Value Village ／ Beauty
This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.
The hairbrush is the tool we use every day and almost never wash. "How often should I wash it?" and "how do I wash each material?" are standing questions in overseas communities too. In Japan there is a long tradition of caring for boar-bristle brushes, and this article draws on it.
| Material | Removing loose hair | Washing | Drying | Points to note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic (cushion brush, vented "skeleton" brush) | Every time | Once a week, in water with a little neutral detergent or shampoo | Bristles facing down | Water that gets into the holes of the cushion dries slowly |
| Natural bristle (boar) | Every time, with a brush cleaner or comb | About once a month: dip only the bristle tips in diluted shampoo and shake. Do not wet the base | Bristles down, air-dry completely out of direct sun | Water and heat make bristles fall out and crack the wooden base |
| Wooden pins (paddle brush) | Every time | Wipe with a well-wrung cloth. Avoid washing in water | — | Wood swells and cracks |
| Round brush (metal barrel) | Every time | With neutral detergent | Dry completely | Metal rusts |
| Comb | Every time | Once a week with detergent | — | — |
[Verify] The care methods are general methods based on brush makers' guidance. Check the head-lice advice against the materials of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Public Health.
Sebum and styling products build up at the base of the bristles as a white, powdery deposit. Regular washing is needed.
The wooden base cracks and the bristles fall out. Dip only the bristle tips in the washing liquid and keep the base dry. Use a comb-shaped brush cleaner for everyday dirt.
Heat frizzes natural bristles and warps plastic. Air-dry with the bristles facing down.
It passes on sebum, dandruff, head lice and ringworm (a relative of the athlete's-foot fungus). One brush per person — the same goes for hats and towels.
A brush whose rounded pin tips have come off scratches the scalp. Replace it when the bristles splay, the tips come off or the base cracks. 1–2 years for plastic, and up to 10 years for natural bristle depending on care, are the figures usually quoted.
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https://www.hokeniryo.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/kankyo/eisei/yokuaru_shitsumon/gaichu/
https://www.dermatol.or.jp/qa/qa17/index.html
https://www.caa.go.jp/policies/policy/representation/household_goods/
⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.
What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.
This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.
Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.
Cosmetics are not medicines and are not meant to diagnose, heal or prevent any condition. If your skin reacts, stop using the product and see a dermatologist.
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