Hairbrushes have been around for thousands of years. However, you may be surprised to learn that until recently they were only used by the wealthy and privileged. The upper-class ancient Egyptians used hairbrushes made of animal hair, porcupine quills, shells and bone for combing and to remove lice and other pests that got tangled in their hair. Brushes were manufactured the first time for in 1777 by an English company. The bristles came from wild boar and were stitched into the brush by hand. It is not surprising that these brushes were quite expensive. It wasn't until the beginning of the 20th century that brushes began to be manufactured by machine and to be produced with cheaper, synthetic materials, like nylon bristles. With these developments, brushes became extremely common.