*   Brushing hair while still very wet, can damage it and cause split ends.

*   Brushing 100 strokes a day.  Excessive brushing can stimulate oil production and make hair oilier and dry hair brittle.

*  Washing hair in very hot water dries it.  Tepid or cool water is best.

*   Wearing tight pony tails can cause tension where the elastic band is tightest, straining the scalp.

*   Applying conditioner and other products directly to your scalp can cause product build-up.  Best to apply them away from the scalp.

A 5- year study of more than 1,000 people at high risk for recurring non-melanoma skin cancers such as basal cell and squamous cell will find out if vitamin A cream can prevent the development of new skin cancers.  Previous studies have shown that in people with a genetic predisposition to certain skin cancers, high doses of vitamin A-related drugs taken internally can slow the development of skin cancers.  But side effects such as bone and joint pain are often intolerable says researchers.  The cream under study is tretinoin, which is now used to treat acne and reverse minor skin wrinkles.  Some doctors says tretinoin is thought to interrupt the process that converts sun-damaged skin cells into cancerous cells.  People in the study have already had at least two occurrences of basal or squamous cell cancers in the past 5 years, and they will use the cream in conjunction with sunscreen.