Hair Combing and Brushing Basics (3)

Round hair brushes
 
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The Vented Brush is one that has tines instead of bristles. The tines are set into a base that has open spaces to allow air to pass through it. The vented brush is designed for use with blow drying, allowing the hair to be dried more quickly because the brush doesn't inhibit the warm air from circulating through the hair.
 
There are tined brushes that are not vented, but instead have the tines set into a solid base (or a rubberized base) in a variety of shapes and designs. These "brushes" are little more than an attempt to get the effect of using several combs at once. I personally abhor these and will not use them. Generally, they are not good for use when drying the hair, and are more damaging to the hair than combs.
 
Vented brush
Vented Brush
Round brush with bristles
Round brush with Bristles
The Round Brush with Bristles is a styling tool that is best suited for short, wavy hairstyles. They are best used to provide lift and uniformity to the hair by rolling them through the hair to create a smooth, wavy effect. These brushes can come in a variety of sizes, though they tend to be smaller.
 
The Round Brush with Tines is designed for use with blow dryers for styling the hair into soft curves and waves. Initially created as a variant of the vented brush, most current designs feature a metal- or ceramic-covered base that holds the heat of the dryer to create soft curls and curves in the hair. These brushes are available in many sizes, from small barrels with long tines to create smaller, tighter curls, to large barrels with shorter tines to create big, soft waves.
 
Round brush with tines
Round Brush with Tines
Paddle brush
Paddle Brush
The Paddle Brush generally features a wide, flat base with short to mid-length tines and is designed for use with a blow dryer for straight hair styling. Originally, these brushes were designed with vented plastic bases like the vented brush, but now they can be found with metal- and ceramic-covered bases to make better use of the dryer's heat to straighten and smooth the hair.
 
In all cases, the size of the brush you want depends on the density of your hair and its length. For shorter hair, smaller brushes are generally preferred to give better control in styling. With long hair, however, a larger brush is usually beneficial to enable you to style the hair more quickly.
 
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See also:
 
How to choose the best hair brush for smooth and healthy hair
 
How to clean hairbrushes and combs
 
Basics on the hairstyling tools available
 
How many brush strokes a day for healthy hair?