The Surprising Truth About Your Hairbrush (And Why It Matters!) 💫💫

After being honoured with the title of Best Hairbrush for Detangling at the Woman & Home Hair Awards 2025, we are thrilled to announce to be partnering with Hair Gain for an incredible giveaway at the end of the month — Hair Gain is an energetic, award-winning brand known for its powerful hair care range focused on promoting healthier, stronger hair.

When it comes to nurturing hair health, we often prioritise the essentials — high-quality shampoos, conditioners, scalp treatments and nutritional supplements. But there is another crucial item that plays a major role in your hair’s condition — and chances are, you use it every day without a second thought. That’s right: your hairbrush.

At Rock & Ruddle, and alongside our partners at Hair Gain, we believe that growing healthy hair starts from within — but the external tools you use matter just as much. Your brush is more than a styling accessory; it’s a key player in maintaining the integrity, shine and strength of your hair.

So, what don’t most people know about their hairbrush — but absolutely need to? Let’s break it down.

1. The Wrong Brush Might Be Harming Your Hair

Not all brushes are created equal. Inexpensive brushes with stiff, synthetic bristles can be rough on your hair, especially when it’s wet and most fragile. They can cause breakage, lead to split ends, and contribute to long-term thinning and frizz — damage that might not be immediately visible but builds over time.

That’s why using a brush tailored to your hair type is so important.

Rock & Ruddle hairbrushes are designed with care, featuring natural bristles set into a cushioned rubber pad. This allows the brush to move smoothly through your hair, detangling gently without pulling or snapping strands. Better yet, the natural bristles help distribute your scalp’s natural oils from root to tip, enhancing both shine and strength.

All of our hairbrushes including our Rose Gold Hairbrush (which is a versatile favourite (to be featured in our giveaway, please see below)  — work beautifully on straight, curly, and even extension-enhanced hair.

Browse our full collection of award-winning Rock & Ruddle brushes

2. You are Probably Not Cleaning Your Brush Often Enough

Think about how often you wash your face or shampoo your hair — now ask yourself when you last cleaned your hairbrush. If it has been a while, you are not alone. But just like any beauty tool, your brush needs regular maintenance. Over time, it collects product residue, natural oils, loose hairs, and flakes of dead skin — all of which can turn it into a hotspot for bacteria.

Using a dirty brush can undo your good hair habits by redepositing loose hair and dirty build-up right back onto your clean hair and scalp.

Luckily, Rock & Ruddle brushes are designed with hygiene in mind. Their bristle pads are removable, making them easy to clean and helping extend the life of your brush. For best results, remove stray hairs daily and give your brush a proper clean with warm water and a gentle soap or your shampoo at least once a week to keep it fresh and effective.

3. Wet and Dry Hair Benefit from Using Different Brushes

This is important — using the same brush on both wet and dry hair can do more harm than good. Wet hair is far more fragile than dry hair, and tugging at it with a standard brush can cause breakage and stress to the hair cuticle.

Here is how to care for your hair with the right tools at each stage:

·       For wet hair: Use one of our beautiful Wide Tooth Combs to gently detangle without causing stress to delicate strands.

·       While applying products: The Rock & Ruddle Shower Power brush is perfect for evenly spreading conditioners, masks, or leave-ins while your hair is damp or wet.

·       When styling or brushing dry hair: Choose a Rock & Ruddle hairbrush that matches your hair type — they’re available in a variety of bristle types and sizes to suit every need.

·       To boost scalp health and distribute products: Try the Hair Gain Scalp Massager, especially when paired with the Hair Gain Hair Mask or Scalp Foam — it’s a great way to condition your hair, enhance product absorption and stimulate circulation.

Using the right tool at the right time makes a big difference in keeping your hair strong, shiny, and damage-free.

Choosing the proper tool for the task is not just about convenience — it can significantly impact your hair’s strength, shine, and overall manageability. The right hairbrush, used the right way, can even support your hair growth journey.

While no brush can directly regrow lost hair, consistent and mindful brushing can help stimulate the scalp, boost blood circulation, and aid in the absorption of hair-boosting products. Plus, using a gentle, well-designed brush helps minimise breakage and split ends — all essential steps in achieving thicker, healthier-looking hair over time.

4. How Often Should You Really Be Brushing Your Hair?

This is one of the most frequently asked — and misunderstood — questions in hair care. The simple answer? It depends. And if you are still following the old advice about brushing your hair 100 times a day, this may not be the best idea. That long-standing tip likely originated in a time before frequent washing was the norm, when people relied on brushing to move natural oils through their hair. But in today’s world, excessive brushing — especially with the wrong brush — can do more damage than good, leading to breakage, frizz, split ends, and even hair shedding.

How often you should brush really comes down to your individual hair type and goals:

·       Straight or slightly wavy hair tends to benefit from brushing once or twice daily — morning to smooth and detangle, evening to redistribute natural oils.

·       Curly hair is more delicate and prone to breakage. It’s best brushed less frequently — ideally just on wash days with a wide-tooth comb or a gentle brush, always starting from the tips and working upward.

·       Fine or thinning hair should be treated with care. A soft-bristle brush can be used daily, but avoid overdoing it to prevent weakening already delicate strands.

As mentioned earlier, using the appropriate tools for wet and dry hair makes all the difference. And when you're between washes and need a refresh, Hair Gain’s Peptide Puff™ Dry Shampoo is a game-changer — lightweight, nourishing, and perfect for reviving hair without drying it.

We hope that you have enjoyed this deep dive into the often-overlooked world of hairbrush care!

And don’t miss our exciting Rock & Ruddle x Hair Gain social media giveaway coming your way on May 25th — follow us in Instagram for your chance to win!

Alexandra and Jackie xx