastic bristle imitation boars hair brush.
Those types of brushes will do a lot of damage to your hair and even in the best case scenario won’t give you any of the benefits that boars hair will.
They will give you split ends, cause your hair to be frizzy, won’t distribute the oils the same way and lastly, won’t clean your hair.
There really is no reason for anybody to use them except that they want to find a cruelty free alternative to using boar hair.
What you need to look for is a brush made with fibers from the agave plant. These are so close to boar hair in performance as well as the appearance that many people would have a hard time telling the difference.
One of the best is this military brush called Kosher Wave from Amazon.com.
How to choose a boar brush
It may seem like you can grab any old boar hair brush and be fine with that. In truth, yes, you would probably be fine, but there are different kinds that work for different hair types and personal preference.
Choose the right one for your needs and you’ll be happier with your results.
Bristle Firmness
You have a choice between soft, medium and firm for bristles. Soft will be good for guys with sensitive scalps. They won’t be soft like hair or anything, they will still be rigid but with a little bit of give.
You may see soft bristle brushes advertised as second cut meaning they come from the top of the hair which is generally softer.
Firm are usually called first cut and are very rigid. If you have thick, curly hair, then this is the best choice for you. Even though it sounds like firm would be harsh, they won’t scratch your scalp unless your skin is sensitive or inflamed.
Bristle Height
Most bristles will be around a half inch and that will be enough to penetrate most heads of hair.
If your hair is really thick, curly and long, then you may want to look for something like 7/10 of an inch or thereabouts.
Density
There isn’t really a metric for this. You just kind of have to go by sight. If you look at the brush from above and don’t see much of the wood base, then they are packed very densely and won’t be good for thick hair. That kind of density would be best for fine hair.
If you see some bare spots then those bristles will get through thick hair down to the scalp, so those will be best for you.
The more rows of bristles you see means more density as well.
Can you just use your beard brush for your head?
Yes and no. There is no rule that says you can’t but it isn’t a great idea.
Your beard hair and head hair are very different and have different needs.
You may have a firm bristle on your beard and need a soft one for your head, or maybe your density is very high for your beard and it is too tight to get through your thick head hair.
You can try it out, but I recommend going with a dedicated brush for each.
Best Boar Brush for Men’s Hair
Schöne Body Beech Wood Soft Bristle
It has soft boar bristles for comfort on sensitive scalps. If you have fine or medium thick hair then the backbone of the bristles will stand up to the hair to penetrate all the way to the skin.
The bristles are slightly less than an inch high so this is good news for guys with a lot of hair.
The density is quite high, so it may struggle on very thick and wavy hair, however.
It has a padded cushion that makes it even more comfortable to use. If you use too much pressure while you brush, it won’t dig the bristles into your scalp. It also helps to follow the contours of your head for added comfort.
Kent OG2 Beech Wood 7 1/2″ Firm Bristle Club Hairbrush
This firm bristle brush is made for guys with thick or wavy hair. The bristles are ¾ inch high and can really penetrate even the thickest hair.
If you often have flaky skin or dandruff, then this brush may be the ticket to getting your scalp back in order naturally.
This brush doesn’t have a pad like the last one, but this is actually a good thing. As comfortable as those padded brushes feel, they don’t last as long as those without.
And when you are paying as high a price as this, you want it to last a long time. Which it will. Kent brushes are made to last for many years so you will definitely get your money’s worth from this brush.
Kent NS06 / PF06 Narrow Grooming Pure Bristle Brush
If you want to get healthier hair and use the same brush to style, then this is definitely the one you want to be looking at.
Rather than go for a military style boar hair brush, this one is better since it has a handle, and narrow face of bristles.
This makes it ideal for when you want to be able to get your hair styled.
The bristles are soft to medium so they are still gentle on the scalp.
How to wash a boar brush
Try to remember that your boar hair brush is made with animal hair and needs to be treated differently than other brushes.
Think about what a wet dog that hasn’t been washed in a while smells like. You don’t want your brush to have any hint of that smell.
After every use, you should take a comb and comb out any of your hair that got stuck in the bristles.
Then, once a week you will want to do a deeper clean.
First, take a cotton swab and rub down the base between the rows of bristles. This will get any leftover styling product or any dead skin cells that have accumulated there.
Then you’ll need to give it a wash. In some warm soapy water, rub the bristles with the palm of your hand. Use shampoo, not dish soap or anything too strong.
Give it a few minutes of rubbing and then remove from the water.
Let it sit with the bristles face down and let them drain off the water towards the surface. You don’t want the water to accumulate on the base as they are usually made out of wood.
Once it is dry store it in a dry area.
Final Thoughts
I hope this article has inspired you to think differently about brushing your hair. Even as a guy I think it is really important. I wish I still had hair so I could go back to using a boar hair brush!
You will be really surprised how something as simple as using a boar brush can improve your hair and scalp.
I really want you to give it a shot.
If you do end up buying one, it would be really cool if you came back here and let us know how it is working out for you. Whether you are seeing a difference and want to let us know, or you don’t think it was worth it. Either way we are happy to get feedback!
Just drop a line in the box below and we’ll post it!
I’m an outdoor enthusiast and have sported a full beard since I was in my early 20’s. Originally, growing a beard was a way to save time when getting ready each day, but I quickly realized that keeping a neatly trimmed beard takes work and some forethought. That’s where this site comes in.
You get to benefit from my years of experience. I’ve reviewed many of the top hair clippers on the market today and also included some information on what works best for me. A great beard will turn lots of heads in your direction.
Since I never know when I’m going to find myself being photographed, whether it’s climbing in Yosemite, or playing volleyball on the beach, it’s important to me to always look my very best. Maintaining my beard is part of my daily routine and I hope you’ll find some useful tips and information on this site to help you on your journey.