The bristles on a hairbrush appear uniform at the outset. They stand closely spaced and flex evenly, allowing the brush to move steadily through hair with full contact.
The initial shifts occur at the bristle tips. They fray subtly, losing their sharp points and beginning to spread apart slightly under normal pressure.
Next, the splaying extends along the lengths. Bristles bend more persistently and group into uneven clusters, altering the brush head's even surface.
Intermediate Wear
Here, bristle heights vary noticeably. Some shorten while others remain, forming patches of differing density that affect how the brush engages hair.
In a later phase, gaps widen as bristles thin out or distort further. Coverage becomes irregular, with the brush contacting fewer hair strands per stroke.
This outlines the step-by-step changes observed in hairbrush bristles over time.