I grew up surrounded by hair ?brushing store: Brushing hair at midnight on the eve of a full moon was supposed to make strands grow faster and longer, brushing with someone else's brush gave you dandruff, and brushing your hair 100 times could make your hair oily or keep your scalp clean, depending on who you asked. On the other hand, brushing not at all- an idea that sounded pretty good to me as a child - proved you had been brought up badly.

Despite all this advice, however, no one discussed what kind of brush I should use, or even how to use it. For answers to these questions I paid special attention to my friends' mothers as they cared for my playmates' hair. Every mom had a different method: One saturated her daughter's head will a spray-on the tangier and reached for a wide-tooth comb, Another would fumble in her handbag for a small nylon-bristled brush, which she violently raked through her stoic child's tresses. Yet another mom would section her girl's locks into four parts and pull a wooden natural-bristled brush from root to tip, root to tip, until all strands had been groomed. I no longer have friends who live with their mothers, so for hair-care advice I turn to hairdressers, who have shown me exactly what kind of brush to use and how to use it?information I will happily pass on to you.

The right-brush and comb

When was the last time you actually went shopping for a hairbrush? If you're like me, you have a drawer full of brushes that your hairstylist gave you, that came packaged with a bottle of shampoo as a promotional item, or that found themselves into your hair-care collection some other way. Still, you've never gone out and actually shopped for a hairbrush - nor a comb, for that matter. Well, perhaps it's time you did.

In high-quality brushes you might notice the bristles are set at uneven lengths. This prevents the bristles from snaggjing and pulling hair and it also makes the brush more effective at gentle detangling.

A high-quality brush is solidly built, with bristles that are strong enough to stand up to the toughest strands yet sensitive enough to move natural oils from your scalp down the length of the strands without scratching the scalp or causing splits, breaks, or other types of damage. Of course, your hair type is an important thing to consider when choosing a brush that works for you.