Nobody wants to be the guy with visible dandruff peppered throughout his strands and all over his shoulders. Dandruff shampoos with clinical-strength ingredients and at-home dandruff remedies are the best way to fix the root of the problem (and to mitigate it, too), and a dandruff comb is a great back-pocket tool to have in the arsenal in case of a flare up.
Dandruff combs are designed with distinct purposes in mind. They’re not lice combs, nor are they exfoliating hair brushes used to shampoo the scalp. Lice combs have very fine teeth for catching all of the tiny lice eggs, and shampoo brushes are plastic, waterproof, and designed to be used in the shower while cleansing. Dandruff combs can look like combs or brushes with exfoliating hair or nylon bristles, but their ultimate goal is tending to skin rather than hair or hair follicles.
“The main reason to use a dandruff comb is to help loosen and remove scaly clumps of dead skin that are often associated with dandruff,” said Dr. Jaimie DeRosa of DeRosa Center Plastic Surgery and Med Spa in Boston and Palm Beach, FL. Add to that their ability to spot-check any flakes in the strands, and their use cases are covered.
Dandruff combs don’t treat dandruff or solve the problem. But they’re a great way to tend to the skin between treatments with a heavy-duty dandruff shampoo or another regimen. As DeRosa’s said, they’re also more effective at removing flakes before a date night or the workday than the average wide-bristled hairbrush. No comb will stop dandruff from happening, but it can clear it out for some same-day superficial peace of mind. (Just try not to scratch the scalp throughout the day, either, to prevent other flakes from getting tossed up into the strands.)
What the Experts Say
A dandruff brush’s effectiveness hinges on the material it’s made out of.
Vancouver-based dermatologist Dr. Allison Sutton of West Dermatology recommends using soft-bristled combs — effectively, dandruff brushes, even going so far as recommending a toothbrush for the task. A brush like that can be more exfoliating than something with metal or plastic teeth. She also advised against using the brush as an exfoliator, marking another distinction between these brushes and other hair care tools, and emphasized keeping any dandruff removal gentle.
Barber Brandon Faulk of Church Barber in San Francisco prefers using nylon plastic combs for dandruff removal on his clients. “Nylon offers proper softness and elasticity to the user,” he said. “They are best used with wet hair and can also help exfoliate the scalp.” Pick-style combs are effective for fine hair types whose strands might glide through wider options, and those same picks can help spot-check stray flakes in longer strands, too.
Regardless of material, Sutton advises against diving right in with a comb or brush. “If someone is looking to remove some of the dandruff from their scalp, it can be helpful to first loosen some of the scale with mineral oil by applying it to the scalp and letting it sit for a few minutes,” Sutton said. “Then, using that soft bristle comb or toothbrush, the scale can be gently removed.” Using the fingers for a light massage can be gentler than a comb, and may be better for very inflamed or irritated scalps. She added that any scale caused by seborrheic dermatitis that seems too thick or adherent should not be brushed away, and should instead be examined by a board-certified dermatologist.
DeRosa recommended using dandruff combs between washing or treating the hair and scalp with anti-dandruff shampoos or natural home remedies. “The downside of dandruff combs is that they can make an already inflamed, irritated scalp worse,” she added, echoing Sutton’s urge to keep things gentle. And she emphasized that dandruff combs do not treat the underlying common cause of dandruff, which is usually an overgrowth of fungus.
What’s the ROI?
This isn’t necessarily a comb that is going to be deployed every single day for beautifully coiffed hair or polished slick-backs. So, shop at the lower end of the price spectrum when it comes to dandruff combs and brushes to get a good return on investment. Many are under $15, which is a perfectly fine price point for a product of this caliber. Brushes may cost slightly more than combs, depending on size and materials, but no one should spend over $30 on a device with the purpose of removing dandruff.
This low investment makes it all the easier to have a dandruff comb at the ready — for the “if and when”— especially considering that these combs are not the actual remedies for dandruff. Leave that to the dandruff shampoos, dermatologist-prescribed options, and natural home solutions, which over time will cost much more.
Suavecito Synthetic Beard Brush
Given the lack of advertised dandruff brushes out there, we’ve taken some creative liberties in finding a “dandruff comb” that fits Dr. Sutton’s recommendations but isn’t just a toothbrush.. Suavecito’s synthetic beard brush has a bit more rigidity than most boar-bristle brushes which helps it to lift dead skin and whisk it away through the whiskers and head hairs. It will be better suited to shorter hair styles (since it might knot up long head hairs) and should be cleaned regularly when being used for dandruff mitigation. Keep a gentle hand when treating active dandruff, but feel free to go a bit more aggressive with the brush when simply using it as a skin exfoliator or actual beard brush; in addition to fighting active flakes, it’s a terrific dandruff prevention tool, too.
Kent F3TG Fine-Tooth Comb
Key Features: Nylon plastic frame, fine teeth
How It’s Unique: Nylon plastic has a bit of “give” to it, making it adept at navigating the scalp. The fine teeth on this one should lift and separate flakes while still letting hairs pass through.
There’s More: Make sure hair is detangled prior to use, to prevent breakage, since wet hair is more prone to this type of damage.
Trism Stainless Steel Dandruff Comb
Key Features: Stainless steel teeth, plastic grip, extremely fine teeth
How It’s Unique: Here’s one that very obviously moonlights as a lice comb, but is marketed towards dandruff. Its ultra-fine teeth and tight spacing will filter the finest of hairs and even spot-check pesky flakes that reside throughout the strands and at the roots.
There’s More: It’s great at catching fleas on your pet, too. (Be sure to cleanse it thoroughly if switching between these tasks.)
Beardbrand Sandstrom Pocket Beard Comb
Key Features: Cellulose acetate, wide- and fine-tooth ends
How It’s Unique: While it’s primarily a beard comb, this one has a fine-tooth end that is excellent at trapping stray facial flakes. It’s one tool that you can use regardless of beard dandruff levels, but it has that secret power for whenever you do need to remove scales.
There’s More: Cellulose acetate will also prevent static and frizzing in the strands.
Japonesque Brow and Lash Shaper
Key Features: Ultra-fine brush and comb ends, stainless steel teeth
How It’s Unique: It’s easy to repurpose a standard-fare eyebrow brush into a dandruff-managing tool. This double-headed device has teeth for picking out singular flakes from the oddest of places (without messing up the hairstyle), and its brush end can target the scalp and beard with the same precision. It can also glide through larger clusters of strands all at once, which makes it efficient.
There’s More: Use it to trim long eyebrows too. Simply comb everything directly upwards with the stainless steel teeth, then use eyebrow scissors to snip the too-long hairs along the upper eyebrow perimeter.
Jupiter Scalp Scrubber Brush
Key Features: Uses resilient elastic polymer TPEE which is also gentle on the scalp
How It’s Unique: It’s not a hair comb or a brush, but more of a scalp scrubber that actually removes dead cells at the surface of the scalp—in turn preventing those flakes from showing up in the finished hairstyle. Use it in the shower every day, or every few days. It looks a lot like a shampoo brush, and certainly can be used for that purpose, but the density of the silicone bristles makes it great for dandruff control as well.
There’s More: Scalp stimulation also promotes improved circulation and in turn increases oxygen and nutrient delivery to the hair follicles. In other words, it can fortify hair growth and retention.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dandruff Combs
Can lice combs catch dandruff?
Yes, dandruff combs are extremely useful at their designated task: to help lift scales from the scalp and remove them from hair strands. However, dandruff combs are themselves not an actual solution for dandruff mitigation. For that, use dandruff shampoo or a trusted at-home dandruff remedy.
Can lice combs catch dandruff?
Yes, lice combs are adept at removing dandruff from hair strands or from the scalp’s surface, since lice eggs are often smaller than dandruff flakes. The same can’t always be said of the other way around; many dandruff combs are going to be too wide for targeting lice.
Are dandruff brushes better than dandruff combs?
Each person will have their own opinion on what the best type of dandruff-removing tool is (usually either a brush or a comb). A comb is better at finer and more targeted tasks throughout the strands and at the shaft of each strand. A brush will be better at lifting more flakes or scales from the surface of the skin, which for some people is the primary aim in the first place.