Grooming Garage: Brush Your Hair

I have used a brush on my hair instead of a comb for as long as I can remember. At one time I had very thick hair, but now most of it is gone, at least from the top of my head (thanks, heredity!). But regardless of how much hair I do or don't have, I find a brush easier to use and more effective.

For years I bought whatever junky, low-cost brushes I found at the drug store, not realizing that some types of bristles were better for my hair than others. Then, about 15 years ago we went to New York to visit a friend of the Mrs. who had recently moved to Brooklyn after finishing grad school in the midwest.

On our way to visit the Whitney Museum, we passed a fancy-looking cosmetics and beauty store a block up Madison Avenue. The Mrs. and her friend wanted to check it out, so after we left the museum we went back. It was called Zitomer, and it's still there. It was a long, narrow store, and I was bored at first, until I discovered the men's section back in a corner. They carried products I had never seen before, mainly shaving creams and other grooming products from England. They also had hair brushes from England that happened to be 40% off, so naturally I bought one.

The brushes are from a company called Denman, and are also made in England. I've been using that same brush for the past 15 years. The bristles are boar, which help bring out the natural oils in hair, and they are set in a cushioned base, which makes using the brush more comfortable. Recently though, I noticed that my brush was looking rather worn, and I realized that even though I use it every day, I rarely think about my hair brush.

I decided to replace it with another just like it. Zitomer did not have the same brush available on its website, so I searched around online and found what I was looking for available through Amazon and several different online beauty supply retailers. I was glad to see that Denman's brushes are still made in the UK. I paid a bit more this time, but if I get 15 years of use out of this one, it will be worth it.