Warm Weather Hair Care

Sun, chlorine, blow dryers, curling irons, hair coloring, your diet, prescription medications, lifestyle, harsh hair products--and yes warm (and cold) weather--will fry your hair. And unlike UV damage, which is particularly harsh on colored hair, dryness itself doesn't discriminate. All hair types, from normal and oily to colored and curly, will suffer some degree of dehydration.

The Solution: "Get a haircut," says Ben Skervin, a stylist for Head & Shoulders. "Remove a few inches or just a little off the ends. The only way to mend dry, damaged hair is to cut it off."

Prevention: Don't let your shampoo contribute to dryness. Read labels and look for formulas containing great humectants, including panthenol (pro-vitamin B5), linoleic acid, papaya, mango, cocoa seed butters, and silicones, says Gerhard Sendelbach, head of analytic research for Procter & Gamble Professional Hair Care.

Wash Smart: One of the most effective treatments takes little effort--don't shampoo your hair every day. Your hair needs those oils the scalp produces, and repeated shampooing just rinses them away. Start by shampooing every other day. Before bedtime, brush hair starting at the scalp to redistribute the oils so they don't accumulate at the roots. After you've mastered this process, experiment with postponing shampooing three to four days (but you can still rinse or condition if needed).