Women's Hair Care

What to buy for thicker, healthy hair.

You might just be tempted to pull out your hair when it comes to selecting a hair care product. The choices are endless and today's products are designed to multitask. With so many on the shelf, how do you know which ones to choose?

There's no magic formula. Dermatologists say the changes you might see from even the best hair care products are subtle. But there are a few tips.

* First, analyze your hair's texture and condition.
* Then pick a product formulated for your specific type of hair.
* Every few months, you might rotate your brand.

Rotating products every few months keeps your hair at its shiniest, says Zoe Draelos, MD, editor of The Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.

If you're still experiencing a problem, such as thinning hair or hair breakage, analyze your styling practices and the products you use, says Lynne Goldberg, MD, an associate professor of dermatology and pathology at Boston University. Blow drying hair, using a curling iron, and coloring hair all can damage your tresses.
Women's Shampoos

Shampoos contain surfactants and detergents that cleanse the hair of natural oils (sebum), dirt, and pollutants such as smoke.

Just about any shampoo will do the job, but some inexpensive brands may be harsh, stripping the hair's lipid layer. To protect your hair, apply shampoo only where you need it, on the scalp. You don't need to wash your hair every day unless you have oily hair.

Volumizing shampoos or thickening shampoos build up fine hair temporarily. "They work," says Robert Bernstein, MD, clinical professor of dermatology at Columbia University. The tradeoff? Volumizing formulas often skimp on conditioning ingredients, so hair may end up looking dull.

Glossing shampoos temporarily boost shine by coating the hair with silicones and polymers. Some contain ingredients such as hydrolyzed silk to - you guessed it - make hair feel silky. But dermatologists say the best thing you can do to keep your hair looking glossy is to treat it with care.

Blow dry hair on the cool or warm setting, never hot. Invest in a hairbrush made of natural fibers, and brush hair from the underside out, not from the top down.

* For maximum shine, Bernstein suggests alternating a volumizing shampoo with a moisturizing shampoo.

Women's Hair Conditioners

A good conditioner can prevent your hair from breaking. All women can benefit, but conditioning is especially important for African-American women, whose hair tends to break at the root, says Goldberg.

Women have two basic types of conditioners from which to choose.

* Rinse-out conditioners coat the hair to keep it from becoming tangled and breaking.
* Leave-in conditioners or deep conditioners work by smoothing out the cuticle or topmost layer of hair, which can become damaged from blow drying, incorrect brushing, or processing.

Draelos recommends that women choose a protein conditioner that can strengthen hair up to 10% by temporarily filling in the hair's cuticle.

* Look for everyday conditioners containing ceramides and wheat or rice proteins to strengthen hair, and shea butter or dimethicone to moisturize hair, says Draelos.

If you color your hair, Draelos suggests using a deep conditioner once a week. Some can be left in all night.
Women's Hair Styling Products

Mousses, gels, and hair pomades or waxes can add volume and shine to your hair, as well as keep it in place.

But "a little produce goes a long way," says Alexandre Chouery, creative director at the Fekkai Greenwich Salon in Connecticut. "Helmet hair" -- a stiff, lacquered hairdo -- is unfashionable.

Chouery has the following tips:

* Mousse is best for fine or thin hair. Apply to damp hair at the roots only.
* A gel is best for medium to thick hair. Apply from the back to the front and comb through.
* Apply a pomade to the ends of hair -- never to the roots -- because it will weigh hair down.

Source: Net