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Finishing Class Lesson 2: The Denman Brushes

Sat, 07/12/2008 - 11:46 — ellen

denman brushThe Denman Brush came into use in the 1960’s when geometric clean bobs and shapes came into fashion Vidal Sassoon put these styles on the map. These cuts worked great on straight to wavy textures that are easily blown dry without a huge amount of tension. The hand blow dryer was first used on these styles revolutionizing the way hair was finished. We saw and end to bouffant styles and a beginning of free easy styling.

 
Since then, the Denman brush has been a standard of finishing. It is a good brush with a well balanced handle which feels like an extension of your hand. I consider it a staple in your toolbox, as important as the blow dryer itself.
 
The Denman Brush comes in many different sizes and colors. The size is determined by the number of rows of bristles. The three are most commonly used are the 5, the 7, and the 9 row brushes. There are others, but these are the three I always end up using. The handle is the same size on all the brushes.
 
In addition to having many sizes, there are also many color variations on the bed, the bristles of the brush, and the handles. My favorite brushes have a pink bed with white bristles made of hard rubber. These bristles are smooth and have no seams that pull on the hair.
 
There are other color beds and other types of bristles, but they are niche players. Some have fewer white teeth that allow for more air flow in the section, which gives you less control and polish. Others have black teeth that are thinner and made for finer hair. Since I can get a good finish with my favorite three, I think these others are unnecessary. As for handle color, whatever floats your boat.
 
The 5 row brush is a small brush that is great for flat brushing and wrapping used on the front and smaller sections of the head. This is also the brush I use most for men’s hair. The 7 row is great for longer hair and areas that have more hair like the back and nape. It is also great for techniques such as wrapping and leafing. The 9 row is great for even longer hair and is used in a technique called rolling.
 
And if this isn’t enough to convince you, another added benefit of these brushes is that they can be used on clients in the shampoo bowl for detangling after shampoo and conditioning. How versatile is that!