If you are a keen straightener, yet you are tired of spending an hour in front of the mirror each morning, then you will welcome a faster alternative. Well, we may just have the answer you are looking for, and it is about to become your new best friend!
Hairbrush straighteners are the lesser-known alternative to flatirons. They look like a large hairbrush, with a long cable, and have bristles which are usually either chunkier than a regular hairbrush, or they are slats instead of bristles. Instead of clamping down on your hair to flatten it, the strands slip past the heated bristles or slats, resulting in a shiny, natural-looking, straight style.
Table Of Contents
But, Does It Actually Work?
In short, yes – straightening brushes are an excellent tool which can give beautifully straight results. It may take you a little time to get used to it, particularly if you are used to using a flat iron, but they are far more straightforward and less fiddly to use than a flat iron.
To use them, you simply brush through your hair with an ordinary comb or hairbrush to remove any knots or tangles, then switch on your hairbrush straightener. Position it at the roots, underneath your hair, pointing outwards. If you cannot see the tips of the bristles through the bunch of hair, then you are using too big of a bunch. Hold the bunch of hair out with your other hand then firmly but slowly brush your hair downwards. You should notice the difference after the first swipe, but you may need 2 or 3 passes to get the perfect finish, and maybe more if your hair is particularly curly.
Straightening brushes can give a beautifully natural and silky straight style. This means that your style has volume, rather than appearing flat, but if you want a typical pin-straight look that a flat iron can give, just pass the brush through your hair once or twice more. This gives you far more control over your style, but you can still achieve it quickly.
How Does It Work?
The principle of a straightening brush is similar to that of a flatiron. Heating elements in the bristles heat up and plateau at a specified temperature, meaning a consistent temperature is emitted. You pass your hair through between the heating elements which help to iron out the curls and give your hair a natural and healthy-looking, straight style.
Many hairbrush straighteners have ionic technology, which means that they emit negative ions onto your hair. These ions are thought to smooth and seal the cuticle, resulting in less frizz and knotting and leaving the hair stronger and healthier. This, in turn, leaves your hair silky and smooth, with fewer split ends. You may have also heard about ionic technology in regards to hairdryers, but in this case, it also reduces the surface tension of your hair, resulting in quicker drying time.
Benefits Of Hairbrush Straighteners
- Far gentler on your hair – they often have lower temperatures than flat irons, and the design means that your hair will probably require a lower temperature than it would with a flat iron. It is less likely to snag as you are not clamping down on the hair.
- Easier to manage – while wielding a flatiron and brush can be quite fiddly, using a hairbrush straightener is easy to master. As long as you comb through your hair before you begin, you should be able to glide it through your hair with little to no resistance. The more passes you do, the easier it should become.
- Even heat application – the trick is to use small bunches of hair at a time. Hold the hairbrush straightener, so it is under your hair with the bristle tips pointing outwards. If you cannot see the tips of the bristles through the bunch of hair, then you are using too big of a bunch. Small bunches = even heat distribution = faster and better results.
- Easy to touch up – in the days after your straighten your hair but before you wash it, if you feel like you need to touch up your style, you can do quickly and easily. You can usually use even lower temperatures for touch-ups too, meaning it is even more gentle on your hair.
- Fast to heat up – the bristles or slats, depending on which model you choose, will usually heat up extremely fast. In fact, using a hairbrush straightener is often far quicker overall, meaning you can cut down your morning routine without compromising on results.
While straightening brushes give you all these benefits, it is always worth considering protecting your hair. Always use a heat protectant and never use a straightening brush on wet hair; otherwise you can cause permanent damage to your hair.
Tips For Using A Straightening Brush
- Brush through your hair with a regular brush to remove the tangles first
- Dry your hair thoroughly first to prevent singing and stop immediately if your hair sizzles
- Always start at the lowest temperature and work up if you need to
- Never forget to apply heat protectant
- Work through your hair in sections, often starting at the back working forwards is easiest
- Hold the straightener brush under your hair with the bristles pointing outwards to give it volume
- If you can’t see the tips of bristles through the hair, you are using too big of a bunch of hair
As you can see, we are big fans of hairbrush straighteners. If you haven’t already got one, read our review of what we consider to be the top straightening brushes around, so see which one is best for your hair. Don’t forget to let us know how you get on in the comments!
Using philips hair straightener brush..but the hair doesnt stay straight for long..