History Main / IntimateHairBrushing

* In ''Gates Of Paradise'', the fourth novel in ''Literature/TheCasteelSeries'', Tony Tatterton tells his granddaughter Annie that he would often watch her mother brush her hair. She's unnerved by this, noting that it's something a husband and wife would do, not a father and daughter.

* Mrs Danvers in ''Film/{{Rebecca}}'' talks lovingly of brushing Rebecca's hair every night before bed. She even has her hairbrush left exactly as it was when she was alive.

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[[quoteright:350:[[Series/TheBigBangTheory https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/amy_penny_hair_brushing_alt.png]]]]

* A flashback in ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'' shows Hayasaka brushing Kaguya's hair alongside a caption talking about how they're ChildhoodFriends.
* Subverted in ''Manga/GunsmithCats'' after Misty is kidnapped, looking distinctly uncomfortable as one of the female kidnappers is brushing her hair. In contrast, the kidnapper is smiling happily, and even her fellow abductors seem weirded out by this.

* On ''{{ComicBook/Zits}}'' strip illustrates the difference between male and femalte teenagers thusly:
-->'''Sarah's friend:''' I'm bored. Can I brush your hair?\\
'''Jeremy's friend:''' I'm bored. Can I shave your head?

* In ''[[Fanfic/AndIWillBurnForYou For What, For All But Myself]]'', Jin Ling combs Jiang Cheng's hair at one point to calm him down when he's stressing out.

[[folder:Films - Animated]]
* ''{{WesternAnimation/Tangled}}'' has the villain invoking this trope. As Gothel needs to be touching Rapunzel's hair to activate its magic, she makes it a ritual of brushing her daughter's hair.

[[folder:Films - Live Action]]
* In ''Film/LettersToJuliet'', Claire brushes Sophie's hair. As Sophie never knew her mother, this shows that Claire has taken on that role for Sophie.
* ''Film/ShrimpOnTheBarbie'' plays this trope for laughs, as a woman getting a man to brush her hair leads into foreplay between them.
* In ''Literature/TheRailwayChildren'' a rare PetTheDog moment for Ruth the maid is when she's shown brushing Phyllis's hair before bed.
* In the film ''Film/Belle2013'' a tender moment between Mabel the maid and Belle comes when Mabel sees Belle trying to comb her hair and offers to do it for her.

* In the remake of ''Film/WhatEverHappenedToBabyJane'' a PetTheDog moment between the sisters is when Blanche gets Jane to wash her hair and comb it. Unfortunately Jane [[TraumaticHaircut starts cutting it]].
* Mrs Danvers in ''Film/{{Rebecca}}'' talks lovingly of brushing Rebecca's hair every night before bed. She even has her hairbrush left exactly as it was when she was alive.
* In ''Film/AKidInKingArthursCourt'', older sister Sarah brushes younger sister Katie's hair before bed; it's their gossip time.

* ''Film/PrideAndPrejudice2005'': Sisters Jane and Elizabeth Bennet talk in front of a large mirror as they're preparing and getting dressed for the Netherfield ball. Jane is fixing Elizabeth's hair.

* In ''[[Film/DirtyDancing Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights]]'', Katey's mother combs out her wet hair after she returns home from having consummated her relationship with Javier, comforting her over the fact that they'll be leaving and that she'll have to leave him behind.

* In ''Literature/WarriorCats'', cats regularly groom with their friends and loved ones. This is called "sharing tongues".
* In ''Literature/LeiaPrincessOfAlderaan'', Kier undoing Leia's braids and brushing her hair is seen as an intimate act, and is the first step towards a closer relationship. This is also intimate in the sense that it happens right before the DidTheyOrDidntThey scene in the gardens.

* In the ''Literature/DragonridersOfPern'' novel ''Dragon's Fire'', Trader Tarri washes and brushes Halla's hair. Halla, a twelve-year-old homeless orphan, can't remember anyone ever doing this for her before.
* In ''Gates Of Paradise'', the fourth novel in ''Literature/TheCasteelSeries'', Tony Tatterton tells his granddaughter Annie that he would often watch her mother brush her hair. She's unnerved by this, noting that it's something a husband and wife would do, not a father and daughter.
* In ''Literature/FiftyShadesOfGrey'', Christian enjoys braiding Ana's hair, because doing it for his birth mother is one of his few positive memories of her.
%% * A not-so-intimate example. In ''Literature/CerberusHigh'', Rey does this to his sister Rouge as one of the many ways he keeps her dolled up and pretty for his master Neo.

* In ''Series/{{Casualty}}'', one girl asks her sister to cut her hair before undergoing chemotherapy. It turns into this right before -- hair brushing is a tender moment between sisters.
* ''Series/TheEmpress'': Sisi brushes her older sister Helene's hair and the two chat about the latter's upcoming engagement, showing that they're actually close despite their differences.
* ''Series/ThePretender'', episode "Collateral Damage": Miss Parker spends the episode reluctantly looking after a colleague's daughter while he's out of town, and the two of them gradually bond. One sign of this near the end of the episode is when Miss Parker offers to brush Debbie's hair the way her mother used to brush hers when she was Debbie's age.

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
** In the first episode, Catelyn Stark is seen brushing her eldest daughter Sansa's hair, signifying the love and bond between them. In the novels Catelyn mentions that she used to dismiss her servants from the room specifically so she could do this herself.
** In "King's Road", Sansa sees several noble ladies from Royal Court talking, smiling, laughing and having a good time together. One of them is braiding another's hair.
** Irri, a young Dothraki woman who is Daenerys's handmaiden and serves the new Khaleesi, braids her hair. While doing it, she discovers than Dany is pregnant.
** Daenerys is combing and lovingly fixing her husband Khal Drogo's long hair when they talk about invading Westeros and taking back the Iron Throne that belonged to her now fallen House Targaryen. The Dothraki men take pride in their hair and braided topknots. Whenever they lose a battle, they must cut their braids as a sign of defeat and for the world to see their shame.
** Tyrion arranges for his secret lover Shae to become Lady Sansa's handmaiden. Shae is a former prostitute who doesn't know what it entails, and Sansa (who is held hostage in King's Landing) is exasperated with her. Sansa lashes out that she shouldn't have to teach her how to do her job, but moments later asks Shae to brush her hair. Sansa is very lonely and desperate to have a companion. For Sansa, hair-brushing is an act of affection and intimacy which reminds her of her mother and she gradually warms up to Shae.
** Missandei is a freed slave and Queen Daenerys's trusted adviser and handmaiden. Daenerys herself is seen fixing Missandei's hair when the two young women talk about Daenerys's general Grey Worm and his romantic interest in Missandei.

* ''Series/TheGoodPlace'': Eleanor and Tahani become friends despite their initial distrust. Eleanor suggests they take their bonding to "the next level" by braiding Tahani's hair. She braids a blond streak of fake hair in Tahani's gorgeous black hair. It looks tacky, but Tahani is good-natured enough and lets her. She even seems to enjoy Eleanor's attention.
* ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', "The Skank Reflex Analysis": Amy is brushing Penny’s hair in Penny's apartment. Amy craves to be Penny's best friend and sometimes acts like she has a crush on her. After she's done, she asks Penny to brush her hair, too.
-->'''Amy:''' Ninety-nine, one hundred. It’s like a waterfall of liquid gold. My turn.
* ''Series/{{Firefly}}'', "The Train Job": Inara is brushing Kaylee's hair in her shuttle. Kaylee is a TomboyWithAGirlyStreak and she clearly admires Inara's glamorous beauty and enjoys her attention. They have a lovely friendship with big sister/little sister dynamics.

* ''Series/WivesAndDaughters'' (1999): Step-sisters Molly and Cynthia became fairly close friends. In one scene in episode 2, they're getting ready for a ball. Cynthia is more fashionable and worldly, and she's arranging Molly's hairdo. She later spoils her bouquet, sent by a mysterious giver, and puts some of its flowers in Molly's hair.
* ''Series/IronFist2017''. The Season 2 plotline for Colleen Wing starts by her finding a family heirloom has somehow made its way to the charity she works at; a wooden box holding a comb and brush that her deceased mother used to brush her hair.

* In ''VisualNovel/PiofioreFatedMemories'', in Yang's extra Short Story, he decides to allow Lili to braid his hair, a very vulnerable act for Yang who would never expose his neck and back towards anyone. He finds that he likes it so much that he demands that Lili does it for him from then on.

* In the film ''Film/{{Belle}}'' a tender moment between Mabel the maid and Belle comes when Mabel sees Belle trying to comb her hair and offers to do it for her.