Tangle Teezer: The Hairbrush With a Cult Following
Parents with squirmy, long-haired kids have been going gaga for an odd-looking plastic product that sells for about $15. Why? Because the Tangle Teezer, dubbed “magic” by its ever-growing fan base, combs knots out of hair in a way that’s miraculously pain-free.
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Even the New York Times Style section has noticed, calling the product “a truce in hand-to-hair combat” in its story on the Teezer’s rise to stardom on Wednesday.
“You may have also spotted the Teezer, which comes in bold colors like glittery purple and hot pink, around swimming pools, where parents use it to take out children’s knots (one brush is called the Magic Flowerpot),” the story noted. “Or perhaps you’ve heard from celebrities like Emma Watson, Victoria Beckham, Cara Delevingne and Georgia May Jagger, who have all talked or tweeted about their Teezers…”
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"We're thrilled to be noted as a trend in the New York Times, but not surprised," Teezer spokesperson Jacqui Ripley told Yahoo! Shine in an email, adding that the story had already increased the product's web traffic. "Since launching five years ago we've become a global success story."
Created in 2007 by British hair colorist Shaun Pulfrey, the no-handle brush, which resembles a cat groomer, has bristles that are stiff enough to detangle hair but soft enough to not pull or rip it.
The Teezer got off to a slow start, though, with Pulfrey even getting mocked on British TV when he presented it on a show in which entrepreneurs present new ideas to investors, the Times reported. It eventually started to catch on, with 1,000 brushes sold in the U.S. through Sally Beauty Supply in 2010. By the start of this year, the chain had already sold 15,000. Today the Tangle Teezer, effective on both kids and adults, sells eight of its brushes around the world every minute, according to a recent tweet from the company.
“I'm being 100% honest when I say that my Tangle Teezer has changed my life,” noted one happy fan on Twitter recently. “Why the hell did it take me so long to buy a @tangleteezer, greatest product EVER!” gushed another.
Reviews on the company’s Facebook page are just as emphatic. “I would have very short hair if it wasn't for this, and I would not look good with short hair,” wrote a Facebook fan, with another noting, “I no longer hear snapping when I brush my hair after washing. I love it.”
Fans flocked to Amazon, too. “Believe the hype,” “Thank the lord,” “The best brush I’ve ever used” and “No more tears” are some choice phrases on the product page, with moms among the most particularly pleased.
“Read other reviews and thought I would try it after another tear filled morning trying to brush my daughter's hair,” wrote “Busy TN mom.” “I picked one up at my local Sally's Beauty supplies (I just couldn't wait for it to ship from Amazon) and brought it home for her to try. I started brushing her hair and she said, ‘Wow, wow, it really doesn't hurt.’ She took it from me and started brushing her own hair and hasn't stopped yet.”
The brush has inspired competitors—such as the Smoobee—plus besotted blogs and YouTube tributes (one a nearly 10-minute video of a mom brushing out her daughter’s hair to a dance-music soundtrack, another of a young woman with hair down to her waist, criticizing the sound the bristles make but praising their ability to smooth her long locks).
Famous stylists are also big fans. “I discovered the brush in London years ago,” Paul Labrecque, owner of his eponymous chain of upscale New York salons, told the Times. “When I found out it was available here, I was thrilled and wanted to introduce them to my clients.” In London, hairstylist to the stars Ben Cooke noted the benefits even to faux hair, saying, “It’s brilliant on extensions.”
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