7 Great Hair Tips for Beautiful, Healthier Hair

1) Wash your hair properly:
Clean hair is the way to go! It's much more easier to get the look you want, when your hair is fresh and clean. Too much shampooing strips the hair of it's natural oils, and starts to much it look dull and not as shiny. These oils are designed to keep your hair healthy. If you take them away, your hair is being exposed to even more breakage and damage. Which means sometimes it's better to skip a day every so often, just to let your hair's natural oils come through. Try Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Shampoo ($3).

2) Get your hair cut and trimmed:
Your hair is so much easier to style and more beautiful when it's freshly cut, and rid of split ends. It is recommended to get a cut/trim once every 6 weeks.

3) Massage your scalp well while washing, to avoid dandruff and a dry scalp.

4) Use a leave-in treatment for repair:
If your hair starts to get damaged, dry, or brittle, no worries! A leave in treatment should do the trick. You should use one 1-2 times a week for best results. Most Leave-in treatments prevent split-ends and breakage, something you definitely want protection against. They also give your hair a nice finish, and keep it glossy and silky. I recommend Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Split end protector ($4) or my favorite, Smooth n' shine Silk Fusion Repair X-Treme ($2), with pearl and silk extracts.

*If you use apply a leave-in treatment when your hair is wet, I recommend the use of a blow-dryer, instead of letting it dry on it's own. Because it may start feel and look a little greasy if not.

5) Condition your hair:
Purchase a conditioner that's right for you. If your hair is damaged, get a conditioner for dry hair. If you're looking for shine, get one with light enhancers. Conditioners keep your hair from getting frizzes, and also give it a nice touch. For me, I use Frizz-Ease Brilliant Brunette Conditioner, with light enhancers. It's the best conditioner I've ever used, and it does everything they advertise about it on the bottle. They also have conditioners made specially for Blondes & Redheads. This line of products really brings out your hair color, and leaves it nice and soft. It's also affordable ($5.99), and same quality you'd get from any salon product.

6) Protect your hair from heat damage:
Defend your hair from all that heat of hair styling tools, such as a flat iron, curling iron, and your hair dryer. To prevent such damage, use a heat protecting spray. Try V05 Extreme Style Heat Defense Spray, $3. For flat iron users, I recommend FX special effects flat iron spray, $5. These sprays give it a nice finish and give it heat memory, which keep your hair from frizz and un-styling after hours of application.

7) Pamper your hair every so often:
This means doing something to your hair that's good for it every so often, such as a hot oil treatment. It's definitely worth it, and you'll love the results. Try: Tresemme' Self-Warming Hot Oil treatment ($3 for a package of 3 tubes). Hot oil treatments help repair damage , and give your hair all the oil and moisture it needs. They also prevent dandruff and dry scalps. *Do not over-rinse hot oil treatments out of your hair, or they may not work as effectively.