I’ve Ditched All My Other Hairbrushes for the New Tangle Teezer
My hair used to be something I didn’t have to invest much time or effort into. As I’ve grown it out to below-boob length, though, it’s gone from looking intentionally undone to straight-up unkempt, with knots at the ends and a halo of frizz at the crown of my head. I’ve chalked this up to a few things. My move this year to L.A. means a lot more exposure to sunshine and higher UV, sea salt from surfing, and harder shower water: a recipe for drier, brittler hair that’s more prone to tangling and breakage. In the past, I’ve chopped my hair into a lob in frustration, but I can’t bring myself to cut my long locks this time around. I’ve added hair oils, serums, and masks to my routine (a couple of which I’ve written about in our Beauty Brief newsletter), but the biggest game changer as of late has been my hairbrush. What’s best, it’s not a Mason Pearson or Bur Bur but a humble drugstore brush.
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I was introduced to Tangle Teezer’s new Complete Care Brush at an event back in September. I got my hair heat-styled in loose curls and left with a Straight to Wavy version of the brush of my own. What first stuck out to me was how bouncy my hair was after brushing out tangles the next day. A pass with any of my other brushes would result in much flatter, straighter hair. This brush managed to smooth and detangle while somehow keeping my curls intact. When I spoke to a Tangle Teezer rep about this, she explained it was the brush’s alternating long oval- and short triangle-shaped teeth. The diagonal pattern lets hair flow through the brush without pulling. In the past month, it’s helped extend my at-home blowouts without having to add more heat to my already damaged hair.
In the past two months, I’ve found more ways it’s beat out my other brushes (expensive and drugstore alike). On day two or three post-wash, I employ this and my new favorite CosRX hair serum to take my frizz from Mia Thermopolis to Princess of Genovia. There also seems to be a lot less breakage since switching over. For one, brushing feels seamless, like cutting through butter with a hot knife. And then there’s the evidence: I clean out my hairbrushes daily, and the clump of hair accumulated after using the Tangle Teezer is significantly smaller than with my other brushes. With my hair in a more fragile, compromised state, this puts my mind at ease.
I’ve had countless drugstore brushes before, but they never performed like this one. The cheap ones of my past felt too flimsy and like they weren’t fully covering my hair. This feels like it’s brushing through every strand. On the flip side, I like that this isn’t an overly priced status brush. It means I can be as un-precious with it as I want. I use it at home, throw it in my beach bag, and pack it in my carry-on without thinking twice. In two months, I’ve completely switched over to the Tangle Teezer, and I don’t see myself going back.
More hair products I love
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My newest discovery that smooths out frizz.
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A lightweight hair oil that adds moisture and doesn't look greasy.
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The hair mask I use weekly for strengthening strands.
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