Generation Z is spending £350 on a brush made with boar bristles to achieve shiny, perfect locks.
The brushes, popularized on TikTok, are supposed to clean human hair by distributing oils from the scalp to nourish the ends.
But celebrities like former Love Islander Molly Mae and TikTok influencers are enjoying them and often take the time to share the “life-changing” product with their thousands of followers.
London manufacturer Mason Pearson sells boar bristle hair brushes that cost up to £347.20.
Meanwhile, one of the brushes from another popular brand, La Bonne Brosse, is priced at £138.
Model and internet personality Ambar Driscoll recently purchased a La Bonne Brosse brush in Paris and declared that the purchase was “worth every penny.”
Model and internet personality Ambar Driscoll, engaged to YouTuber Caspar Lee, recently purchased a La Bonne Brosse brush in Paris. He stated that the purchase was “worth every penny.”
“This is not an essential item by any means,” Ambar, 26, said in a tiktok video.
‘This is, of course, a luxury purchase. I hope it is also an investment item as I plan to use it for many, many years.
‘It’s so gentle on your hair. When you are brushing and detangling it doesn’t pull anything. It just feels lovely and soft.
‘It’s like something out of a movie where a girl sits in front of a mirror and brushes her hair a hundred strokes a night. That’s what I do now.’
La Bonne Brosse’s boar bristle brush promises to naturally hydrate and nourish hair by “evenly distributing sebum from roots to ends.”
The keratin in boar bristles is said to neutralize static electricity, leaving hair soft while also providing a “gentle scalp massage.”
Ambar seemed to agree with this last point and said, ‘It gives you this wonderful scalp massage that is so nice.’ This makes me enjoy brushing my hair.’
Meanwhile, fellow influencer Jess King, 34, said tiktok that the brush “feels amazing,” adding, “It’s absolutely stunning and I’m obsessed with it.”
Jess King, 34, reviewed a La Bonne Brosse brush on her TikTok channel and shared her thoughts with her 20,000 followers.
TikTok creator Maddy (pictured) from London, reviewed a Mason Pearson boar bristle brush for her followers
But not all of Ambar’s followers were convinced, with some criticizing her as “out of touch.”
“I love you but this is out of line,” wrote one bewildered fan. —Boar bristles and 100 pounds per brush in this economy?
Another commented: “We understand you’re rich.”
A third joked: “My hairbrush was free because I took it from my sister.”
Others attempted to draw Ambar’s attention to the ethical issues surrounding the manufacturing of boar bristle hairbrushes.
One concerned viewer said: “Or could we use hairbrushes that animals don’t have to suffer to make?” It’s a crazy idea, I know.
Someone else added: “It’s 2024. We can do better than killing animals to brush our hair.”
There is a lack of reliable information on how boar hair is collected for the coveted brushes.
La Bonne Brosse, which prides itself on using “the highest quality boar hair” for its brushes, talked about how it sources the bristles on its website.
“The hair for our brushes comes from Southeast Asia,” it said, “as unfortunately there is no longer a European supply chain (we are currently trying to recreate one, but it will take time).
‘For our brushes we have selected boar hair paying great attention to the quality and also to the conditions in which they were extracted.
“We have excluded industrial breeding to favor artisanal conditions that guarantee the best animal welfare.”
La Bonne Brosse has been contacted for comment.
Although the manufacturing of their boar bristle hair brushes is a “closely guarded secret”, Mason Pearson told MailOnline: “Our boar bristles come from a couple of long-established and trusted suppliers in India.”
‘In northern India, black-haired domestic pigs run freely through villages, just as we see chickens, geese and goats in other parts of the world.
“They are raised for food as the main alternative to beef, the consumption of which is prohibited for the majority of the population.”
According to the brand, its bristles are “a byproduct of the food chain” and “no pig is harmed in order to collect the bristles.”
The London-based hairbrush maker also said it complies with EU regulations on the import of animal products.
Its spokesperson continued: “Regulations require that there is a veterinary certificate for the slaughterhouse inspected by an EU-approved veterinarian and a disinfection certificate according to the relevant standard for the material from the processing plant.”
And Mason Pearson has certainly sparked curiosity, with influencers like @mizzmaddie92 get it to see what results it could bring, even if it is “an investment”.
There are vegan alternatives to boar bristle brushes and they are generally more affordable than their animal bristle counterparts; HairLust sells one for £24.95.
Another criticism of boar brushes is that they are difficult to clean, often trapping dirt, oils, and harboring bacteria within their dense bristles.