Does brushing promote hair growth and if so, how?

randomguy55

Brushes were originally intended to help the growth of thinning hair, so the answer to your question is yes. The major ways of encouraging healthy growth is: #1. The shedding of loose hair, preventing entangling while at the same time removing dirt and dandruff, and #2. Certain brushes are designed to gently stimulate sebaceous glands of the scalp, encouraging growth. Of course, too much brushing can damage the scalp and put stress on the hairs, therefore all things must be in limits. http://www.haircountry.com/hair_loss_brush.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair_care#Detangling:_brushing_and_combing Mar 02 08, 3:54 PM

whee	A scientific study on dogs showed that brushing had no impact on hair growth. http://www.medscapecrm.net/medline/abstract/16412119 I did not locate any *scientific* evidence to show that brushing promotes hair growth in any animal (including humans). Mar 02 08, 4:24 PM

billythebrit

Mamma keeps brushing her Yorkies - after reading your answers, I don't know if she's wasting her time or not! Mar 02 08, 4:36 PM

Baloo55th

As hair is actually dead from the moment it leaves the root, the only possible influence of brushing could be to stimulate the root cells. No matter what shampoo manufacturers and hair oil peddlers say, dirt and dandruff have no effect on growth. (They can have a considerable effect on one's social life, however...) Diet is far more important in hair growth. A good account of the hair growth cycle is found at http://www.follicle.com/hair-structure-life-cycle.html and recommendations and info on diet at http://www.articlealley.com/article_44561_23.html I went through seven pages of Google to find this - straight info with no 'snake oil' selling or urban legend nonsense. In short, brushing and applying treatments to your hair is somewhat equivalent to washing the car. It makes it look much nicer [mental note - must wash car...] but doesn't make it go any better. You can't 'nourish' or 'feed' hair any more than you can the car body. Both are dead material and while waxing the car and shampooing the hair (you can shampoo the car but don't wax your hair) improves the surface appearance, it's what is consumed internally that counts for car performance or hair growth. Warning: don't drink gasoline.... Mar 02 08, 4:56 PM