Why It’s Important to Wash Your Hairbrush
Your brush collects bacteria and fungus, oil, product buildup, and dead skin cells with each use. Without regular cleaning, all of that goes right back onto your freshly washed hair, which can affect how your hair looks and feels, as well as impact scalp health, says Monique Chheda, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with District Dermatology in McLean, Virginia.
Your Brush Harbors Bacteria and Fungus
Hairbrushes can harbor the bacteria and fungus that make up your scalp’s microbiome (the community of microorganisms that naturally live on your scalp). “These organisms aren’t inherently harmful, but when they accumulate, along with oil and debris, they can affect scalp health,” says Kseniya Kobets, MD, the director of cosmetic dermatology at Montefiore Health System and an assistant professor of dermatology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.
Oil and Products Build Up
Sebum, the oily substance released from the sebaceous glands on your scalp, acts as a conditioner, keeping your hair and scalp moisturized and healthy. Each time you brush your hair, some of that oil stays on your brush.
“Oil builds up very easily on a hairbrush,” Dr. Chheda says. “That oil then gets redistributed onto freshly washed hair, which can make it look greasy more quickly and may make it feel weighed down.”
Over time this buildup may even contribute to scalp irritation. In addition, the built-up products and oil trapped in a dirty brush can create a breeding environment where Malassezia (the yeast associated with dandruff) can thrive, which can worsen itching, flaking, and overall scalp inflammation, Dr. Kobets says.
Trapped Flakes Trigger an Itchy Scalp
Dead skin cells and dandruff flakes can get trapped in your brush, then redeposited onto your scalp each time you brush your hair. “In patients with dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis, this can reinforce the cycle of inflammation by reintroducing yeast and inflammatory by-products that have been growing on the hairbrush back onto the skin,” Kobets says.
Malassezia yeasts, which naturally live on the scalp, may be to blame. Compounds released by the yeasts can disrupt skin integrity and cause inflammation, especially when they accumulate in higher concentrations.
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