The Smartest Coiffures

Brush all the nighttime tangles from hair, and comb carefully into place, pinning securely.

One of the gifts my mom and dad gave me last Christmas was a lovely vintage dresser set. A brush, comb, and mirror with gold-tone handles and a burgundy moire-type panel set into the back of the brush and mirror. They were still in the box they'd been sold in and, to all appearances, had never been used. Well, I decided it was time to break 'em out this week in honor of my latest grooming mission. What luxury to use a brush with nylon bristles! I haven't spent all that much time in the hairstyling aisles, but it seems like all the brushes today have either those hard plastic bristles - with the knobby ends that often break off - or boar bristles.

Here's an article from the January 22, 1940 edition of St. Petersburg, Florida's Evening Independent. Didn't think there was a technique for hairbrushing? Leave it to the beauty experts of this era.... There's a technique for everything! The article promotes hairbrushing as a nightly ritual, but there's no reason why the same techniques wouldn't come in handy when setting your hair in the morning.

The smartest coiffures at the moment absolutely demand healthy, shiny hair which shows the excellent results of meticulous grooming. Whether you have retained your long bob, are wearing your hair up in front and down in back, or really quite short all over the head with soft curls or a roll in the nape of the neck, your coiffure won't be completely flattering or manageable unless you brush it at least five times a week.

If your present hair brush is indeed a sorry sight, by all means invest in a new one. Choose a brush with long, flexible bristles and a handle which fits your hand...

Hold your brush lightly in one hand, lean forward, relaxing your body as you do so, then place the bristles against your scalp at the hairline and continue on out to the ends of the hair. Let the bristles become embedded in your locks. Don't simply brush the surface, neglecting scalp and hair underneath.

When you straighten up, brush upward from nape of the neck to ends of the hair. In other words, don't stop brushing until the scalp is tingling and every hair has been brushed and polished. Repeat five nights a week and, within three months, you'll notice an enormous difference in the texture of your hair and the ease with which the waves and curls fall back into place after the brushing.

If you have dandruff or your hair is too oily or too dry, supplement the brushing routines with weekly scalp treatments. There are special tonics designed to correct scalp ailments. Brushing is most important, however. It's the great cure-all.