Our hair brush is a tool we reach for every day, probably with little concern about its impact on hair. Unlike irons and curling wands, it’s seen as something benign. But could we be getting it wrong – and prematurely ageing our hair?
According to experts, the humble hair brush can be one of the most harmful elements in your hair regime, compromising the condition of both hair and scalp, and even impacting growth. All before you’ve switched on your straighteners.
All of which is the thinking behind Killabrush, the first-ever anti-microbial hair brush, which promises to protect the delicate scalp microbiome – key to healthy growth and hair longevity.
The first anti-ageing hair brush? You betcha, says trichologist Mark Blake.
‘Yes, regular hairbrushes can be ageing our hair,’ Mark confirms. ‘When we talk about ‘ageing’ hair, we tend to blame hormones, genetics and the ageing process itself, but we often overlook something we put through our hair every single day that hasn’t changed for years – our hairbrush!’
How can our regular hair brush be ageing?
Firstly, there’s the obvious issue of mechanical stress and breakage, which can be a disaster for mature hair in particular. ‘It’s a complete myth that you should brush your hair 100 times a day. In fact this is one of the fastest ways to damage your hair,’ warns Mark. ‘If the bristles are too rigid or harsh, repeated friction can cause breakage and even damage the cuticle, causing irreversible damage. As we get older, hair can become finer, drier and more fragile and so needs to be treated with a bit more TLC.’
KILLABRUSH The Vented Blow Styler Brush
Another less-appreciated problem is how our hairbrush dumps dirt on to our scalp. ‘Your hairbrush is a bit like a vacuum cleaner, hoovering up dead skin cells, sweat, sebum, styling products and microorganisms. And then we put that same hairbrush straight back on to freshly washed hair and scalp,’ winces Mark. ‘You wouldn’t wash your face and then dry it with the same dirty towel for months, so why are we prepared to do the same with our hair?’
Gross. But how is that ageing?
In an ideal world, our scalp is home to a community of bacteria, yeasts and other microorganisms living in perfect harmony and creating the right environment for optimal hair growth, Mark explains.
‘When the balance becomes disrupted, it can be associated with scalp conditions such as inflammation, irritation and sensitivity, which are ageing on the scalp and can affect optimal hair growth,’ says Mark. ‘Your scalp actually ages faster than your face because it’s got more oil on and is a lot dirtier. Emerging research is also looking at the relationship between the scalp microbiome and certain types of hair loss.’
Older women are more vulnerable to this sort of disruption, he adds. ‘When women are in midlife, their oil glands stop secreting as much, so their skin and their scalp gets a lot drier and “craggy”. The hairbrush goes over it, lifting up all that dead skin, causing more build-up of yeast and bacteria. The fact that their scalp is already a lot drier means that they tend to get more problems.’
Protecting the microbiome is therefore vital for healthier hair as we get older, Mark says. ‘As we age, the hair follicles are already dealing with other challenges such as a reduction in hair diameter, decrease in density and a shortening hair-growth cycle. Your scalp is like the soil that your hair grows out of, so introducing unwanted microbial build-up back on to the scalp is something to avoid when trying to optimise scalp health and healthy hair growth.’
What is Killabrush and how is it ‘anti-ageing’?
Killabrush is a whole new concept in brushing your hair. While it looks like a regular hairbrush, it has a built-in antimicrobial tech that’s designed to kill up to 99.9% of bacteria, germs and viruses when it’s brand new. The aim is to inhibit microbiome imbalance at the source, and support ‘slow ageing’ scalp hygiene. The brush also features a gentle bristle technology designed to detangle hair without snapping.
The brand says it also retains its antimicrobial protection between washes – something which you’re recommended to do every 1-2 weeks for general hygiene. The Killabrush team claims the brush’s ‘Killa BZ’ tech will still have a ‘kill rate’ of around 80% after 12 months, and 50% after 18 months.
It meets the full approval of Mark, who tells us: ‘I always say scalp health is directly linked to hair health. Healthy hair starts with the scalp, and everything that regularly touches that scalp should be considered part of your scalp-care routine.’
‘Anti-ageing haircare shouldn't just be about adding another serum or shampoo. It's also about reducing avoidable stresses on ageing hair, including excessive mechanical damage and unnecessary microbial build-up on the tools we're using every day.’ Killabrush ticks both those boxes.
Beauty director’s verdict
My hair is naturally fine and recovering from a shedding episode so I’m keen to try anything that will reduce stress on my strands. From that point of view, Killabrush certainly sounded promising.
Now, I can’t pretend I’ve been able to examine the brush or my scalp with a microscope, so I will have to take the brand on trust regarding the anti-microbial claims. The fact it’s been endorsed by a well-respected trichologist like Mark Blake does give me confidence, though.
It’s also an absolute pleasure to use. The widely-spaced bristle design feels very gentle on my hair, and I’ve seen fewer strands deposited on the brush than usual – although, of course, some daily shedding is entirely normal.
I’ve been testing out the vented design, which has proved a boon for blowdrying. It allows more air to get to my hair, so noticeably cuts down on styling time without introducing unnecessary tugging. Obviously, it doesn’t grip hair like a round boar-bristle brush, but those are a key culprit for breakage anyway, and something I now view as a salon-only blow-out treat.
For a DIY blow-dry, Killabrush holds my hair perfectly well. It's saving me time every day and I’m happy to think it’s saving my scalp from premature ageing, too.
