Help break me of my bad habit!!!

[Kaelee]

I have an awful, awful habit of brushing/combing my hair top to bottom, like I know I shouldn't. :doh: I've tried, and tried, and tried to break myself of this, but I've been doing it since I learned to brush my hair as a child and every time I pick up the comb/TT/brush/fingercomb without thinking, I start going top to bottom. Even finger combing and I've broken more than a few hairs that way (I think my TT is way gentler than my fingers in all honesty. :lol:)

Help! How do I break myself of this!?

[neko_kawaii]

I almost always start at the top, hit a tangle, and then remember to move to the bottom. *shrug* In my mind it is better to always be gentle than to fuss over whether I remember to start at the bottom every single time.

And I agree about tool being gentler than my fingers.

[Madora]

Personally, I brush "upside down" i.e. bent at the waist (more beneficial for the roots).

However, there's no set rule about how you brush. The important thing to remember, for the benefit of your hair, is to always detangle with a wide tooth comb before beginning to brush. Go slowly and take your time, then reach for the brush and brush gently. Never comb or brush when you are in a hurry.

[emilia1992]

Heya!

I used to do this, because as a young child I had short hair and could get away with it. I gradually got out of the habit by grabbing the ends of my hair together, essentially in a very low pony, and only allowing myself to brush that section; then I'd move my hand up a couple of inches, brush that, and so on. If I tried to brush from the top, I'd hit my hand with my hairbrush. It was a cheap plastic one. Ouch.

[verenikiscoma]

I first finger comb upside down, that way I look at my ends so I don't get distracted by my scalp. It seems to work for me.

[Kaelee]

Heya!

I used to do this, because as a young child I had short hair and could get away with it. I gradually got out of the habit by grabbing the ends of my hair together, essentially in a very low pony, and only allowing myself to brush that section; then I'd move my hand up a couple of inches, brush that, and so on. If I tried to brush from the top, I'd hit my hand with my hairbrush. It was a cheap plastic one. Ouch.

I'll have to try that!

Brushing upside down doesn't work for me. When I flip my head back over I get worse tangles than I started with. Every. Freakin'. Time. :rant:

[lapushka]

I don't think, if you're in the 1s it matters that much whether you brush daily or not. It's when in the 2s and particularly 3s and 4s that you have to be really careful and know what you're doing!

So... I wouldn't worry about it!

[misspurdy06]

Maybe if you played a certain song or sat in a specific spot every time you brushed your hair to remind you to start at the bottom.

[lapushka]

Oh woops. I thought you detangled with a wide tooth comb before brushing. My bad. :oops:

[Kaelee]

I'm thinking of starting doing that again. my beautiful wide tooth horn comb is way too neglected for how much i love it.

[millyaulait]

Agh, I do this too!

No help, just subscribing because I've broken more than a few hairs this way also. :(

[intrigued]

I'd say the problem is it's too easy to just start doing it "without thinking" like you said. Instead of different approaches for how to brush your hair from the bottom up, what if you left yourself a little reminder on your brush, like a mark or maybe a bright orange hair tie around the handle. Then every time you see it or grab it and feel the hair tie, you'll stop and think about the reason you put it there - to remember to brush from the bottom first.

[Kaelee]

I'd say the problem is it's too easy to just start doing it "without thinking" like you said. Instead of different approaches for how to brush your hair from the bottom up, what if you left yourself a little reminder on your brush, like a mark or maybe a bright orange hair tie around the handle. Then every time you see it or grab it and feel the hair tie, you'll stop and think about the reason you put it there - to remember to brush from the bottom first.

That's a good idea too! Thanks!

[spidermom]

Kaelee, you stop that right now! Don't make me come over there!