New Scottish hairbrush is ahead of the curve

The Arconic brush is the brainchild of top Scottish hairdresser John Gillespie.

From an experiment in his garage, where he admits to “basically melting a paddle brush”, the Arconic has become a staple tool in John Gillespie Hairdressing salon in Perth.

But from the start, he was adamant he wanted to invent a brush that wouldn’t rely on a stylist using it to get results.

Designed for medium to long hair styles, John says the Arconic brush combines the ease of use you get from a paddle brush with the volume and movement created by a round brush.

John said: “I’ve been in hairdressing for 30 years. Everybody loves a paddle brush but they can leave the hair looking just a bit flat, but when people try to use a round brush at home, what happens? It gets stuck at the back of your head!”

Feedback from clients who clearly recognised this situation spurred John on as he worked on his invention.

“I introduced it to the salon and I was really pleased when I noticed that it is used all the time by members of the team. They didn’t have to use it but they want the best for their clients. They’re not just saying they like it, they’re actually using it.”

And it’s not just the shape of the brush that’s different - it is made of glass-filled nylon, and the tiny particles of glass help the brush retain heat and reduce blow drying time.

“It retains the heat, so it has the ability to dry and smooth large sections of hair quickly,” said John.

Having spent the past three years developing the brush he is delighted that it is now being made in Scotland, in Bathgate.

“We talked about getting it made in China but it just meant there were emails flying back and forth and we didn’t have any control.

“It also means our carbon footprint is much smaller.”

REVIEW

Features writer Deborah Punshon gets to grips with the Arconic hairbrush.

The first thing I noticed about the new Arconic brush was how light it was, making it much easier to handle alongside your hairdryer for the daily DIY blow dry.

The handle is comfortable to hold, and the shape of it makes brushing through shoulder-length hair manageable.

I found that this brush did make a difference to my drying time. Being able to get more hair on the brush with each stroke does make a difference, meaning it’s dry quicker.

I doubt it’s really possible to get a salon look at home on a typical hectic Monday morning, but this brush seemed to make my hair smoother without the severity of the look I get with a paddle brush.

After two weeks of using it, I have also noticed that there is not a lot of dead hair collecting on the brush, which makes me think that it is a bit kinder on your hair and scalp.

I’m really happy with this brush and also intend to start using it on my daughter’s hair.