How to Clean Hair Brushes and Combs, According to Dermatologists

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Hint: Your brushes need deep-cleaning more often than you think.

Round brushes transform straight strands into larger-than-life blowouts. Edge brushes help you achieve the wispiest baby hair swirls. Vented brushes deliver the heat styles of your dreams while saving you plenty of time in the morning. They're truly the unsung heroes of our morning routines. 🙌

In order to keep these brushes functioning at their highest potential, you'll need to make sure that you clean them often. Yep, just like you religiously deep-clean your makeup brushes, you want to do the same with your hair brushes to ensure a healthy scalp. And you'll have to go beyond simply pulling hair out of your favorite brush, because dirty hairbrushes can be harboring germs, dead skin cells, scalp oil, and dust. It's important to focus on removing the gunk and product buildup from your hairbrushes, not just the stray strands of hair.

Ready to get sanitizing? We've tapped dermatologists and beauty professionals to give us the rundown on everything you need to know about how to clean your hair brushes.

Grab your favorite hair brush (we're talking about the one that you use each morning for combing through your hair while you dramatically sing along to your favorite Spotify playlist in the mirror) — and take a good look at it. If you don't clean it regularly, you may notice buildup from dandruff and products in the form of grayish flakes at the end of your hairbrush bristles.

All of this built-up gunk limits the efficiency of your hair brush's detangling and natural oil-distributing capabilities, and that's a no-go when you want to preserve your hairstyles. "You should clean your hair brushes once every other week," says Michael Dueñas, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Veluer Creative. If you head to the gym often and use brushes on your sweaty scalp afterward, Dueñas recommends cleaning your brushes weekly or even more frequently. It's important to keep up this bi-weekly maintenance to avoid spreading bacteria through your hair, scalp and even onto your face and back.

The first step is the easiest — simply pull out all of the excess hair. Dueñas suggests using a hair brush cleaner to ensure that you remove hair, dust, and lint from the brush.

Once you've cleaned your brush of visible loose hair strands, tackle the oils, dirt, and product build-up on your brush with soap. "I recommend soaking your brushes in a basin of warm water and gentle soap or shampoo," notes board-certified dermatologist Dr. Lauren Penzi of MDCS Dermatology. "For example, Dove Body Wash or Johnson's Baby Shampoo. Let it soak in the mixture for a good 20 to 30 minutes before removing, rinsing them well, and letting them air dry." Let your brushes sit out overnight to ensure that they are completely dry before you run them through your hair again.

So, you didn't realize you were supposed to be regularly scrubbing your hair tools. Oops! The brush still technically works...right?

If you're wondering how bad it could really be if you chose to continue using a semi-dirty hairbrush, Dr. Penzi has some insight that might make you change your mind. "If you use your dirty brush after cleaning your hair in the shower, you're essentially canceling out that session as the oils and potential pathogens will be transferred back to your hair and scalp," she explained.

And if that wasn't bad enough, it turns out that brushes that haven't been cleaned could lead to infections and scalp conditions. Three potential issues you might be at risk for are seborrheic dermatitis, which causes scaly patches and dandruff, tinea capitis, which is also called ringworm of the scalp, and folliculitis, which is the inflammation of skin follicles that might look like pimples on your scalp.

Everyone has that one tried-and-true hair brush that they're emotionally bonded to after using it for everything from first-date hairdos to trying (and failing) to recreate viral TikTok looks. The good news is you won't need to replace your brushes and combs too often if you take good care of them.

"If you properly care for your brushes, do not burn the bristles, and don't use too much pressure that damages said bristles, you can keep your brushes for years and years," affirms Dueñas. That being said, some instances when you'll want to part ways with your favorite hair brush include missing prongs, a cracked brush pad, or fraying bristles that shed and get in the way of your brush doing its job. Plus, prickly bristles have damage your hair.

It's easy to be tempted to loan out your hairbrush to a girlfriend who forgot hers at home or borrow someone's comb while you're getting dressed after gym class, but it turns out that may not be the best idea. "Never share hairbrushes with your friends," insists Dr. Penzi. "This is obvious for conditions like lice but also important for conditions like folliculitis, which is bacteria-based, and tinea capitis, which is fungal-based."

And if you found out that you have lice, don't panic — but do throw away your hairbrushes. Dr. Penzi explains, "I'd strongly consider just investing in a brand new hairbrush once the condition is treated. This is because lice is quite contagious so it's best to not risk re-infection and start fresh with a new brush."

Currently in the market for a new brush? Here are some of the cutest and most customer-loved hairbrushes for all hair types out there.

Hannah is the Assistant Fashion & eCommerce Editor at Seventeen and covers all things style, shopping, and money. Seventeen taught her how to get dressed when she was younger, and she now spends her working hours passing down her expertise.

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