be gentle when you use it [SEP] brushing with wood is supposed to be better for your hair but be warned the bristles in a wood brush do not give as much as plastic or boar bristle they do not bend at all so it is easy to snap off strands of your hair on a snag if you do not brush carefully also hair can get wrapped around the base of the bristles where they stick in the pad and are a pain to clean out i ended up using my sandalwood wide tooth comb more often after all