Let's brush up your hair-styling options with a fine tooth comb!

Is a hairbrush just that - a brush for styling hair? Not any more! The sheer range of hairbrushes available today can make choosing the right one seem as hard as trying to pick the best from among equally enchanting beauties in a contest or trying to find Mr Right at a Swayamvar. Wait! We can help.

Read this simple primer, and brush buying will never be a confusing affair again.

Hairbrushes are of two kinds:

• Ordinary hairbrushes for grooming

• Specialised brushes for styling

How To Choose An Everyday Brush

• Make sure the brush suits the length and texture of your hair

• Invest in good quality bristles. Bristles can be natural, nylon or a mixture of both.

• Natural bristle brushes suit straight, long, fine hair. They help give the sleek, shiny look without damaging the scalp. Also excellent in helping to calm down the static electricity that can make your hair stand on end.

• Go for a nylon or nylon-and-bristle mix brush if you have thick, wavy hair. These bristles work great on short hair.

How To Choose A Styling Brush

• An all-round styling brush for blow-drying has a design that makes it very easy to clean.

• A round styling brush gives curl to hair when blow-drying. This radial brush is good for all lengths of hair, and adds style and shape to hair.

• A brush with thick bristles is ideal for creating waves and flicks.

• An ordinary flat-backed natural bristle brush is perfect for long, straight hair and for controlling the flyaway effect of static electricity.

• A large round brush with plastic bristles is great for blow-drying.

• A vent brush with vents or holes in the back allows hot air to pass through when you're using it to blow-dry. This prevents your hair from over-heating. Usually, vent brushes come in cylindrical or rectangular shapes. If you have short or mid-length hair, choose the cylindrical vent brush.

• A brush with rounded beads on the bristle tips is safe to use on damp hair. In fact, these are also called 'wet brushes' for that very reason. They don't scratch or pull at the scalp, and gently brush the tangles out of your tresses.

Brush Care Basics

Just like your towel and toothbrush, your hairbrush should be used exclusively by you. Don't share it even with your best friend!

• Remove clogged-up hair from your brush regularly, using a comb to lift the jumble. An old toothbrush is a very good tool for getting to the base of the bristles, where the dirt builds up. After lifting the dirt and hair, wash your brush thoroughly with warm water and a little shampoo. Shake off the excess water and let the brush dry naturally.

• Discard a brush that has rough edges or split bristles.

Caution: A hairdryer on high heat not only fries your hair, but damages your brush, too! So, keep the dryer on moderate heat to make your brush last longer.

Let your hair down, or brush it up...

Whatever you do, make sure your brush with style makes heads turn!

The Oldest Brush Myth

Your mother, and possibly your grandmother, told you to give your hair a nightly hundred strokes of brushing. Brush away this myth; too much brushing gives you nothing but split ends and a scalp greasier than a mechanic's hands.