Hair Care 101

Hair -- every woman's crowning glory. With age and technology comes a pageant of hair products -- from shampoos to conditioners, from dyes to highlights, from treatments to toupees. Gone is Maria with her coconut oil. Along with these beauty enhancers, however, is the danger of damaging hair and turning it into a clowning tragedy instead.

Damage to the hair is usually caused by heat (irons, blow dryers, curlers, heat lamps, etc.), chemicals (color, perms, relaxers, poor chemicals, etc.), or poor diet (lack of proteins and essential fatty acids). Damaged hair stays as is until it grows out or is cut off.

Below are tips to help you prevent hair damage:

• Do not blow-dry hair completely. Leave a little moisture. If you really can't live without blow-drying your hair, just flip it upside down and dry only the roots on low heat.
• Never brush wet or damp hair

• Use wide-toothed comb instead of fine ones.
• Unless your hair is extremely oily, don't wash it every day. Daily hair wash takes away natural oils your hair needs, causing your scalp to produce even more oils to make up for the lost ones.
• Don't use giant gobs of shampoo or conditioner. They won't make your hair any cleaner or shinier.
• Shampoo is for cleaning the hair and scalp. Most of the gunks are found at the hair roots. When shampooing, concentrate at the hair roots.
• Conditioner fills in damaged hair areas, such as ends of hair where the most damage is found. When using a conditioner, concentrate at ends of hair. Combing the conditioner through hair with a wide-toothed comb helps distribute it evenly.
• If your hair is dry or color-treated, use a deep conditioning treatment once a week. If you have normal or oily hair, use a deep conditioner every other week.
• Trim your hair every four to six weeks to keep damaged ends away and healthy hair intact.
• Eat foods rich in protein and essential fatty acids.
• Drinks lot of water. Avoid beverages that are high in caffeine such as coffee, tea, and soda.

Whether you are a career woman climbing your way up the ladder, or a bright-eyed coed exploring your future in school, it pays to have clean, shiny, and healthy hair.