The Best Brush for Hair Extensions

Your extensions are tangled, your brush is in your hand, and you're feeling unsure on how to return the hair to smooth and silky. We completely understand it can be stressful, so we're giving you our best advice – most of it comes down to simply being well informed on how to care for your extensions.

The best brush for hair extensions is a soft and flexible one, with no bobbles on the bristle tips. Always brush from the ends up, never from the root down. Our two picks are The Detangling Brush, for wet or knotty hair, and The Bristly One, for smoothing dry hair.

What Makes a Brush Safe for Hair Extensions?

A safe brush moves through your hair without fighting it or catching. Here is what to look for.

• Flexible bristles. They bend around a knot rather than pulling on it. That means less tugging on your roots and attachments and more of a smooth glide.
• No bobbles on the tips. The little balls on the end of some bristles may look gentle, but unfortunately, they can snag. They catch on clips, tapes and beads, which can cause shedding and damage the seams (where the hair is stitched onto the weft).
• A cushioned base. It has some flexibility as you brush, so the bristles do not press hard into your scalp or attachments.
• Wide enough gaps. The spaces between the bristles should let clips, tapes and beads pass through without catching.

A quick rule: if a brush keeps catching on your extensions, it is the wrong brush.

The Best Brushes for Hair Extensions

You do not need a drawer full of brushes. Two brushes and a comb will cover almost every job.

Detangling Brush: The Wet One

Our Detangling Hairbrush works on wet or dry hair. It gets through knots without damaging your hair or your attachments. This is the one to reach for straight after washing, or when you wake up with a tangle.

Bristle Brush: The Bristly One

The Bristly One is our Bristle Hairbrush, made for dry hair. It smooths frizz, by spreading your natural oils along the hair for shine. It also helps you create sleek, bump-free ponytails. Want the full story? Read our Bristly One launch post.

Wide-Tooth Comb

A wide-tooth comb is handy in the shower. Use it to work conditioner through wet hair, then follow with the Detangling Hairbrush if any knots are left.

Which Brush for Your Type of Extensions

What type of extensions are you working with? The brush matters, but so does where you hold the hair.

Clip-Ins, Halos and Ponytails

Brush them before and after you wear them. Hold the weft (the band the hair is attached to) and brush from the ends up. Once they are in, give your hair a gentle brush to blend everything together.

Tape-Ins

The safest way is to brush in sections. Hold the hair just below the tapes, so the brush never pulls on them. Never drag the brush hard over the tapes themselves to avoid slippage and damage.

Nano Rings and I-Tips

The best hair brush for nano extensions is a soft detangling brush. Hold the hair near the root and brush around the beads, not over them - do this both morning and night. It stops the roots matting, which is when hair clumps into a knot near the bead. For more tips, see how to look after nano ring extensions.

Wefts

Brush along the rows. Hold the hair just below each weft, brush that section from the ends up, then move on to the next row.

How to Brush Hair Extensions Without Damage

Here is the simplest way to brush extensions without the stress.

1. Start at the ends and work up. Brush the bottom few centimetres first. Move higher once they are knot-free.
2. Hold the hair above the knot. This takes the pull away from your roots. For bonded extensions, like nano rings and I-tips, hold at the root instead.
3. Detangle wet hair only with conditioner on and a detangling brush. Let the conditioner and The Detangling Hairbrush do the work, so you are not tugging, hair is the most fragile when it's wet.
4. Brush morning and night, then sleep in a loose plait. A plait stops your hair rubbing and tangling while you sleep.

Facing a stubborn knot? Our guide on how to detangle clip-in extensions walks you through it. If tangles keep coming back, read how to stop extensions matting.

Brushes to Avoid

Some brushes are fine for natural hair but tough on extensions. Steer clear of these:

• Bobble-tipped brushes. The bobbles snag on clips, tapes and beads.
• Stiff or metal bristles. They do not bend, so they pull instead.
• Fine-tooth combs at the root. The teeth sit too close together and catch on attachments.

Looking for a brush for your own hair? Our guide to hairbrush types covers the lot.