Cosmetologist explains what are 'dust bunnies' and why are they on your hair brush

Let's be honest, it happens to all of us that we forget to clean our hairbrushes regularly and remember them after probably two or three weeks. Casey Davis, a TikTok user and a licensed cosmetologist and hairstylist, shared something important when it comes to hairbrushes. The "dust bunnies" that get accumulated on them aren't dust but actually comprise dead skin cells and oil buildup.

Casey begins the video @caseynicole_7 by saying, "This is those aren't dust bunnies in your hairbrush edition." She adds that she is guilty and she hasn't cleaned her brush in a while. 'So these little dush bunnies are actually dead skin cells and oil build-up." She suggests that one should be cleaning their brushes quite often. "I go based on like how often I wash my hair. I wash my hair once a week so maybe I'll clean my brush bi-monthly obviously I haven't been doing that," says the cosmetologist.

Casey then talks about how exactly the brushes need to be washed. "You need to get hot water. I just like to do it on my sink. I like to wipe my sink down, add my favorite clarifying shampoo give it a little whirl. Do a little bit of baking soda and then I put on an old toothbrush. Some more of that clarifying shampoo and I give it a good brush after pulling all the hair off and then let it sit for about 30 minutes take it off let it air dry and you're good to go." 

The video went viral with about 3.7 million views. It is captioned, "I’m guilty. And tbh, I probably should be washing them more than bi-monthly, too. I feel like three weeks is good for a month. But let’s be honest, I just haven’t had the time lol. Who’s gonna go wash their brush now?!"

Many found the video quite helpful. User @cynthiamartinez1 commented, "I was wondering what they were. Now I’m going to clean my hairbrush…thank you for this!! (not all heroes wear capes!)." @maddie_guercia wrote, "Why have I been thinking it’s lint on my hairbrush." @sassetmasse shared, "Running to clean my brush rn!" @i.luvv.indica said, "I always thought it was just old hair spray and product buildup, not skin and oils." @stargazzer98 commented, "Thank you I can’t wait to do this!"

In another similar story, a dermatologist shared the dangers of not wearing sunscreen during a flight. Dr. Joyce Park is the founder of Skin Refinery, a virtual dermatology clinic. Park posted a video on TikTok with the name @teawithmd. It had a message which read, "Dermatology lesson #21: When you learn that pilots have 2x incidence of melanoma [the third most common type of skin cancer] and you should ABSOLUTELY wear sunscreen on airplanes or keep the windows shut."

The message also said, "Flying in the cockpit for 56 minutes at 30K feet received the same amount of UV radiation as that from a 20-minute tanning sesh [session]." It was in reference to a 2015 study, published in the peer-reviewed JAMA Dermatology. It showed that pilots and cabin crew have  "approximately twice the incidence of melanoma compared with the general population." 

The message in the video has also mentioned, "Even more UVA is reflected when flying over thick clouds and snow. Windows block UVB, not UVA." The dermatologist advised wearing sunscreen or shifting the window when sitting in the back "to reduce exposure to UVA during your flight." "After all, you don't want 1/2 of your face getting more sun damage than the other! The more you know!" Park said.