Hey, Camp Fans!
The history of things is interesting. Learning the origin and purpose of our own inventions typically says a great deal about who we are as a collective people. The history of the hairbrush tells us that we’re a crafty people with a universal desire to always be lookin’ good! And we’ve pretty much always been this way.
In fact, archeological digs for ancient artifacts in Egypt have revealed that combs—not to be confused with hairbrushes—have existed in primitive form as early back as 5500 B.C. Our Egyptian ancestors knew that the design of a comb would work best for untangling and straightening hair.
If a comb is like shampoo, then the hairbrush is like conditioner. Hairbrushes aren’t any help when it comes to tangled hair. You need to run a comb through it first. The comb makes your hair manageable. Now it’s ready for brushing—designed to massage your scalp, enhance circulation, and induce your scalp to release its natural oils.
While combs go back over 7000 years and maybe longer, hairbrushes have only been around for 240. A man named William Kent began making them by hand in England, 1777. He crafted them in the same fashion as the original toothbrushes (which you can read about by clicking here). He made his brushes with the hair of boars—which is still what they’re typically made of today.
Hairbrushes were initially only for the upper class that could afford products of such luxury. Of course, nowadays, most households are entitled to the luxury of hairbrushes. Pack one along for your summer camp stay and grab the Folding Brush with Mirror here at Everything Summer Camp. Keep your head feeling clean and looking good!
You can get a closer look at the Folding Hairbrush on our website by clicking here and, as always, thanks for reading!
- John