Best Paddle Brush & Comb for Healthy Hair

Choosing the right material for your comb can sometimes be difficult. It can make a difference in your hair’s health and appearance. Using the proper comb for a specific hair type, texture and style can be the difference between good and poor hair health as well. For example, a bamboo comb or paddle brush is best suited for tangled hair as it reduces damage and breakage. In this article, we will discuss what is the best comb for healthy hair, and explain the benefits of using one.

Why bamboo?

Bamboo is a very versatile material for a wide variety of items. When used as a material for combs, bamboo provides anti-bacterial properties. Along with its other multiple benefits, it can also be a very sustainable source. Additionally, for the production of the wooden combs, bamboo requires fewer chemicals as compared to other materials. Aside from that, bamboo provides a nice massaging effect on the scalp when used.

Benefits of a Bamboo Comb for your hair

Naturally Nourishes Hair 

A bamboo comb or paddle brush easily distributes natural oils from the scalp throughout the entire hair strand. The oils are not sticking instead to the metal or plastic of a regular comb. It leaves your hair less greasy looking and shiny. Our scalp releases natural oils to make our hair shiny, healthier, and soft. However, if one does not frequently brush one’s hair, your scalp would become unable to distribute natural oils. This results in a greasy-looking scalp. Using a synthetic comb will help disentangle your hair, however, it will not distribute these oils. A bamboo comb hence is able to condition one’s hair each time one brushes by distributing natural oils. 

Healthier Scalp

A bamboo comb or paddle brush massages the scalp in a complementary way without bruising or scraping the skin unlike plastic combs. By massaging the scalp, it boosts blood circulation on the scalp. This in turn helps to strengthen hair and improve its overall health. Healthier hair will suffer from less hair breakage, damage and grow faster. The massaging effect also stimulates natural sebum production on your scalp. This helps to condition your hair and achieving more lustrous and healthy hair.

Cuticle Smoothening

While bamboo combs are great in removing knots and tangles without too much pulling, which translates to less hair fall and pain in the scalp, another amazing thing is that bamboo combs do not form static. Plastic hair combs increase the electrical charge of one’s hair, and as a plastic brush glides through your hair, the increased electrical charge leads to static. This results in fly-aways, tangles and frizziness. Bamboo has a neutral to negative charge to reduce static, making combing easier without the hassle of dealing with static, producing smooth and shiny hair after combing. Additionally, this translates to requiring to apply less product on your hair in the dryer months, which boosts the overall health of your hair and scalp.

Gentle on Hair 

Dr.TWL’s Gentle Detangling Bamboo Brush Comb is a paddle brush with oil treated bristles, which are natural anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory. This means that the bamboo bristles are soft, smooth and free from sharp corners, so when pulled through your hair, they detangle gently. Additionally, it reduces bacterial or fungal growth on the comb or scalp, ensuring hygiene. 

Best Comb For Healthy Hair

“How to get thicker hair? Your hairbrush matters too. We also always advise patients to use our Sandalore bamboo comb paddle brush. The very nature of paddle brush is that it provides some sort of massage to the scalp when you comb. I find that paddle brushes, as opposed to combs, are the best in terms of providing just the right amount of gentle massage with the rounded bristles at the tip. It also redistributes the oil throughout your scalp to the rest of your hair, and that is important to make sure that your hair doesn’t appear limp at the roots, just because of all the accumulation of oil there. It also definitely helps in regulating oil production. The very act of brushing itself is a neglected part of a haircare routine,” accredited Singapore dermatologist, Dr. Teo Wan Lin. 

Dr.TWL’s Gentle Detangling Bamboo Brush Comb is a paddle brush for all hair types and hair textures, it is suitable for sensitive scalp, fine or damaged hair and hair loss. It is a dermatologist-approved comb of the finest handmade quality, made from 100% bamboo bristles, sustainably harvested natural Schima wood as well as a durable vegan leather backing.

Should I choose a comb or a paddle brush? What is the difference between a comb or a brush?

The best comb is actually a medium sized paddle brush. A well made wooden paddle brush can be used on both wet and dry hair. Otherwise, you may have to use both a comb and a brush. A comb is a flat hair detangling tool. It has wide teeth that tapers. Generally combs are used on wet hair for detangling. A paddle brush is necessary to hold the hair in shape when styling with a hair dryer. It is also necessary to reduce static and smooth out the cuticle. A brush with wooden bristles reduce static more than metal or plastic and is gentle on the scalp and hair. It also helps to redistribute oils on the scalp to the hair shaft. This is nature’s own design to keep the hair shaft shiny and strong. 

How to look for the best paddle brush design 

Important features of a paddle brush design that help you choose the best paddle brush:

1. Size: Medium size brushes that fit into your hand easily for handling. The head of the paddle brush should not be larger than your palm. 
2. Durable and environmentally friendly: A long lasting wooden brush is better than plastic brushes which break. Plastic bristles also increase friction and hair breakage. Bamboo is the preferred wood for paddle brushes. Other types of wood may not be environmentally sustainable.
3. Gentle on hair and effective detangling. A comb or brush’s main function is to detangle hair. 
4. A paddle brush with rounded bristles is a way to effectively incorporate scalp  massage into you haircare routine. The benefits of scalp massage are numerous. From redistributing natural hair oils to maintain a heathy scalp microbiome, to allowing the natural circulation of the scalp to enhance hair growth.

Ensure the bristles are rounded to minimise trauma to the scalp while brushing. This is why you should always choose wooden over plastic bristles. Plastic combs or bristles can rip hair and cause breakage. The ones with flexible plastic bristles are also not recommended. This is because plastic generates static. This can cause hair to be frizzy and break easily. Do not choose brushes with metal bristles. Those made of boar bristle is also not recommended. This is not just for ethical reasons, but also because natural materials from animals are prone to developing mould. Natural bamboo wood is the best type of material for a wooden paddle brush. This is because it is environmentally sustainable. Bamboo hair brushes are also naturally antibacterial. Bamboo inhibits growth of mould.

Tips for the Best Paddle Brush Brush & Beautiful Healthy Hair

The best hair brush for ensuring healthy hair is a paddle brush. The paddle can be round or rectangular, but you should get a medium-sized one like our bamboo paddle brush. Too large paddle brushes are for thicker hair, and can be ineffective for normal hair. 

The base of the paddle brush should be an elastic cushion. This is what gives the bristles flexibility so it does not tear hair out when you comb it. The best paddle brush for hair is one that has some recoil when you press on the cushion. A well made bamboo paddle brush, unlike plastic brushes, will last a lifetime if taken care of properly. 

For more tips on how to achieve beautiful healthy hair, read Dr. Teo’s book, Haircare Bible: Dermatologist’s Tips on Cosmeceutical Haircare. This book is a guide on how to achieve beautiful healthy hair with simple tips you can incorporate at home. This is a compilation of haircare tips that you can implement at home. All without visiting a salon and just by focussing on the science of healthy scalp and hair. Read up on our recommended hair ritual that can take you from healthy scalp to healthy, beautiful hair.