Experts Weigh In On The Viral TikTok About Washing Your Hairbrush

What is social media if not a place where we're repeatedly informed that we've been doing something wrong our entire lives? "I was today years old when I found out..." was a viral trend for a reason, and with TikTok it seems that these wake-up calls have become a lot more frequent. Well, in case you thought something as simple as owning a hair brush was an act you could safely say you're good at, think again. 

A viral TikTok posted by @unitfour4 of her washing ordinary hairbrushes shook everyone to their core (via TikTok). Her video inspired user @everything_tidy, who reported back in her own viral TikTok: "I've put all my brushes in the sink and we're going to leave them for a bit. I've used hot water and shampoo because [unitfour4] didn't state what she used — I figured because it's hair," she shares in the beginning of the video, only to return an hour later to show viewers that the water had turned an opaque, murky brown that sent shivers down everyone's spine. It's made thousands of users wonder if they have to really wash their hairbrushes frequently. Here's what the experts had to say about the nationwide panic.

If watching the viral TikTok video and seeing just how much dirt can get built up in a hairbrush you sweep across your hair on a daily basis wasn't enough to traumatize you, hair experts have decided to chime in and confirm that it's time everyone started paying closer to attention to hairbrush-care as well as general haircare. Certified trichologist and hair science expert Bridgette Hill explained how your hairbrush can be a "breeding ground for dust, bacteria, mites, and product build-up" (via Insider). Hill broke it down quite simply, "Contemplate on how frequently you 'cleanse' the hair and reintroduce the same dirty hairbrush to your scalp and hair fiber," she explained. "It is as if you are recontaminating the environment that was just cleansed."

Haircare mogul Jen Atkin's brand website The Ouai has also spoken before about how important it is to wash your hairbrushes, explaining that essentially brushing your freshly washed hair with the old dirts and oils from your pre-wash brush kind of defeats the purpose and leaves your hair getting greasy faster. They recommend washing your hairbrush weekly or once every couple of weeks — and you can use a simple mixture of hot water, dish soap, and vinegar to leave your hairbrush feeling brand new again!