Wierd Question: Does anyone brush their hair 100 strokes anymore?

[Jean in Newcastle]

When I read these old classics (esp. the one from the Victorian and Edwardian times), the women and girls are always brushing their hair 100 strokes. Does anyone do that anymore? In one book she used a piece of silk to (I think) make her hair less frizzy. I know it is a frivolous question but it is a classical one!

[kalanamak]

Whenever I remember, usually before showering. It stimulates the scalp.

[Storm Bay]

I did the last time I had long hair (which I cut off to very short in 1993), but not this time. The only reason I don't know is that I don't want to spring for a made in the USA Fuller natural boar hairbrush. It is a great way to take care of your hair naturally as it stimulates the scalp and distrubutes natural oils. This last benefit is bypassed if you shampoo your hair every day, which is actually very bad for long hair and should only be done for those with very oily hair.

 

fwiw, boar bristles are the best for long hair as they are the smoothest. Nylon & plastic have more jagged edges, even if you can't feel the difference. My other problem is that Fuller brush is no longer making the thick hair model.

[PrairieAir]

I've done it a few times, but really I'm not nearly patient enough for such things. My hairdresser has told me that I should because it helps to evenly distribute the natural oils.

[Michelle T]

I don't even own a brush!

 

I have curly hair, no brushing allowed! The closest I get is running my fingers through my hair while washing it. I use my fingers like a comb to get out loose hair and separate the curls.

 

Once out of the shower, no brush touches my head!

 

I think 100 strokes with a brush would be excessive though. It doesn't take that much to distribute natural oils, and that's an awful lot of potential irritation to the scalp, and wear on the hair shaft.

Michelle T

[Storm Bay]

I don't even own a brush!

 

I have curly hair, no brushing allowed! The closest I get is running my fingers through my hair while washing it. I use my fingers like a comb to get out loose hair and separate the curls.

 

Once out of the shower, no brush touches my head!

 

I think 100 strokes with a brush would be excessive though. It doesn't take that much to distribute natural oils, and that's an awful lot of potential irritation to the scalp, and wear on the hair shaft.

Michelle T

 

Actually, I have waist-length long, thick, coarse (that's a western term, coarse--New England uses different terms) hair, and it's not excessive at all by the time I do the sides, the back, then bend over and get the underneath layers.

[Jean in Newcastle]

What do you know! It wasn't a weird question after all!

[Firefly]

I have waist-length hair and do not brush. I did for a while with a very nice Mason-Pearson boar bristle brush, but found it was causing breakage. I think it depends on your hair type so YMMV.:001_cool:

[LaxMom]

Actually, I have waist-length long, thick, coarse (that's a western term, coarse--New England uses different terms) hair, and it's not excessive at all by the time I do the sides, the back, then bend over and get the underneath layers.

 

Mine's the same and knee length. I was just thinking the same thing - I probably do, though not intentionally.

 

Many people I know who go "no-poo" (using baking soda paste and apple cider vinegar in lieu of commercial shampoo / conditioner) find that, yes, brushing thoroughly with a natural bristle brush is great. First, it does distribute the natural oils, giving the hair body. Second, it brushes out dust, pollen, etc. that clings to the hair. Remember that during the Victorian / Edwardian days, hair washing was a big deal. Thorough brushing (as well as keeping the hair long and up) would keep it clean.

 

Ok, I have to know - because I grew up in New England (Maine) - what different term for "coarse" did we use? I can't think of one.

[homeschoolmomtutu]

Wow knee length and waist length! Just curious, do you keep it up in braids, buns,pony tails & french twists a lot? or let it flow?

 

To answer the initial question, I used to brush mine 100 strokes every week when I was about 12-13...I read about it in a story and fell in love with the idea...but haven't done it for years or for that matter ever for a "practical" purpose, just an affected one:lol:

[Daisy]

I have long super thick hair and easily brush 100 strokes a day.

 

I do my daughter's hair that many times (she also has thick hair) but mostly because she is drooling and begging me not to stop by the time I'm done.

[Jean in Newcastle]

So I suppose this means that those of us with fine thin hair had better not try this!

[LaxMom]

Wow knee length and waist length! Just curious, do you keep it up in braids, buns,pony tails & french twists a lot? or let it flow?

 

I keep it up - otherwise, I'd look like Cousin Itt. :D

 

Actually, I just keep it up because it gets stuck in everything... my lip gloss, my fingers, DOORS. True story: one morning on the way to our homeschool co-op, I left it down to dry a little on the way... it got stuck in a bush next to our driveway, twice, then slammed in the car door, then sucked out the sunroof. :glare:

 

I just roll it up into something that starts out as a twist, loops back around a couple of times and ends up like a very loose bun. Then I stick a barrette or sticks in it. Otherwise, it's braided.

[Storm Bay]

Mine's the same and knee length. I was just thinking the same thing - I probably do, though not intentionally.

 

Many people I know who go "no-poo" (using baking soda paste and apple cider vinegar in lieu of commercial shampoo / conditioner) find that, yes, brushing thoroughly with a natural bristle brush is great. First, it does distribute the natural oils, giving the hair body. Second, it brushes out dust, pollen, etc. that clings to the hair. Remember that during the Victorian / Edwardian days, hair washing was a big deal. Thorough brushing (as well as keeping the hair long and up) would keep it clean.

 

Ok, I have to know - because I grew up in New England (Maine) - what different term for "coarse" did we use? I can't think of one.

 

Well, I can't speak for all of New England, of course. But in this part people will say they have thick hair and lots of it (whereas I'll say I have thick hair, which means lots of it, and coarse hair because each individual strand is thick.) Where I grew up you can have thick, fine hair; thick, normal hair, thick, coarse hair, thin, fine hair (can't think of anyone with thin coarse hair, but it may exist), thin normal hair, etc, etc. But here they have thin hair but lots of it, and it's only fine if there's hardly any hair. This has been fairly consistent, and even my sil in NJ does this basically the same way. She always said she had thin hair, but until she cut it really short I didn't realize that she had what I call fine, thick hair (she has lots and lots of baby-fine hair).

 

Confused yet ;)????

[LaxMom]

Interesting. In Western Maine, it's just thick, coarse hair. Or thick, fine, or or whatever. Must be a flat-lander thing, that thick and a lot of it.

[elegantlion]

No brushing here either. I have curly hair and I comb it when wet about half the time, the other half I just run my fingers through it. I'm not even sure where our blow dryer is, it gets more use drying paint than anything.

 

I do own a brush and will sometimes brush it out before I color it.

[gardening momma]

I have (or had) thick, fine hair, but it seems to be getting coarser with age, so I guess it's thick, normal hair now. I don't brush--I use a big wide-tooth comb.

[MeanestMomInMidwest]

First of all, I think the ladies in Victorian and/or Edwardian times must have had more time on their hands to sit & brush 100 strokes.

Secondly, they had no product! Product would have done much more for smoothing frizzy hair than any piece of silk cloth.

[Melissa in Australia]

I have hip length hair, I brush it about 50 strokes more or less( I don't count). I have very fine hair but lots of it. it tangles really easily. I keep it in a braid down my back.

[Peela]

I have medium length thick but quite fine, wavy hair. I tend to use a very wide toothed comb mostly, but I do use a brush too. I dont tend to do the 100 brushes thing, but now you have mentioned it, I am going to try it. I have oily roots and dry ends and it may help balance that out.

[Ellie]

I have medium length thick but quite fine, wavy hair. I tend to use a very wide toothed comb mostly, but I do use a brush too. I dont tend to do the 100 brushes thing, but now you have mentioned it, I am going to try it. I have oily roots and dry ends and it may help balance that out.

My dd, a hairdresser, was horrified to think that I used a comb on my long hair, other than to comb it out when I washed it.

[Firefly]

Wow knee length and waist length! Just curious, do you keep it up in braids, buns,pony tails & french twists a lot? or let it flow?

 

Part of what I love about having long hair is wearing it down, so I do leave it loose sometimes. But for practical everyday wear, a knot, twist, or couple of braids keeps it out of the way.

 

Peela-- if you find the brushing damaging, you can also try scalp massage, followed by working your fingers down your length to distribute the hair's natural oils. This works well for me!

[Storm Bay]

Interesting. In Western Maine, it's just thick, coarse hair. Or thick, fine, or or whatever. Must be a flat-lander thing, that thick and a lot of it.

 

Maybe. I did grow up in a very mountainous part of the continent...