What Is a Boar Bristle Brush?
A boar bristle brush is a hairbrush made with wild hog hair. This type of hairbrush is sold as a natural rather than synthetic brush. Synthetic hairbrush bristles are made of plastic. Since plastic and metal brush bristles aren't absorbent, they don't distribute the hair's oils as easily. Fine to normal hair of any length is considered ideal for a boar bristle brush.
Very thick or extremely curly hair tends to brush out better with the harder bristles of metal and plastic hairbrushes. A boar bristle brush is often too soft for these hair types, while metal and plastic bristles can be too damaging to fine or thin hair. A boar bristle hairbrush can be especially efficient on oily types of thin to normal hair. The natural fibers take and distribute oil from the top of the head down to the ends, which are often the driest part of the hair.
Boar bristle brushes are available in infant's to adult's sizes. The handle of all sizes of boar bristle brush is most likely to be made of wood, although there are synthetic handles available as well. Boar brush handles may be dark or light in color, while the bristles are either blond, brown or black.
The shapes of boar bristle hairbrushes include rectangular, paddle, oval and round. The round boar hairbrushes are made for styling and shaping with blow dryers, while the oval types are more all-purpose. A narrower rectangular boar bristle brush can be used to increase volume, while the squarer, paddle-shaped styles may create smoothness and shine.
Natural boar brushes are popular with both men and women. The natural styling of the bristles, along with an attractive wood handle can lend an organic, spa-like look to a bathroom counter top or dressing table. A boar bristle brush is also durable and convenient for travel or to carry in a sports bag to the gym.
As the bristles of boar brushes are densely packed together in tight rows, they may be difficult to clean. Moving a comb's teeth through the rows can help remove dust and hair strands caught deep in the bristles. A small amount of shampoo applied to the wet bristles of a boar bristle brush can be rubbed in with the fingers. The hairbrush should be rinsed carefully without getting the wood handle too wet. The boar bristle hairbrush should then be left to dry well.
Written by Sheri Cyprus
