Need help repairing dull, limp, frizzy, or damaged locks? Heal your hair! Here, a guide
to all the beauty know-how you'll need for gorgeous hair.
"My hair feels dry and rough to the touch!"
The hair sins responsible: Your hair is crying out for help -- moisture help, that is.
By far, the most common causes of dry hair are heat styling and lightening your hair
color. (Unlike darkening your color, lightening uses damaging bleach.) While it's okay
to indulge in both -- in fact, we recommend that you do, as they can really make your
hair look better -- it's crucial to replenish the natural moisture that these procedures
can take away. Philip Pelusi, salon owner and maker of his own hair-care line, explains
the phenomenon: "Adding lighter color to your hair causes the cuticles to rise, which
creates little potholes in your hair that makes it rougher and less able to retain
moisture." Whenever you place intense heat on your strands, you're compromising this
protective outer layer too; when this outer layer of the hair strand is standing up,
you'll literally feel it.
Hair Healers
Techniques If your hair color is significantly lighter than what you were born with,
consider darkening it a bit. Continue to use your beloved blow-dryers and curling irons,
but, as hair-care expert Marc Anthony, a salon owner based in Toronto, Canada, and maker
of his own line, recommends, "Keep the tool moving over your hair -- leaving it on one
spot too long makes the hair more susceptible to breakage." As for the
aforementioned "potholes," conditioner will help to fill them in, making your hair look
immediately restored.
Products Conditioner, conditioner, conditioner! In addition to a daily product, treat
your tired locks to a weekly mask with soy, wheat proteins, and silk amino acids -- 10
minutes in the shower is the magic amount of time. Also, coat your hair with a heat-
protection spray before you style with heat. This will form a barrier between your hair
and the heat source, and some formulas even work with the heat to infuse restorative
ingredients into the hair.
"I can't do a thing with my thin, wispy strands!"
The hair sins responsible: Over time, hormonal changes do a number on our hair, causing
us to lose some of it as well as making each strand thin out. That doesn't mean,
however, that we should simply live with it! That said, bad hair habits can aggravate
this condition. "Continuously pulling the hair into an updo or ponytail can weaken it,"
says Pelusi. Again, as hair health gets compromised with excessive heat styling and
color, it also weakens the hair, so try to cut back on both.
Hair Healers
Techniques "Take more time to style your hair -- use rollers to give fullness, shampoo
it more regularly to cleanse the scalp so it can breathe better and fuel hair growth,"
advises Pelusi. Also, don't be heavy-handed with silicone styling products. A pea-sized
dab will give you great shine without making you look greasy.
Products Try thickening shampoos and conditioners, which are formulated to temporarily
boost the width of your natural strands.
"My hair always falls flat on top!"
The hair sins responsible: It starts out lush but by midmorning it's flatter than a
pancake. Sound familiar? The key problems here: over-conditioning, shampoo buildup,
concentrating the blow-dryer down on the roots instead of up (for height), and bypassing
any styling products.
Hair Healers
Techniques Rest assured, fixing this problem is a matter of balancing the right products
with the right styling moves. It all starts in the shower, when you're shampooing.
Instead of plopping a glob of shampoo on your head, rub it into your palms first and
work it through all parts of your hair evenly. Also, make sure to rinse thoroughly, as
any residue will weigh it down later. Concentrate conditioner mostly on your ends and
use a wide-tooth comb in the shower to distribute the rest through your hair before
rinsing out. As for styling, spritz a volumizing spray or mousse into your roots and
concentrate the heat right on the roots before moving to the rest of your strands.
Products Since product build-up contributes to flatness, it's helpful to use a
clarifying shampoo at least once a month. Also, consider using mousse, which has made a
huge comeback due to many of today's formulas that provide great hold without
stickiness. Concentrate that on your roots and set it with the blow-dryer.
"How do I get rid of my brittle split ends?"
The hair sins responsible: When your ends are visibly damaged, the best thing you can do
is to cut them off. How does our hair even get to this point? Unlike the rest of your
hair, the ends have been around longer so they're now significantly more fragile.
Aggressive heat styling on the ends contributes to serious damage, as does detangling it
with a brush when it's wet. Conditioning is key, so make sure to apply to the ends
first, allowing it to sink in while working on the rest of your less-needy hair.
Hair Healers
Techniques "Women are inclined to hang onto their hair forever," says Michael O'Rourke,
a Los Angeles-based salon owner and maker of his own hair-care line, Sexy Hair Concepts.
He recommends a trim every two months for long hair, and once a month for shorter hair.
Once your ends looks better, aim to keep them that way by treating them carefully and
bypassing the blow-dryer whenever possible.
Products Again, conditioning is essential, as it deposits restorative ingredients into
this damaged outer layer. No, it won't mend ends back together permanently, but it helps
to strengthen them. A styling pomade will help to fuse them temporarily, giving your
hair a healthier appearance.
"My hair is coarse and thick. Help me control it!"
The hair sins responsible: We understand that as beautiful as a full head of hair can
look, it can also drive you batty with its unruliness. And careless detangling of full
hair often leads to breakage and damage. Your best defense? A great haircut,
conditioning and smoothing products, and a few savvy styling tips.
Hair Healers
Techniques De-tangling is a major issue with coarse hair, and few of us do it
properly. "Never detangle from the root to the tip as this will just mat tangles through
the ends," says Anthony. Blow-drying is one way to take some of the bulk out of your
hair, but unless you're willing to take the time to smooth out every wave, you're better
off working a conditioning styling product through it and letting it air-dry.
Products Look for post-shower conditioners that promise to soften and detangle. Gels are
too drying, adds Pelusi, so reach for a soft wax, pomade, or cream, instead.
"I would love to have shiny hair."
The hair sins responsible: Shine is a hallmark of healthy hair and we all want it!
Unfortunately, a lot of factors dull our natural shine, including the sun (yes, it does
a number on your hair, too!) and again, coloring and overstyling with heat. And remember
that by washing it too often or too aggressively, you're removing your own natural oils.
Hair Healers
Techniques Happily, shine serums work beautifully by reflecting light, and today there's
a version for every hair type, from fine to coarse. When blow-drying, make sure to point
the nozzle downward. That way, you're forcing the hair to lie flat, in the process
closing the cuticle and encouraging great shine.
Products Choose shampoos and conditioners that are packed with pampering ingredients
such as proteins and soy to add back shine that gets stripped out by cleansing. Choose a
shine serum based on your hair texture and layer it with a thermal styling product that
is activated by heat to provide both shine and hold.
More Rescue Products
Moisture Infusion (for dry, wispy hair)
Cleanse Philip B. African Shea Butter Shampoo, $22.50, is packed with emollient shea
butter, helping to renew your parched locks. Apivita Propoline Shampoo for Dry, Colored
Hair, $14.50, is chock-full of nurturing botanical ingredients.
Treat Charles Worthington Results Moisture-Seal Maximum Moisture Conditioning Treatment,
$5.99, is formulated to strengthen and hydrate the hair.
Style Pantene Pro-V Hydrating Comb-In Treatment, $3.99, helps lock in moisture before
heat styling. Aussie Dual Personality Mousse + Leave-In Conditioner, $2.99, both holds
and moisturizes.
Damage Repair (for split ends and coarse hair)
Cleanse Finesse Moisturizing Shampoo, $2.99, is enriched with hydrating silk and soy
protein.
Treat Redken Smooth Down Anti-Frizz Conditioner, $9.95, helps replenish essential
conditioning oils, and reduces unruly volume. Culture Moisturade, $4.99, with panthenol
and wheat protein, is meant for once-weekly conditioning.
Style Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave-In Conditioner, $10.95, detangles and
softens hair with moisturizing proteins. Phyto Phytonectar Ultra-Nourishing Oil
Treatment, $26, applied on dry hair before shampooing, treats and repairs.
Luscious Volume (for flat hair)
Cleanse Samy Volume Shampoo, $5.99, kick-starts the volumizing process with its proteins
and vitamin-rich formula.
Treat Collective Wellbeing Full & Clean Hair Conditioner, $8.99, with tea tree oil and
rosemary, thoroughly cleanses the scalp of styling product buildup.
Style Kenneth Root Body Boost, $18, lifts the root area. Binge Hair by Freeman Whipped
Cream Root Boost Mousse, $3.99, provides lovely lift. Davines Bio_O Invisible Hair Spray
Strong Hold, $17, adds volume and texture without adding unwanted weight.
Shine Boosters (for dull hair)
Cleanse Paves Flawless No Sulfates Allowed Repairing Shine Shampoo, $5.99, gently
cleanses and leaves hair radiantly shiny.
Treat Freeman Papaya & Lime Overboard Shine Conditioner, $2.99, combines the hydrating
effects of papaya with the shine-enhancing properties of lime. Philip Pelusi P2 Repair
Hair, $34.95, strengthens the hair while protecting it from heat styling.
Style Deva Curl AnGell, $12, provides gentle hold. Thermasilk Heat Activated Smoothing
Shine and Shape Gel, $3.99, locks in moisture while providing flexible hold.
