The Hairbrush
Hairbrushes have been around
for thousands of years. However,
you may be surprised to learn
that until recently they were
only used by the wealthy and
privileged. The upper-class ancient
Egyptians used hairbrushes made of animal hair, porcupine quills, shells, and bone for combings and to
remove lice and other pests that got tangled in their hair. Brushes were manufactured for the fi rst time
in 1777 by an English company. The bristles came from wild animals and were stitched into the brush by
hand. It is not surprising that these brushes were quite expensive. It wasn’t until the beginning of the 20th
century that brushes began to be manufactured by machine and to be produced with cheaper, synthetic
materials, like nylon bristles. With these developments, brushes became extremely common.