Accessories

Nylon, boar bristle, wood, silicone: how to care for your brush depending on its material

Written by Dr. Julie Pernet Doctor of Pharmacy & Certified Trichologist Updated 13 / 08 / 2026 2 min read

What you must remember

 

A brush accumulates oxidized sebum, dead skin cells, and styling product residue, which it then redeposits onto a freshly washed scalp. Nylon and silicone brushes are washable, boar bristles are cleaned on the surface, and wood should never be submerged—it swells and cracks.

  • A dirty brush redeposits oxidized sebum and residue onto a clean scalp
  • Nylon and silicone can be washed with water, without restriction.
  • Boar bristles are cleaned on the surface, without immersion.
  • Wood should never be submerged: it swells and cracks.
Nylon, boar bristle, wood, silicone: How do I care for my brush depending on its material? - MakeMyMask

A brush accumulates sebum, dead cells, hair styling product residue and dust. Passed daily over a leather With clean hair, she puts everything back in. that she kept. Clean her brush is so not a maintenance gesture of the equipment: it's a hygiene measure The scalp, and it changes according to the matter.

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Why do you need to clean your brush? With hair?

Dead hair, oxidized sebum, dead skin cells, and styling product residue accumulate between the bristles . This buildup is transferred with each pass over a freshly washed scalp, negating some of the shampoo's benefits.

  • The oxidized sebum is redeposited weighs down the roots the day after washing
  • Styling product residue builds up and dulls the hair lengths.
  • The moisture retained in the cushion promotes microbial growth.


You wash your hair, then run an object laden with everything you've just washed over it. It's the most mundane and neglected detail of a routine—and on a oily or dandruff-prone scalpIt makes a real difference.
Dr. Julie PernetDoctor of Pharmacy & Certified Trichologist

How to care for your brush depending on its material?

The principle is common — remove the hair, then clean — but the Water tolerance changes everything. One brush in nylon or silicone washes without fear: warm soaking with a little shampoo, brushing between the bristles, rinsing and drying bristles downwards. A brush in boar bristles cleans itself in Surface only, without immersion: natural hairs do not tolerate the prolonged soaking, which softens them. A brush made of wood does not dive never in water — the wood swells, cracks and the varnish peels off. Damp cloth, immediate drying.

How often How to maintain your hairbrush?

AdAdapt this rhythm to your scalp:

  • Removing tangled hair: after every brushing, or every two days
  • Complete scalp cleansing normal: once a month
  • Cleaning full on oily scalp both of them weeks
  • Complete cleaning in case of dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis every week
  • Usage daily styling products or shampoo dry: every two weeks

Before
Before
After
After

Verified review

"My hair has regained its vitality, and I can now space out my shampoos to 4 days! Before, I had to wash it every 2 days because of itching related to excess sebum. My scalp is visibly healthier, and the results are conclusive."

Rachel D., a customer for 8 months

Discover the solution

The protocol for a scalp that nothing recharges

A clean brush won't compensate for a clogged scalp, but it will prevent you from putting back what you've just removed. Exfoliate once a week to remove thickened sebum, wash with a pH-5 product without stripping the skin barrier, and clean your brush as often as you clean your hair. These three steps reinforce each other.

Stimulating Wooden Brush [Th]

Stimulates microcirculation and gently detangles

€40,00€12,00

To remember

  • A dirty brush redeposits oxidized sebum and residue onto a clean scalp
  • Nylon and silicone can be washed with water, without restriction.
  • Boar bristles are cleaned on the surface, without immersion.
  • Wood should never be submerged: it swells and cracks.

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F.A.Q

How do I clean a nylon hairbrush?
Remove tangled hair, soak the nylon brush in warm water with a drop of shampoo for a few minutes, scrub between the bristles with an old toothbrush, rinse and let dry bristles down.
Can you wet a boar bristle brush?
Avoid prolonged soaking: immersion softens the natural bristles and deforms them. Clean the boar bristle brush on the surface with a damp, soapy cloth, then dry immediately.
How do you care for a wooden hairbrush?
Never immerse a wooden brush in water: the wood swells, cracks, and the varnish peels off. Remove the hair, wipe the bristles and base with a slightly damp cloth, then dry immediately.
How often should you clean your hairbrush?
Once a month on a normal scalp, every two weeks if it is oily or if you use styling products daily, and every week in case of dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis.
Can a dirty brush cause dandruff?
It doesn't cause them on its own, but it perpetuates the problem: oxidized sebum and residue redeposited with each wash feed the inflammation of an already weakened scalp. For dandruff, weekly cleansing is part of the routine.

Written by

Dr. Julie Pernet

Doctor of Pharmacy & Certified Trichologist. Doctor of Pharmacy and Trichologist, founder of the DermoPilaire MakeMyMask Laboratory. She develops skincare protocols focused on scalp health, based on microbiome science and pH balance.

Dr. Julie Pernet

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