Tangle Teezer hairbrushes have a type of teeth that mean they can brush and detangle hair easily, minimising breakage. They were designed with better hair care, rather than energy saving in mind, so how are they good for the environment? Here is a review of the product itself, which might make things clearer…
Tangle Teezers were invented by Shaun P, a hairdresser with over 25 years experience around the world. The idea grew over several years, as he experimented with different designs to find teeth that flex the right amount as they move through the hair, to detangle rather than break it and smooth cuticles while brushing. He took the idea on Dragon’s Den, and although that was a somewhat unsuccessful experience, he finally managed to get his product manufactured and has gone on to great success, with patent pending on the design. The teeth work brilliantly to detangle hair without pain or breakage. Anyone who has long or particularly tangle-prone hair knows how painful, time-consuming and hair-damaging brushing it through can be. The original Tangle Teezer took four years to design and is shaped so that it is easy to hold. It’s 11.2 cm by 7.2 cm with no handle and is virtually impossible to break. The teeth have two lengths, 1.3 and 0.7 cm long, and feel lovely on your skin as you brush. And they get through tangles very easily! You don’t have to repeatedly brush in the same place and there’s no need to gingerly work away at your hair so it doesn’t pull and hurt; it’s designed so that you don’t have to be gentle. You don’t have to start at the ends of your hair and work back up either, you can start at the crown and sweep it through your hair. Literally a few seconds, and it’s done. It can be used on wet and dry hair, and is perfectly fine to take in the shower and use to spread conditioner through your hair. There are tips for using them in the box and on the website [1] and the brush is also suitable for use with hair extensions and weaves and prolongs how long colour lasts when hair has been dyed.
A Compact styler is now available too, with a special guard to protect the teeth in a bag or suitcase, for example. It’s smaller than the original, at 10.5 cm x 8.5 cm x 5.0 cm, but the teeth are the same.
For children there is the Magic Flowerpot – the Tangle Teezer teeth are backed by a pink flower, making an easy to hold brush that looks pretty and encourages girls to brush their own hair. At 11.2 cm x 11.2 cm x 8.5 cm it’s a good size for children to hold, without being too small for adults. The flower sits on top of its own pink or blue flowerpot when not in use, which protects the teeth and is also good for storing things like hair bands and clips in.
Tangle Teezers are becoming increasingly more widely available in hairdressing salons throughout the UK, and a stockist finder is available on the website [2]. Direct from the website store [3], the original Tangle Teezer costs £10.20, the Compact Styler £12.24 and the Magic Flowerpot is £13.26. Bearing in mind a decent traditional style brush can cost £5-10, this is pretty good value when, considering how durable they are, it’s likely to last you a long time.
So, the environmental benefits…first and foremost, the amount of conditioner it saves! Because your hair is so much easier to detangle and keep smooth, you don’t need to use as much conditioner, and along with saving the resources and energy that go into producing it and the chemicals it washes down the drain, that also means that you’re consuming less in packaging. You use less water when you wash your hair too because you don’t have to leave the conditioner on for as long either. It takes away the need for detangling sprays, you don’t have to replace hairbrushes as they become worn out or broken by getting stuck in bad tangles, and you can brush your hair in 10-20 seconds in the mornings (perhaps less for shorter hair), instead of needing several minutes to brush it properly. That saves a lot of time, and that’s potentially less time you’re spending with the lights on before you go out. You also don’t need to worry about drying your hair so much either, because once the Tangle Teezer has detangled it, it stays that way while it dries naturally. The brush also smooths and straightens hair out, so if you do straighten your hair, part of the job is already done for you and you’re using less electricity to do it (so it’s better for your hair too!). If you colour your hair, the colour will last longer and this will save hair dye in a similar way to conditioner. A bit of saved conditioner here and a little less electricity used there might sound like little things but when you think about how often you wash and brush your hair, over time that adds up. Essentially, by making detangling and caring for hair easier, Tangle Teezers save time and money and in doing so also reduce the impact washing and brushing your hair has on the environment.
[1] http://www.tangleteezer.com/the-science-bit/default.aspx
[2] http://www.tangleteezer.com/salon-stockists/default.aspx
