Sentences with reflexive verbs.
Why is it "Me cepillo el pelo" rather than "Me cepillo mi pelo"? In other words, why use (el) instead of (mi) in such sentences?
4 Answers
Why is it "Me cepillo el pelo" rather than "Me cepillo mi pelo"? In other words, why use (el) instead of (mi) in such sentences?
Why not? Do you really think all languages do work like English?
"Mi" in Spanish is normally used for things you've bought or acquired, but not for parts of your body. Spanish has a tendency to use pronouns to assign possession where English prefers possessive adjectives. "Cepillo mi pelo" is fine if you brush a hair that you bought and keep in a closet. "Me cepillo mi pelo" is contradictory, because "Me cepillo" implies that whatever you are brushing is a part of you in a way, but "mi pelo" implies that it is not, that you acquired it. A sentence like "Lavo mi pierna" almost suggests that "your leg" is something you keep in a drawer overnight.
Cepillo mi pelo.
Since this verb uses the reflexive "me", using "mi" would be extremely repetitive!
"Me cepillo el pelo" -- I brush my hair
Me indicates that the person doing the brushing is receiving the brushing. If you were brushing someone else's hair (that'd be creepy if you were, jeje), you wouldn't use that me because you are NOT receiving the action.
I brush his hair - Cepillo su pelo
I brush my hair - Me cepillo el pelo
However, you could use "Cepillo mi pelo" if you really wanted.
That's "cepillo mi pelo" 
My guess is that's not what you are looking for.
Se cepilla el pelo --- she brushes her hair
"Mi" in Spanish is normally used for things you've bought or acquired, but not for parts of your body.
I'm curious... what if you want to say, "Look at my hair!"?
¡Mire mi pelo!
Would that be correct?
