Most of us would like healthy hair, but with all of the products and ideas out there, we’re not really sure what to do. Here are some tried and true ideas to improve the health of your hair.

Start by washing less. It sounds kind of gross to some of us, but your hair will start to produce less oil and be healthier if you limit shampooing to two or three times a week. The hair and scalp will adjust in less than two weeks and by the end of the month, you’ll notice a difference in the health of your hair.  In the beginning, try a dry shampoo or opt for the slicked back ponytail until your hair makes the adjustment.

Stop brushing wet hair! This breaks your hair and does more damage than you know. Opt for a wide tooth comb or a comb that has rotating teeth. Twice-baked is only good for potatoes, so limit heat styling products to just one. If you must blow dry, do it the night before and then curl or flat iron in the morning.

Schedule trims regularly. Hair should be trimmed (just a bit) every four to eight weeks to keep it healthy. It’s hair, just like the hair on your legs, it will grow back sooner than you think.

Finally, use a hydrating mask once a week, especially if you have chemically processed hair, to help prevent split ends and increase the healthy sheen of your hair. As with any beauty regime, start by improving the health of the hair, and you’ll be amazed at how beautiful it, and you, can be!

Whatever look you are trying to achieve, here are some styling tips to help with the everyday styles that so many of us sport.

*To create an easy, wavy, natural look, gently use your fingers or a pick to untangle wet hair.  Add a small amount of anti-frizz or shine enhancing product and let hair air dry.

*Permed hair often requires a bit of perking up between shampoos or on the mornings when a full-styling session doesn’t fit the time constraints.  Start by lightly misting hair with water and then pushing curls into place with your fingers.  Keeping a spray bottle with water and a few drops of essential oil in your favorite scent will really kick up the overall effect of this quick fix.

*Pomade is the perfect product in a pinch.  It can be used (very sparingly) to remove static, control flyaways, or create a glossy shine to dull hair.  Always start pomade by gently rubbing between palms and applying to ends first.

*Once that beautiful braid is completely, finish the look by applying a little gel or pomade to the little loose hairs around the face and nape of the neck.  After smoothing on a little product, a hairpin can help hold things in place until dry.  These products can also be applied to damp hair before braiding to help keep everything in place.

Brightly colored steaks are all the rage these days.  These are a fun and quirky way to express yourself and the look can often be achieved in a temporary way.  Normally, dark hair has to be bleached first and then colored for the vibrant colors to show.

There are some products on the market now such as Spiker colored gel and various hair sprays that can help you achieve the look without the bleaching.  Obviously, the process and intensity of the color is easier for those with lighter hair, but anyone can achieve the look.  The ‘at-home’ method involves using peroxide or a bleaching kit from the local drug store to strip the color from the hair (unless the hair is already a light blonde).  Any shade of Kool-aid can then be used to dye the hair and create the desired color streak.  There are also dyes at the local beauty supply store that can be used.

For the less adventurous or those who don’t want to make the full commitment, single extensions can be clipped into the hair and come in a rainbow selection of colors.  These extensions can be trimmed to match the hair’s length, but DO NOT use the curling iron on these locks because it isn’t real hair and will melt.  Even with the clipped-in version, the look is fun and cool!

Using a customized, homemade herbal rinse can do wonders for hair color, whether natural or artificial.  Often, even the healthiest of hairs could use a little refreshing treatment or enhancement.  The effects are often subtle and smell great.

* In order to brighten blonde hair, create a quart of tea using 2 tablespoons of dried chamomile and 2 tablespoons of dried marigold.  Allow these to steep in the boiling water for half an hour.  Once the tea has cooled to a comfortable temperature, pour through wet hair.

* To add extra luster to those beautiful brunette locks, follow the same procedure as the blonde tea except substitute the herbs with rosemary and sage and add 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar.

* Rejuvenate red hair by adding 2 tablespoons of saffron and 1 tablespoon of honey to a quart of boiling water.  Follow the same procedure of the blondes and brunettes for a fantastic final rinse.

*Repairing damaged hair is always a good idea.  A quick remedy that can be done monthly is to beat 1 egg yolk with olive oil and massage into a hair.  Start at the ends and work toward the scalp, but don’t massage into the scalp.  Leave this concoction on hair for 10 minutes and shampoo.  If hair is overly damaged, this treatment can be done weekly for a month.

Do a little research and come up with the herbal combination that’s best for your hair.  Experimenting with different herbal rinses can be a fun and inexpensive way to spruce up the look of hair.

No matter where these tips and tricks originated from, they are some of the most tried and true home remedies for creating healthy hair.

* Mayonnaise may not be the healthiest of condiments, but it can do wonders to help condition hair.  Slather up to half a cup of mayo on dry hair and let sit for half an hour.  Rinse and shampoo as normal.

*Combine 1 cup of water (preferably distilled or filtered) with ½ cup of strained lemon juice.  Comb this through hair after shampooing to brighten hair.  Since lemon juice reacts unpredictably to heat and sunlight, avoid doing this in the summer months or right before blow drying hair.

*To reduce static electricity in dry hair, rub a dryer sheet over the comb and then run through hair once styling is finished.

*If hair seems to have an excess build up of conditioner, styling gel, or hair spray, add a tablespoon of baking soda to shampoo once a week.  Rinse and dry as usual, but skip the conditioner on this one day.  An alternative to this is to mix 6 tablespoons of beer to 1 cup warm water and use as a final rinse once a week.

*For a quick, dry shampoo and to eliminate that greasy hair look, rub a small amount of talc or baby powder into your hair.  Be sure to brush it out completely.

These home concoctions cost much less than expensive name brand treatments and are usually more natural and environmentally friendly.

Often we get so caught up in creating the latest look or trying the “new” secrets to beautiful hair that the basics get lost along the way.  There are a reason these things are called “the basics” and practicing them will make hair all that more beautiful.

*Thoroughly wet hair before adding a quarter-size amount of shampoo and lather for less than a minute to avoid breakage.

*Rinsing with cool water seals in moisture.

*100 strokes of a brush will help distribute hair’s natural oils and keep the scalp healthy.  Be sure to flip the head over and brush back to front for at least half of those strokes.

*Use a comb to get tangles out of wet hair.  Using a brush will cause more breakage and do more damage than good.

*If hair has been recently colored, be sure to wait at least 48 hours before shampooing.  When hair is wet, the cuticle opens up and the color needs time to be sealed in to avoid fading.

*Coated rubber bands are a must to secure ponytails and the ends of braids.  They reduce the chances of breakage.

By remembering and following some of these tried and true basics, hair will be healthier, happier, and hotter!

Healthy hair is shiny and soft to the touch, but often in the process of creating the perfect hair-dos, we use a lot of hair-don’ts.  Always avoid styling products that contain alcohol.  The alcohol in many hairsprays and gels can dry out hair, leaving it dull and lifeless.   Once you’ve chosen a good (alcohol-free) product, keep it off the scalp.  Putting products like mousse, gel, and pomades on the scalp can clog the pores and lead to flake-causing build-up.

As you are creating the perfect style, remember that hot air can damage hair as well as heat-styling products.  Change the hair dryer setting to cool, especially if you are also using a straightener, curling iron, or hot rollers.  To speed up the drying process and keep the heat off of your hair as much as possible, try towel drying your hair and then doing the other things in your morning routine such as brushing teeth and applying body lotion as the hair has a chance to air dry.

Finishing any hairstyle with a leave-in treatment such as Redken’s Extreme is always a good idea and a win-win for your hair’s look and health.

Gorgeous blondes are all too familiar with the dangers of summer and chlorine-treated swimming pools.  As beloved as Kermit the Frog may be, none of us are really dying to look like him. To help keep blonde locks from taking on the green tint of summer, use a cheap conditioner on the hair before taking a dip in the pool. During the process of bleaching or lightening hair, the cuticle layer of the hair has holes created in it and the chemicals used to clean pools settle into these holes giving hair look that greenish look.

By applying a little conditioner to dry hair before jumping in, the holes are filled and the chemicals kept out. This also works wonders on children’s hair too.  If the hair has already gone green, using a quality clarifying shampoo like Nexus Aloe Rid will bring it back to blonde in just one or two shampoos.

Who has all of the time and money that they can use?  Not many of us.  There are several quick and easy things you can do to save both.

For instance, most of us don’t use all of the conditioner before running out of shampoo.  Instead of throwing it away, try using the extra conditioner to shave your legs.  You’ll save money by not buying shaving cream, and your legs will be super silky.

To help save time when getting ready, clean out your makeup stash regularly, at least every 6 months.  This will help keep quality items organized and your make-up fresh for the changing seasons.

Another timesaver is to find products that do multiple things at once, like using an anti-aging cream with SPF and sheer coverage.  You only have one application but you’ve completed three steps in your beauty regimen.  Use some shortcuts, stay organized, and find new uses for products you already have, and you will see the time and money start to add up.

Think about luscious full hair versus simple flat hair. Which one seems more appealing? That’s a really easy question to answer, isn’t it? Full hair with a lot of volume can be hard to achieve for some people for various reasons. With the right techniques and products though, it should be a breeze!

The first thing that you should keep in mind is that when you go into a store, you should buy shampoo and conditioner that are formulated to create volume. Usually these products are heat activated, which is exactly what you want. All you need to do is wash and condition your hair with them, and it will be ready to bend to your will!

Blow dry as normal. The product will be activated by the heat, like I said. Using a round brush on your dry hair is the key here now! Tease it, starting at the roots with the brush. Round brushes create a much fuller volume, and that product will respond happily. They’re like your secret weapon. Only go as large as you need to, and remember to make sure your hair doesn’t look extra tangled before you add hairspray into the mix. Just run your fingers through it, don’t comb. Smooth it down nicely, and then hit it with a blast of strong hairspray.

Now all you need to do is say bye bye to your flat hair! Oh, and possibly give the round brush a bit of love.