The give care of the normal scalp and its hair is the day-to-day attention which we give our scalp and hair to maintain its health and hair is just to increase its beauty. This definition would therefore not only include the usual brushing, combing, and similar preparations which have been developed to satisfy the hair fashions of the day.
Brushing
The implement chosen to brush the is just as important as the manner in which the brushing is to be performed. Brushing should be performed regularly night and morning, not because a hundred brush stokes each time were thought by our grandmother the to evoke luxuriant heads of hair, but because it aids combing by knotting tousled hair in a gentler fashion than the comb, and because it temporarily affects the circulation of the scalp.
Although brushing of the normal scalp is of some value, it must be modified in diseased states involving the hair. Where the hair is weakened and its attachment is less than normal, frequent and vigorous brushing may increase hair fall and result in further damage to the sick hair. Under such conditions gentle massage of the scalp and the discontinuance of daily, vigorous brushing are advised.
Combing
Combs are employed not only for unsparing tangled hair but also for the parting of the hair and its arrangement. No matter of what material the comb is made–whether ivory,shell, metal, or plastic–the teeth should be evenly spaced and separated sufficiently to make thorough cleaning between the teeth not to arduous task. A small nailbrush may be used to clean between the teeth to be certain that all grease, dandruff scales, and city dust and grime have been removed. Sterilization may be assured by using weak solutions of alcohol or ammonia.