Mechanical damage can occur when hair is combed, brushed, blown dry or styled. Infact, virtually any physical manipulation of the hair that entails even minimal tugging and pulling can damage hair. The damage caused, however, can range from slight to extreme depending on how carefully the hair is handled. Knowing when to comb or brush hair is important to proper grooming. If possible, hair should only be combed when dry. The reason is that wet hair is more elastic than dry hair, which means that vigorous combing of the moist fibers can stretch hair to the point of fracture. When choosing a comb, look for one made of a flexible plastic with smooth, rounded, coarse teeth that easily slips through the hair. Extensive hair brushing also should be avoided while hair is wet. In general, brushing the hair should be kept to a minimum in order limit breakage. The myth that the hair should be brushed 100 strokes a day and the scalp vigorously massaged with the brush is simply untrue. When selecting a brush, look for bristles that are smooth, ball-tipped, coarse and bendable. Brushes used while blow drying should have widely spaced bristles to prevent increased heat along the brush, which could damage the hair. While hair pins and clips are popular fashion accessories, the fact is that they all break some hair since they must hold the hair tightly to stay in place. Look for hair pins with a smooth, ball-tipped surface and hair clips with spongy rubber padding where they make contact with the hair. Looser-fitting clips also minimize breakage and should be worn in different parts of the scalp so that hair breakage is not localized in one specific area. Rather than using rubber bands for ponytails, it is recommended that fabric scrunchies, which loosely hold the hair shall be used.