Tricks of the Trade: Say goodbye to bad hair days

My problem is my hair. I have more bad hair days than good hair days. What can I do about frizz, greasy roots and damaged hair? 

If we accumulate all the bad hair days we’ve ever had, it might just amount to a year of terrible hair. Just think of all the times we tightly tied back our hair, drowned it with products and fried it with an iron just to get some life out of it. Our crowning glory somehow turns into a bird’s nest and all fantasies of soft, shiny, bouncy hair fly out the window.

Even if we don’t admit it, our hair has a lot to do with our day. Great hair can pull together an outfit, make you feel beautiful and give you winning confidence. So understandably, your day is more likely to be a dreary one when your hair sticks to your scalp like a helmet; expands from humidity or has a rough texture due to styling damage. Everyone gets bad hair days—it’s a matter of what you do to turn your hair (and your day) around. Some people endure bad hair days for weeks on end until it has become a normal thing for them, while others act upon it so it never strikes them again. So if you’re tired of waking up to yet another bad hair day, read on to know what to do about it.

Frizz. Dry, frizzy hair gets worse with humidity, which is bad news for us with thick, wavy to curly hair living in a generally humid climate. The moisture in the air causes our hair to expand and lengthen, and keeps it from drying into the shape we desire. This causes our hair to look poofy and out of control. At the same time, hair can lose the ability to retain moisture when it is damaged, giving it a dry and dull texture. Luckily, there are many anti-frizz products out there that work. Start with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner to weigh down hair and give each strand a silky coat. If you can apply deep conditioning masks every week, and work in a leave-in conditioner daily, do it. This will close your hair’s cuticles, preventing the humid air from getting into your hair. Another trick to fight frizz is to rinse with cold water after conditioning to make the hair’s cuticles close.

Greasy roots. An extra oily scalp causes hair to be flat and lifeless (or you may have extra fine hair). In this case, you need volume. If your scalp gets oily a few hours after showering, you may want to switch to a lighter formula or skip the conditioner altogether. Pump up your hair’s volume by using mousse: apply a dollop of the product on damp hair and run with a vented brush using a blow drier or fan. Another way to alleviate oiliness is by lightly patting baby powder on your roots. This will soak up the excess oil and give your hair a bit of body.

Split ends. The only way to get rid of split ends is by cutting them off. A regular trim should stop this from happening, as well as using protective styling products like serums, conditioners and creams before getting a blow dry or ironing your hair. Regular hot oil treatments (twice a month) will keep your hair from getting dried out and will prevent more breakage.

Tangles. Tangled hair due to styling can cause more damage to hair. Don’t be tempted to brush it out while your hair still has product on it. Shampoo, then condition but let it soak for more than a minute. Then use a wide-toothed comb to gently untangle hair. Rinse.