Don’t break your hair: All sorts of conditions can affect hair health and, as always. Condition is easier than a cure. Try to avoid these: washing too frequently with too-harsh shampoos; drying by rubbing too hard with a towel or overheating with a dryer, tongs or rollers— all of which can break the hair.

Watch out for split ends: Even something as simple as constantly pushing your hair back off your face, or pushing clips in at the same place, can result in injury to the hair shaft and the ends will eventually split and open up like a Y. These splits can travel right up the hair, leaving a series of broken wisps all over the head. Never neglect split ends. Have them trimmed at once.

Hair exercise: To keep your hair in tip-top condition, it needs daily brushing, Massage and fresh air. Try to brush your hair in front of an open window with your head down to stimulate circulation. Brush upwards, starting at the base of your neck and continuing the stroke over your head. Dry massage helps relieve scalp tension. Place your hands on each side of your head and ‘ massage your scalp all over with your palms.



Keeping In condition: Choose your shampoo according to the condition of your scalp. If your scalp is dry, remember that over-shampooing can remove all trace of natural oils. Dilute your shampoo with water before applying it to your hair. If you have a normal scalp, concentrate on your scalp during the first application of shampoo, then with the second, massage the suds into the bulk of your hair. If you have a dandruff-prone scalp, make sure you rinse off every speck of shampoo—Wash combs and brushes at the same time.

A brush to match your hair: Choose your brush shape to suit your hair texture. Which falls into three categories — fine, average, or coarse. Choose a bristle consistency according to the quality, which will be either thick or thin. For coarse hair, use a semi-radial shape, one with a half-moon of bristles. For average hair, try a complete radial one with bristles all round and for fine hair, choose a flat paddle shape or a radial. As regards the type of bristle, for thick hair, a mixture of nylon and bristle is the best. All- bristle is good for thin hair.

The right conditioner: Choose your conditioner for the state of your hair, whether its dry, dull or normal. For dry unmanageable hair, after applying conditioner, blot your hair with a towel, but don’t rub it. Lank dull hair also needs conditioning to give it body. Even if your hair is normal, it’s still wise to take precautions against splitting/brittle ends, so make a concentrated effort to massage conditioner into hair tips.