Brush Styling Troubleshooting – 7 Common Problems & Solutions

Do you struggle with brush styling your curls? If you’re frustrated with this popular styling technique and you just cannot seem to get it to work for you, I’m here to help. I’m going to be covering 7 of the most common problems that you submitted and several solutions you can try.

Prep

On clean hair, apply curl cream and/or leave-in conditioner. Section hair and apply gel before brush styling if you want more frizz control and more definition. For a softer look, apply cream, then brush style, then glaze/scrunch in gel afterward.

Problem 1: Knowing which brush to use for your hair type

There are two purposes of brushes with naturally curly hair:

1. Detangling or distributing product: look for a flexible brush that has a smooth material to reduce breakage like this one
2. Styling (smoothing hair and creating ringlets): look for a brush with a rounded edge and one that has a lot of bristles.

The denser the bristles, the more tension, creating more “ribbon-like” ringlets. The more sparse the bristles, the less tension, creating more separation. For low-density hair, you may want more separation to achieve more fullness. However, if you have very fine hair that falls out of the brush, use a denser bristled brush. A denser bristle brush will also help with scalp covering. Denser bristles can cause more breakage so they’re not ideal for damaged hair.

Short-length hair may need a smaller-sized brush. Longer hair could use a larger-sized brush. For long hair, you can also try pinching the root to help you brush down the full strand.

The Briogeo Vegan Boar Bristle Brush is the densest type of brush because it has multiple layers of both short and long bristles. It’s great at creating ribbon-like curls and because of the plastic bristles, it won’t cause as much damage to the hair as natural boar bristles. 

The Denman Brush is not ideal for detangling but is a great styling brush for multiple brush techniques, including brush coiling because of the rounded handle. The bristles have a medium density and you can even remove rows.

The Tangle Teezer Naturally Curly Detangler Brush is a good in-between brush because it can be used for both detangling and styling. It has dense bristles but the hair glides easily and doesn’t cause breakage. It has multiple bristle lengths so can create ribbon-like curls if you pick up larger sections and apply tension.

Problem #2: Hair getting caught or tangled in the brush

• Create even sections with clean lines to avoid snags and accidentally picking up hairs from other sections. Use your fingers underneath the hair to press against the scalp in a straight line to create sections.
• Clip away the sections that you have not styled yet, and the curls that you’ve already brushed. When clipping up sections, be sure to lift the hair up, then clamp it instead of letting the hair droop down into the section you’re working on.
• When picking up sections to brush style, I recommend vertical sections. Play around with the size of the section depending on your hair density and curl pattern. I like to use horizontal sections around the crown to better cover the scalp. 

Problem #3: Knowing which direction your curls spiral

This is really trial-and-error and requires practice the more you brush style. Look at the way your curls naturally separate. It’s common to have varying curl patterns and changing directions.

• Pick up sections that go mostly in the same direction for the best results. You can also look at the top of your hair strand and see which direction the very first bend goes in.
• You may also need to adjust the angle in which you’re holding the brush and applying tension.
• If your hair is still not curling in either direction, then you may have damage or are due for a haircut. 

Problem #4: Curls fall straight after brush styling

This is the most common problem I hear from you all when trying to brush style. It’s important to understand that not everyone’s hair is meant to spiral. If you have naturally wavy or loose curls, brush styling may not do much for you other than smooth your hair. You cannot create ringlets that don’t exist naturally. Brush styling only enhances your natural curl pattern and encourages it to spiral more uniformly.  

• A common cause of hair going straight with brushing is your products may be too heavy. Ensure you’re using lightweight creams and look for gels that have a more liquidy consistency instead of thick gels. 
• Wrap the hair around the edge of the brush and apply tension when gliding down the strand. The tension around the rounded rim is what creates the curl.
• Adjust the amount of hair in your strand. If you’re picking up too thin of sections then there won’t be enough tension.
• You may need to adjust the angle that you’re holding the brush. I recommend pointing it downwards.
• Add more water. If your hair starts to dry, you won’t be able to coil it with a brush. Spritz water as you go. 

Problem #5: Hair loses volume and fullness, scalp shows

The more clumped your curls are, the less volume you may have. This is especially an issue with low-density or thin curly hair.

• Pick up smaller sections to brush style.
• Ensure you’re pulling the hair away from the scalp and not brushing downward.
• For more root curls and lift, ensure you’re twisting the brush starting right at the root, instead of brushing it straight for a few inches then turning the brush.
• Separate large curl clumps with a comb or fingers after, then scrunch.
• Scrunch directly at the roots to encourage root curls and lift.
• Shake out the roots gently while wet from underneath to avoid the scalp showing.
• To preserve fullness, try only brush styling the top section or every other section.

Problem #6: Hair falls out of the brush

This happens when you don’t have enough hair in the brush, or your brush is not dense enough.

• Use a brush that has multiple lengths of bristles to better grab the hair, like the Briogeo Vegan Boar Bristle Brush
• Apply more tension by pressing the hair down to the base of the brush. You can hold your hand against the strand as you glide down.
• Try picking up larger sections for more tension, then just separate after with a comb for more fullness.

Problem #7: Brush styling is time-consuming

There’s no denying that brush styling requires more time in your routine. However, it may save you time throughout the week because it can help your curls last longer. When curls are more clumped, they hold better and the frizz stays tucked away into the clump.

There are some ways to brush style faster. 

• Brush style entire horizontal sections at once then separate with comb
• Only brush style the top section or face-framing pieces
• Only brush style problem areas

Final Results

Were there any problems I missed? Let me know in the comments. I am planning to create a full series on various brush styling techniques, so please let me know what you want to see next. To learn how to brush coil, check out this video.

Products Used:

• Wet Brush Original Detangler Brush (for detangling & distributing products)
• Denman Hair Brush for Curly Hair D3 7 Row (for brush styling & coiling)
• Briogeo Vegan Boar Bristle Hair Brush (for brush styling, ribbon curls, scalp covering)
• Tangle Teezer Naturally Curly Detangling Brush (for both detangling & brush styling)