Those who have luscious long locks may have noticed their hair brush over time looks less and less appealing, as old hair clogs up the bristles. This also makes it less effective too, with many using old dirty brushes that could be making your locks worse.
Some may have also spotted little flecks of lint in their brush, passing it off as fluff caught in your hair or possibly dandruff. One woman has revealed that it is far grosser than you may have realised.
TikTok user @jennmarsala shared the slightly disgusting information with her shocked followers in a video which now has over three million views and 400k likes.
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Jenn Marsala said: "You're brushing your hair with a hairbrush full of residue that resembles grey lint.
"It is actually dead skin cells and sebum, along with old matted hair and hair product residue, which creates bacteria and your hairbrush is becoming more and more contaminated with every stroke."
The video was captioned: "If you didn't know, now you know" and viewers flooded her comments about the less than sanitary hair situation.
One said: "Dude what… I always was like damn it's pretty dusty in here" and another added: "so that's what that is". A third wrote: "This is why I clean my brush every time I use it."
"Oh I thought that was just dry shampoo," said one viewer to which Jenn replied: "Dry shampoo, dead skin, bacteria all that gunk."
In response to this gross revelation, hairdresser Kelly Vowles told the Mirror: "There is truth to this claim. Your brush can collect dead skin cells which shed from the scalp, debris from product build up and also hairs that have shed from the head.
"Most people naturally shed between 100 – 150 hairs each day which we don't always notice as it depends on how often you are brushing your hair."
Kelly, who owns Pixal-Rose Hair Design in Swindon, explained: "Keeping brushes clean is not only important to prevent bacteria breeding but it can also cause cross contamination, especially in the family home.
"Prime example of this would be head lice. If someone did manage to bring them into the home and use a hair brush or comb which is then picked up and used by someone else, those little guys can spread like wildfire!"
While many commenters thanked Jenn for alerting them, others were at peace with their brush dirt, saying: "i can live w that". Jenn replied: "I used to live like that too, but I had an itchy scalp dandruff and can definitely be one of the reasons why."
Another commented added: "If you have long hair, it can be little pieces of lint that your hair picks up from your shirt too."
Many asked for tips on how to clean the brush thoroughly, Kelly advised: "To keep your brushes clean, use a comb to slide between the bristles and pick up any hairs which have got stuck.
"You can use anti-bacterial sprays to get rid of any bacterial residue - ensure they are suitable for the task in hand, please don't be using the kitchen or bathroom cleaner - or give you brushes a good soak in warm soapy water."
If all else fails, it might be time for a fresh brush to give your hair a new lease of life.
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