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Different brushes have different uses. A paddle brush is great for smoothing and detangling, a vented brush is ideal for drying, and a round brush can curl and add volume — which can make all the difference when it comes to styling fine, thin hair. While a large, densely-packed round brush may be useful for manipulating thick hair, the best round brush for fine thin hair should have fewer bristles that can grip without pulling or breaking delicate strands. But to find out more about what makes the best round brush for fine hair, Bustle spoke to NYC-based hair stylists Antonio Juarez of Fabio Scalia Salon and Christina Giarrizzo, leading stylist at Voel Hair.
What size round brush is best for fine hair?
“Picking the right brush is not about the type of hair you have, but the type of look you are looking to achieve,” Juarez says. “A smaller size brush is optimal when trying to achieve volume and curls. On the other hand, a bigger size brush is best if you want a straighter and smoother finish look.” The size of the brush is also dependent on the length of your hair — generally speaking, smaller round brushes are best for shorter hair, while longer hair can handle larger brushes.
What type of brush is best for fine thin hair?
More important than the size of the brush for thin hair is the composition. Juarez and Giarrizzo both favor boar bristle brushes for fine hair; the stiff texture can help detangle and evenly distribute natural oils while still remaining gentle enough for thin strands. “My only recommendation is to make sure that the bristle patterns are not too aligned and compacted too close to each other,” Juarez advises. “A more scattered bristle is best for fine hair because it doesn't create too much tension or pull on the hair.”
That said, boar bristle brushes aren't the only option. It's also worth noting that brushes with a boar and nylon combination are a great choice for blow-drying and smoothing fine hair. Additionally, plastic bristles have been known to work wonders when it comes to detangling wet hair that's prone to breakage, while brushes with ionic properties can help to combat static — an extremely useful feature for thin hair, since it also tends to be more lightweight and therefore heavily impacted by static.
With all that in mind, we’ve narrowed down the six best round brushes for fine thin hair of all lengths.
1
The Best Round Brush For Thin Hair, All Things Considered
The Care Me round brush is an all-around winner when it comes to styling fine, thin hair of any length. Its vented design helps to create volume, while its boar bristles smooth strands to a shiny finish. When it comes to catching flyaways, this brush is also a standout star. Thanks to the added nylon pins, it can easily grab thin hair without getting tangled. With more than 3,000 five-star Amazon reviews, this product is certainly hard to ignore. Several fans have even raved that it's the "best brush" they've ever used, especially for thin hair that "always seems to fall flat" with everything else — but not this pick.
Rave review: “I love this brush. I have very fine, thin hair, but am a child of the 80's. I like full hair. The bristles of this brush really grab on to & hold on to my hair. That allows me to get under the hair to the roots with my blow dryer. I get more lift in my hair as I dry it & the lift stays. I bought it as a daily deal & hoped it would work. I am so excited that it works so well for me.”
- Available sizes: 1.3 inch, 1.7 inch, 2 inch
2
The Pro Pick
Giarrizzo always favors boar bristle brushes on her fine-haired clients, and she dubs the Ibiza Hair EX4 round brush her favorite. Made in Spain, this luxurious brush is “incredibly smoothing without damaging the hair,” she says, and adds that the natural boar bristle construction won’t overheat the hair like a metal brush might. Better yet? “A bonus of using a boar's head brush is that the style lasts much longer." Plus, the ergonomic cork handle is lightweight and comfortable, “perfect for holding for long periods” — another reason why pro stylists love it. This particular brush measures 65 millimeters (about 2.5 inches) — a great choice for longer hair — but you can find many more sizes in separate listings on Amazon.
Rave review: “My hair is straight and fine but has zero volume or curve. This brush is the best of both worlds. Worth every penny and then some. Grabs your hair without tangling and produces body and shine with no static. It is very light weight and hair dies quickly.. Just perfect!”
3
The Best Round Brush For Blow-Drying Fine Hair
Most people are looking to speed up drying time but would prefer to do so without sacrificing the shine and luster that comes with a salon-quality blowout. With the Olivia Garden round brush, you can easily have the best of both worlds. It’s constructed with a vented ceramic barrel — similar to what you’d find in a flat iron or curling iron — and soft tourmaline ion-charged bristles, which work together to evenly distribute the heat of your blow dryer while simultaneously sealing in the moisture in your hair. The result? Smoother, silkier hair with less heat damage (though you should still be using a heat protectant first!). This also comes with a retractable sectioning tool tucked into the ergonomic handle.
Rave review: “My hairdresser recommended this brush to me on our last visit. "Your hair loves it" he said. He was right! I have very fine, thin hair that is shoulder length. I fight for volume with everything I can. This brush gets it there for me. I like it so much, I ordered one for my younger sister, too.”
- Available sizes: .5 inch, .75 inch, 1 inch, 1.25 inch, 1.75 inch, 2.75 inch, 3.25 inch
4
The Best, Less Expensive Round Brush For Blow-Drying Fine Hair
The Fixbody round brush is another excellent choice for blow-drying fine hair, but it costs a few bucks less than the Olivia Garden option above. This brush not only cuts down on drying time with its vented honeycomb barrel, but its nano-ionic and anti-static technology seriously help to prevent heat damage and minimize frizz and flyaways. As an added bonus, this brush also features a retractable needle at the bottom that doubles as a hair-sectioning tool — and it can even be used to clean clumps of hair out of the bristles.
Rave review: “I've bought alot of cheap crap over the years, off Amazon, from brands I've never heard of. It's always a gamble. But this brush is absolutely amazing. I have very fine, limp hair, just above my shoulders with no volume. I've bought several round brushes that I don't like (too small, too large, too stiff, etc) This grabs and holds the hair like nobody's business, doesn't tangle or pull, and is the perfect size to give my hair tons of volume. I'm impressed!”
- Available sizes: 2.5 inch, 3 inch, 3.3 inch
5
The Best Round Hair Brush For Volume
For those with thin hair, creating — and, more importantly, maintaining — volume can be a tough feat to manage. Using a tool with vented holes like the Osensia professional round brush (which allows hot air to thoroughly circulate during a blowout) will make it easier than ever. This particular brush also boasts amazing smoothing properties thanks to its anti-static, ionic-infused bristles, which help reduce both flyaways and frizz. Finally, its medium-size ceramic barrel has an "amazing pull," according to reviewers, which helps thin hair wind around it without snagging, so you can lift roots and curl ends for voluminous style. With close to 13,000 five-star ratings, it’s a fan-favorite, to boot.
Rave review: “This is the best round brush I have ever used. I have extremely fine hair and other round brushes get so tangled. The bristles on this brush run through my hair so smoothly, and OMG they feel so good on my scalp. Hair is full of body and cut my dry time by half. The brush light weight and fits perfectly in my hand. My arm usually gets tired trying to fix the back of my hair and this is the first brush I’ve ever used that that was not a problem. Do NOT hesitate to order this. Only brush I’ll ever use again.”
- Available sizes: .75 inch, 1 inch, 1.3 inch, 1.7 inch, 2 inch, 2.5 inch
6
The Best Brush For Creating Curls
With its mixture of nylon and boar bristles, the PERFEHAIR round brush is not only able to provide volume and lift, but it can also create curls that look like they were done with an iron. Thanks to the varying lengths of its bristles, this tool can easily grasp fine stands without getting them snagged or tangled, leaving hair both soft and shiny in the end. Its smaller barrel also means that strands can wrap around it multiple times, helping to create a loose coil during a blowout. (This brush is ideal for shorter and medium-length hair, but likely wouldn't be the best pick for extra-long locks.)
Rave review: “I like the way this brush is constructed. The combination of the natural boar and nylon bristles (with soft end covers)is perfect for grabbing and rolling the hair into the style look I like.”
- Available sizes: 1.5 inch, 1.7 inch
Experts:
Antonio Juarez, hair stylist at Fabio Scalia Salon
Christina Giarrizzo, leading stylist at Voel Hair
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