These Brushes For Fine Hair Will Make Breakage A Thing Of Your Past

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If you have fine hair like me, you know how tricky it can be to deal with. Sure, my hair is easy to brush and maintain, but it can also be hard to find products that don’t weight down my hair, or worse—cause breakage. That’s why finding the right tools for your hair type and texture is imperative, especially when it comes to the best brushes for fine hair.

“When you have fine hair, it means the diameter of each hair stand is much smaller—think about how easy it is to snag a piece of thin thread versus a big rope made of many tiny strands,” says Kenna Ehman, a master hairstylist and owner of the Kenna Kunijo salon in Charlotte, NC. “This is the difference between fine and thick hair.”

That’s why when looking for the best brushes for fine hair, you should look for one with thinner, flexible bristles, she says. That way, the bristles will slip over tangled areas and not snap any strands. And speaking of tangles, fine hair is more prone to getting tangled, so fine hair should be brushed at least daily—in fact, Ehman prefers doing it at morning and at night.

TLDR; Buying a brush suited to your hair texted is extremely important for your hair health. Here are the 11 best brushes for fine hair, according to hairstylists.

Meet the experts: Kenna Ehman is a master hairstylist and owner of the Kenna Kunijo salon in Charlotte, NC. Dawna Jarvis is a master hairstylist based in Los Angeles. Kimberly Gueldner is a celebrity hairstylist and the founder of Voel Hair.

Natural Boar Bristle Brush

Boar bristle brushes are a total must-have, especially if you have fine hair. (I use one and am totally obsessed because of how gentle it is on my hair.) They're "great for distributing natural oils evenly throughout your hair, adding shine without causing damage," says Dawna Jarvis, a master hairstylist based in Los Angeles. This one from Leonor Greyl Paris is one of her very faves.

Rave review: "Not only does it detangle and smooth, taming the frizz, it also brushed dandruff out and my daughter said it feels nice on the scalp. The brush is an investment, but I don't regret it a bit!"

Original Detangler

Hair always tangled when you get out of the shower? (Same, tbh.) In that case, you'll want to shop Wet Brush's O.G. detangler, which is "ideal" for detangling fine hair, especially when it's wet, Jarvis says. "Its soft bristles glide through hair, preventing breakage and making it a worthy investment for maintaining hair health," she adds.

Rave review: "It works like a dream, easily detangling my hair without pulling. I’m amazed at how well it works."

Pocket Mixture Brush

This juice is totally worth the squeeze, according to Jarvis. It's "a high-end option known for its exceptional quality, combining nylon and boar bristles, ideal for fine hair," she says. Reviewers also say the price tag is worth it, as it can be used in multiple hair textures with the nylon spikes, and it's a purchase that'll last a lifetime.

Rave review: "The only brush I'll ever use on my fine, bleached platinum hair. It doesn't make hair frizzy, it makes it shiny."

Read more: Hair Brushes

OG Brush Detangler

In need of a new brush but you don't want to break the bank? Well then, let me introduce you to this budget-friendly but long-lasting pick from Olivia Garden, recommended by Ehman. She loves this one because "it has a mixture of bristle types to help with scalp health," she says. "It's a steal for something you use every day, given the quality." Plus, it's super easy to clean because the cushion is removable. I'm here for it!

Rave review: "It’s a great brush. It gets the tangles out of your hair faster and quicker than the expensive brushes. It leaves my hair smoother and shinier."

Salon Results Full- And Travel-Sized Hairbrush

This hairbrush has lasted my fine, pin-straight hair and me at least five years, and it's so gentle on my hair with the flexible bristles, but still gets the knots out. The handle has a firm grip and is super easy to use. I also love that this set comes with two brushes—a full- and a travel-sized one—for literally under $6. It's a total steal, in my opinion, especially if you're really looking to save money.

Rave review: "This hairbrush has been a game-changer for maintaining the health and appearance of my hair, leaving it looking sleek and manageable. It's a versatile and reliable tool."

Detangle Duo

Ehman is a fan of using a wide-tooth comb before a detangling brush, and this one packs both hair tools in one. This brush, in particular, is perfect for those with sensitive scalps. It's an "excellent brush for super tender-headed people with hair that is prone to knotting easily because of the flexibility of the bristles," she says.

Rave review: "I have several detangle brushes and I find this one great mainly because it is soft on my baby fine hair. The bristles on this brush have no pointed ends which is so common in other brushes which can be painful."

Read more: Hair Straightening Brushes

Paddle Brush

Jarvis recommends this paddle brush from ghd. "A versatile tool for styling fine hair, this brush is gentle and effective for everyday use," she says. It's true: You can use it for brushing, styling, blowdrying, detangling, and everything in between.

Rave review: "This is the best brush I have, it’s so soft on my scalp and perfect for drying and straightening my hair."

Professional Round Boar Hair Brush

Kimberly Gueldner, celebrity hairstylist and the founder of Voel Hair, recommends picking up any round Ibiza hair brush for heat styling. "These brushes are worth the investment because they are long-lasting and make your hair super shiny and soft," she says. "The grip is also super comfortable to hold for long periods of styling." Reviewers say it feels good on their hair, adds shine and bounce, and even makes their hair feel silky-smooth afterward.

Rave review: "The brush left me with zero frizz even after restyling my fine, medium-length hair, which is a plus in itself. The brush actually distributes the natural oils in my hair, leaving it silky."

Vegan Boar Bristle Brush

Great news: Vegan brushes exist. Boar bristle brushes are great for fine hair because they're gentle, experts say, so this one is an awesome pick. It even has soft ballpoint tips to massage the scalp—which is a total plus. Users say it's an amazing brush, and that it has a great grip with amazing detangling abilities.

Rave review: "It works great to detangle, and leaves my hair soft and manageable. I've tried many other brushes and they did not perform as well as this one!"

Read more: Boar Bristle Brushes

Untangle Brush

This brush is great for combing out your hair, whether it's dry or wet. "This brush is perfect for detangling your hair without ripping it out and is ideal for those with fine hair who are looking to prevent breakage," Gueldner says. The reviews are pretty golden, with some saying using it kind of feels like a scalp massage and it's sturdy with its metal bristles.

Rave review: "It does not pull out your hair like other paddle brushes do. I even used it on my daughter’s fine hair and she didn’t cry like she normally does because her scalp is very sensitive."

Double-Sided Bristle Brush

This brush will *probably* give you the best bang for your buck. It's a double-sided brush, with one side having soft nylon bristles for taming flyaways and the other having stiff boar bristles for styling. This brush helps reviewers achieve the oh-so-trendy slicked-back look and helps calm down frizz.

Rave review: "This brush has helped so much to tame all those flyaways and keep those shorter strands tamed. My hair looks shiny and ready for the day!"

How we chose the best brushes for fine hair

For the past few months, Women’s Health editors, including our editorial assistant Addison Aloian, have been researching the bestselling, most popular, and top-rated brushes for fine hair. Our team consulted hairstylists Kenna Ehman, Dawna Jarvis, and Kimberly Gueldner for the story. Additionally, the team evaluated thousands of customer reviews and ratings to narrow down the best brushes for fine hair for a wide range of needs and preferences.

How to choose a brush for fine hair

Here's what to consider:

• Bristles

“The finer your hair, the finer the bristles should be,” says Ehman. “This is going to be the biggest key to success with your hair brushing.” That’s because gentle bristles won’t tug or break your hair, Jarvis adds. She recommends the Wet Brush because its bristles are also soft.

“The bristles are also a great way to stimulate the scalp, allowing for better circulation to the follicle, which is helpful for hair growth no matter what type of hair you have,” Gueldner adds.

• Other benefits

ICYDK, brushes also have the ability to help distribute your hair’s natural oils and can add shine and improve their health, Jarvis says. Not only are Boar Bristle (and mixed boar bristle) brushes gentle, but they also have this benefit of spreading your hair’s oils. Gueldner suggests the Mason Pearson brush for this.

How to brush fine hair

Always start by gently brushing the ends of your hair to remove tangles and knots, then slowly move up to the roots, Jarvis says. “This method minimizes breakage and is especially important for fine hair, which is more prone to damage,” she says. Gueldner says that since hair is known to be weaker when it’s wet, to brush your hair before getting in the shower or before getting it wet, because it’ll help with knots.

A couple more things: You’ll want to routinely clean your hairbrush, especially when you have fine hair, since it can be more susceptible to oil build-up, Jarvis says. She adds that you should *also* avoid over-brushing, since it can cause breakage and frizz.

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