Tangle Teezer: Ideal Detangler or Hair Hazard?
The latest beauty controversy is over the Tangle Teezer hairbrush.
On Friday morning, the Daily Mail reported that that trichologists at Philip Kingsley — Audrey Hepburn’s famed scalp doctor — recommended avoiding the Tangle Teezer, a cult favorite brush that is supposed to detangle your hair with minimal tugging or damage. The headline read, “Avoid a tangle teezer, don’t wash all of your conditioner out and NEVER use oil on dry hair: The man credited with saving Audrey Hepburn’s hair on the critical mistakes you’re making,” and the text read, “Rather than using a bristle brush (like a Tangle Teezer), they recommend you stick to combing the hair using a wide-toothed comb when you’re in the shower waiting for conditioner to set.”
Brand representatives at Tangle Teezer have told Yahoo Beauty that Kingsley was misquoted. “We are big fans of Philip Kingsley and his brand and have a great relationship with him,” a rep for Tangle Teezer told Yahoo Beauty. “In this instance he was misquoted. He’d simply said that he’s always preferred using a wide-tooth comb rather than a brush, and in that respect he’s quite traditional. However, the article seemed to provoke an avalanche of support from Tangle Teezer fans! Within minutes of the article appearing, over 100 comments were posted by consumers in support of their Tangle Teezers, so it seems that whatever your preference, taking tangles out of our hair is an emotional subject!”
Anabel Kingsley, the daughter of the brand’s founder and the brand’s director of communications at Philip Kingsley (who is also studying to be a trichologist), declined further comment on the Daily Mail story. She did, however, tell Yahoo Beauty that forcing any kind of brush through your tangles can cause breakage and split ends, especially if you start at the roots or use a spiky bristle brush. “Bristle brushes have the potential to tear away sections of your hair cuticle, and they may also scratch your scalp,” she explains. “To detangle your hair without causing damage, first apply a detangling spray to your mid-lengths and ends. Then, using a wide-tooth comb or a soft brush with rounded, plastic prongs, gently comb through from the ends of your hair up to your roots.”
Related:
What My Father Taught Audrey Hepburn and Me About Hair
