Who on earth uses a Tangle Teezer anyway? I do!

I was the kid who exploded hair bands. The one who got headaches from updos. The one still standing under the swimming pool hairdryer when the others were already home. The child with the lion’s mane. Untangling my locks was painful. «Stop tugging,» my mum would remind me. But what else could I do when the brush kept getting stuck in my mane?

These days, my hair has thinned out a bit. But it’s still thick. A blessing, I know. But untangling’s a curse. I’ve tried everything. From brushes with plastic, wooden and even hog bristles. I even gave my arch-enemy the comb a second chance. But no joy:

But then, exactly half a year ago, my tangles were tamed ...

A brush with chaos

My morning mirror check. Once again, a bristle has snapped off while brushing my hair. «Stupid thing!» I mutter and chuck it into the sink. Only to lose another bristle because of the impact. Frustrated, I grab my phone and scroll through the over 2,400 hairbrushes available on Galaxus. There must be one that isn’t completely useless?!

An oval, slightly futuristic-looking combing object catches my eye: Tangle Teezer «The Original». I’m astonished by the 4.8 stars result from 140 ratings. «Untangles knots without pain,» «The best brush I’ve ever had», it says. A Google search tells me that the brush was developed by British hair artist Shaun Pulfrey. It’s been on the market for 17 years and is a bestseller. I’m sold.

Hairbrushes

Tangle Teezer Wet Detangler

388

Hairbrushes

EUR19,80

Tangle Teezer Compact, Pearlescent Matte Chrome

81

Hairbrushes

EUR13,91

Tangle Teezer The Scalp Exfoliator & Massager

23

Hairbrushes

Tangle Teezer Wet Detangler

388

Hairbrushes

EUR19,80

Tangle Teezer Compact, Pearlescent Matte Chrome

81

Hairbrushes

EUR13,91

Tangle Teezer The Scalp Exfoliator & Massager

23

A hairy surprise

I have little hope at first. Let’s face it, how much can a piece of 20-franc plastic actually achieve? Visually, the Tangle Teezer with all its «legs» reminds me of an oversized single-cell organism. One of those protozoa I fished out of a pond in biology class. The brush also feels weird due to its lack of a handle. A bit like an ergonomic computer mouse.

I put the Tangle Teezer to the ends of my hair and ... wait, what? It’s gone through already? This must be a coincidence. Let’s try that again. The brush glides through my hair. This can’t be true. Time to put it to the acid test. I place the Tangle Teezer at the top of the hairline, the end boss, so to speak, and slide the brush all the way down. With one or two extra brushing movements, this is no problem either.

A new life

My life’s changed since Tangle Teezer. These days, knots I spent years pulling and tugging at just effortlessly come undone. Not to mention the two superpower side effects the Tangle Teezer has:

1. Size

The Tangle Teezer is so small and lightweight you can easily pop it in your handbag. There’s no handle poking out.

2. Manageability

Another advantage of a handleless brush is that you hold it with your whole hand. This translates into more stability and precision when brushing. There’s no more jerky brushing like in the old days when I tried to drag a brush with a handle through my hair.

3. Hygiene

What always bothered me about brushes was that they’re hard to clean. I used to soak them in soapy water and laboriously pull out individual hairs wrapped between the long, unruly bristles. The dust was often so entangled with the hair, I’d have to cut it with nail scissors. The Tangle Teezer is a different ball game. All the strands of hair in the brush come out in a single stroke. A dishwashing brush and a little soap’s all you need to clean out the dust stuck between the short Tangle Teezer bristles in no time at all.

4. Head massage

The Tangle Teezer is also good for your scalp. Its small prongs glide smoothly through your hair and also massage your scalp. This is a real treat, especially when it’s all itchy because of the dry air in winter.

5. Sturdiness

Yep, the Tangle Teezer’s entirely made of plastic. At least that means I can chuck it into the sink if I want. It’s not like anything would break. Not even the bristles. This has already been proven by several accidentals drops onto the (stone!) floor. But now there’s no more reason to get wound up by my brush anyway.