Hairbrush

A hairbrush is a grooming tool with either stiff or soft bristles, used to smooth, style, or detangle human hair, as well as to groom an animal's fur. It can also be paired with a curling iron or hair dryer for styling purposes.

Brushing is commonly done to remove tangles, especially after sleeping or showering. Round brushes are often employed by professional stylists to curl or style hair, typically with a blow dryer. Paddle brushes are designed to straighten hair and control flyaways. For babies with delicate, fine hair, many bristle materials are too harsh; softer options like synthetic fibers or horse and goat hair are used instead.

Specialized brushes exist for animals such as cats, dogs, and horses. Different brushes are made for short-haired versus long-haired pets. For a horse's coarser coat, a curry-comb is also used.

There are many types of brushes, each suited to different tasks or hair textures: - Round brush: Used with a blow dryer to add volume and movement; some have metal or ceramic bases that heat up during drying. - Vent brush: Features vents to increase airflow between bristles, though it does not shorten drying time. - Cushion brush: Bristles sit on a rubber cushion for flexibility, reducing hair breakage during detangling. - Paddle brush: A wide base allows more exposure during blow drying, with flexible teeth meant to minimize breakage (though some doubt its effectiveness). - Detangler brush: Has widely spaced, flexible nylon teeth designed to be gentle on tangled hair. - Boar bristle brush: Tightly spaced boar hairs create more tension while brushing, smoothing the hair. - Blow dryer attachment: A tool that attaches to a hair dryer, allowing simultaneous brushing and drying.

The effect of brushing depends on hair texture and whether the hair is wet or dry. Straight hair usually looks smoother after brushing, while curly hair tends to expand when brushed dry.

Common handle materials include ebony, rosewood, New Guinea rosewood, beech, ABS plastic, and polyacetal. Bristles are often made from boar hair, horsehair, nylon, stainless steel, or goat hair.

In the United States, the first modern hairbrush patent was granted to Hugh Rock in 1854. Samuel Firey patented a brush with elastic wire teeth and natural bristles in 1870. Lyda D. Newman received a patent in 1898 for an improved hairbrush that was easy to clean and had widely spaced bristles for easier combing.