If you or one of your family members have thick hair, you know all too well the struggles that come with maintaining it.
Thick hair can be so temperamental and it is easily affected by the weather, the type of hair brush that you use, the different hair products that you put in it, and more. The upkeep required can be exhausting.
You've probably already tried all different kinds of hair products designed to tame thick hair, but did you know that using the right hair brush can make all the difference?
What is The Best Hair Brush for Thick Hair?
Before we jump into talking about the best hair brush to use on thick hair, let's first take a look at what thick hair is and the issues that can come with it, as well as why it's so important not to use just any old hair brush.
What is Thick Hair?
People will often look at hair texture as either being 'thick' or 'thin', but there's so much more to it than that.
It's important to know the specifics of your hair type, as this will affect the haircare products and brushes that are best suited to you.
Hair Thickness
The thickness of hair relates to the width of each strand of individual hair.
If your hair texture is thick, each hair strand has a thicker than usual width, giving a fuller look and increased weight to the hair.
In contrast, people with fine hair have hairs that are thinner than their thick-haired counterparts.
Hair Density
The number of hairs that you have is referred to as hair density, so the more individual hairs that you have, the more dense your hair is.
If you have a lot of hairs on your scalp, you have dense hair.
If you have less hairs on your scalp, you have thin hair.
Does 'Coarse Hair' Mean the Same Thing?
You might've heard hairdressers use the term ‘coarse hair.’
Thick and coarse hair can be used interchangeably, as both refer to the thickness of each strand of hair rather than hair density.
How is Thick Hair Different from Other Hair Types?
Every hair type has its issues, but thick hair can be one of the most difficult to manage, even more so if you don't have the right hair brush!
There are a number of problems that this hair type is more likely to encounter:
Thick Hair is Weaker Than Thin Hair
Contrary to what you might think, a study from the University of California found that thick hair is weaker than thin hair. Thin hair is able to withstand more tension before breaking, making thick hair more likely to break.
This hair breakage can lead to frizzy hair, making it even more difficult to manage.
Thick Hair is More Likely to Tangle
Thick hair, and in particular long thick hair, is more prone to tangling as the length has more movement (hello, knots!) and the texture makes it more difficult to brush well.
Not only does this mean that brushing your hair takes longer regardless of whether it's wet or dry, but it can also be increasingly painful trying to untangle it.
Thick Hair is More Likely to Knot
Once your hair starts getting tangled, it is more likely to knot and snap as a result, which can cause pain when brushing, especially for children as they have more sensitive scalps than adults.
Thick Hair is More Prone to Dryness
On top of all of this, those that have thick hair are more likely to have issues with dryness as the scalp can't create enough oil to keep it moisturised.
If you like to use a hair dryer, it's very important to use heat protectant products, as blow drying can result in damaged hair.
What are the Best Hair Brushes for Thick Hair?
The morning hair brush routine with kids can be a nightmare for children (and their parents) that don't enjoy having their hair brushed. And let's be honest, that's most of them!
Even for adults, if brushing your hair is painful or difficult, it can become a chore, meaning that you probably won't do it as often as you should in order to maintain healthy hair.
Given all of the challenges that those with thick hair face, using only the best hair brushes makes the whole experience so much less stressful and time-consuming.
But how do you know which type is the best for you? Should you use a styling brush, a round brush, or a flat brush? Are paddle brushes better than round brushes? Or is a wide tooth comb better for your hair than a paddle brush?
It's all a bit overwhelming!
Finding the best hair brush to use on thick hair is easy thanks to the Scream-Free™ detangling brush range.
What is the Scream-Free™ Detangling Brush?
With a combination of soft, large hand-dipped nylon pins and natural boar bristles, Scream-Free™ detangling brushes take the pain out of hair brushing.
It comes in a range of different sizes, with a Maxi size that's ideal for thick hair, and there's a palm-sized version that's perfect for little hands and will have kids brushing their hair independently in no time.
How Does Using the Scream-Free™ Hair Brush Benefit Thick Hair Compared to Other Brushes?
So just what is it that sets a nylon and boar bristle brush apart from all of the rest?
The benefits of a boar bristle brush like the Scream-Free™ Brush on thick hair are hard to ignore.
Opposite to how most cheap plastic brushes are used (where you start at the bottom to detangle knots and then slowly move up), with the Scream-Free™ detangling brush, you begin at the top of your hair and work your way gently down, detangling as you go.
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Sensory Issues
Plastic bristles can damage your hair and scratch or irritate your scalp, making the whole hair brushing experience very unpleasant and uncomfortable.
This is even more likely with thick hair that is prone to tangling and knotting and is particularly true for children or those with sensory issues.
The flexibility of the nylon pins gently detangles the hair, taking the stress and pain out of hair brushing. -
Smooth hair
Many cheap hair brushes use low-quality hard plastic pins that only make thick hair even more prone to frizz.
The Scream-Free™ detangling brush combines boar bristles with hand-dipped nylon pins, which work together to improve the quality of hair by combatting frizz and smoothing hair, leaving the hair soft and manageable. Say goodbye to those frizzy baby hairs. -
Wet or dry hair
Other cheap hair brushes can cause hair breakage, as well as cause split ends if you try brushing wet hair with them, particularly with thick hair that's more prone to breakage.
This is due to the hard plastic or nylon bristles pulling the wet hair when it’s at its weakest, causing the hair to snap.
The Scream-Free™ detangling brush is one of the best hair brushes to use on both wet and dry thick hair as the boar bristles and nylon pins are soft and flexible enough to work through those knots and tangles without pulling on the hair. -
Less washing
It's no secret that washing thick hair can be quite a chore, particularly for children, as it tangles easily and requires a lot of product. It can be painful and time-consuming, and all of that product can become quite expensive.
With the Scream-Free™ detangling brush, you can wash your hair less frequently but it will still look cleaner for longer, as the brush moves the scalp's natural oils to the end of the hair shaft by using a scalp-to-roots motion of brushing.
Ugly Swan's Unicorn Microfibre Hair Towel
Now that we’ve got the hairbrush selection well and truly sorted, we want to share with you one more amazing product that we know your thick hair will love.
Our Unicorn Microfibre Hair Towel is perfect for thicker hair, as it takes far longer to dry than fine hair.
Given that hair is at its weakest when wet, it’s important to dry hair as quickly as possible but in a way that won't cause too much damage or make your hair brittle.
Using a high-quality microfibre towel is one of the quickest and most gentle ways to dry thick hair.
Why Use a Microfibre Hair Towel?
- Less damaging
We've already discussed how thick hair is more susceptible to breakage and frizz, and using a cotton towel is highly likely to cause both of these due to pulling from the weight and rubbing the hair to dry it.
With a light microfibre towel, there's less weight, which means less pulling on the hair. There's also no need to rub your hair as microfibre is more absorbent, meaning that there's no damage. The Unicorn Hair Towel is friction-free, which is perfect for thick hair as it reduces frizz and prevents hair breakage.
- Dry hair more quickly
A quality microfibre towel can dry your hair up to five times faster than a cotton towel.
Being 80cm long, the Unicorn Hair Towel is up to the challenge of taking long or thick hair from wet to dry in just minutes.
It can hold up to seven times its weight in water, and quickly absorbs up to a litre of water, meaning that there's less need for blow drying, particularly if you already have straight hair.
- More comfortable
Do you find yourself constantly readjusting your hair when you use a regular-sized bulky towel to twist it up in?
Our Unicorn Microfibre Towel is super soft to touch and is moulded to fit even the thickest of hair.
It's designed to stay put no matter what you're doing, and it's so lightweight and comfortable. In fact, it's so secure, that it is literally cartwheel proof - get the kids to put it to the test!
It also comes in a number of super pretty colours so there's one to suit all tastes.
There are so many hair brushes on the market that choosing the best hair brushes for you and your family can be overwhelming.
We hope that this article has provided you with some helpful info and recommendations to help you care for and manage your thick locks.
With the Scream-Free™ detangling brush, you can spend less time brushing both your and your children's hair and safely brush it while it's wet or dry, whilst creating softer, smoother and shinier hair in the process.
We're Here to Help!
If you have any more queries about which of our detangling brushes is the right brush for you, please don't hesitate to get in contact with us.
Whichever brush you choose, your purchase is covered by our money-back guarantee, and we offer several sizes and packs of brushes so that you can find the perfect fit for both you and your family.