Stay hair-gorgeous

To prevent FRIZZY HAIR

1. STAY HYDRATED. Frizz occurs when dry hair absorbs water from the air, but cream-based moisturizing shampoo and conditioner can prevent it—just be sure to rinse well so hair doesn't look dull or greasy. And lather up only a few times a week: The natural oils that accumulate in the meantime are good frizz-fighters.

2. DRY THE RIGHT WAY. To keep waves smooth, apply styling lotion to damp hair, then let it air-dry—and resist the urge to tousle. The more you put your hands through it, the more likely you are to create frizz. To make straight hair sleek, point the dryer toward the ends— going against the grain, even a little, can cause frizz. And keep blow-drying until every bit of dampness is gone.

3. COAT WITH CAUTION. Use silicone drops or spray to combat frizz, but don't overdose. Apply a drop or spritz to your palms first, then rub them together and pat them over frizz, starting at the ends and working toward the crown (you can always add more later).

4. OIL WELL. To further ward off frizz, give your hair a twice-weekly oil treatment (pros like jojoba oil). Work about a tablespoon through dry hair, first with your hands, then with a synthetic-bristle paddle brush (boar bristles would just soak up the oil). Leave it on for as long as possible before shampooing as usual; even five to ten minutes helps.

5. CUT AND COLOR CORRECTLY. Avoid overlayering, which makes short pieces stick out and get fuzzy. If you have coarse or curly hair, stay away from razor cuts, as they rough up the cuticle and exacerbate frizz. By contrast, nearly blunt cuts can help weigh down frizz. As for color, steer clear of a full head of highlights or a solid blonde: Bleaching deteriorates the outer layer of the hair, making it coarser and frizzier.


To prevent FLATNESS

Sleek and chic is all well and good, but hair that's so flat it reveals your skull's contours is another matter. Here's how to turn up the volume.

1. LAYER IN MODERATION. Keep hair close to one length. When you overlayer it—which people mistakenly do in an attempt to create volume—you risk taking away too much bulk and actually decreasing the volume. An angled or graduated bob that's lightly layered works beautifully.

2. COLOR SMART. Lightening your base color one or two shades "gives the look of more volume." (Glazes and semipermanent dye "won't do the trick because they are stains, which actually smooth the hair even more".) For women who don't want to change their color, consider using dye for texture—it ruffles the cuticle just enough to create body. In the hands of a skilled colorist, the ensuing damage is minimal—but it's still damage, so try this strategy only a few times a year to see how your hair responds.

3. REVERSE IT. Condition your hair before you shampoo. You'll still get the moisture and elasticity, but you'll wash out any residue that can weigh down fine hair. On days when hair is really dirty, shampoo, condition, and then shampoo again.

4. DRY WITH CARE. Creating volume in fine hair is like making a soufflé—overwork it and the whole thing falls flat. When blow-drying, work on large sections, holding the nozzle a few inches from the hair and keeping it moving.

5. RAISE IT UP. To boost volume once the hair is dry, lift three-inch sections and allow them to drop through a mist of medium-hold hair spray, then spray your entire head with dry shampoo and scrunch; the result is hair with lift and a lovely, seemingly no-product finish. For those who hate hair spray, apply mousse to a vent brush and then to damp hair—it won't squeeze the air out of the mousse. Coat the brush with mousse and run it through one side of your hair, then refuel and do the other side.

To prevent GRAY ROOTS

1. SHAMPOO, CONDITION, DEEP-CONDITION. Avoid color-spiked shampoos, which, over time, can make your hair color look fake. But do use conditioner at your roots, since grays tend to be coarse and wiry. To keep conditioner from leaving your hair limp, look for formulas with lightweight hydrators such as vitamin E, or flower oils. Once a week, massage a deep-conditioner into your roots, wrap hair in a towel that's been soaked in hot water and then thoroughly wrung out, and cover your head with a shower cap. Let it marinate for up to five minutes, then rinse.

2. BE THREE-DIMENSIONAL. Color that is multitonal—with a neutral base and two different warm highlight shades— creates a background where gray roots can blend in. The one exception: redheads, who should instead apply a single-process shade as close to their natural color as possible.

3. TAKE ROOT. Between color appointments, disguise the gray with an at-home root-touch-up kit that's a shade lighter than you think you need. The idea isn't to cover regrowth completely—just to diffuse it until you can get to the salon.

4. CREATE AN ILLUSION. When you've gone too long between dye jobs, the simplest way to hide grays is with volume at the roots. A little height can camouflage up to an inch of growth. When hair is damp, spritz texturizing spray at the roots, flip your head upside down, and blast roots with a blow-dryer. Or, when hair is freshly blow-dried, place Velcro rollers at the crown and let hair cool.

5. DON'T BE PLUCKY. Avoid tweezing grays (no, not because of that whole "two will grow back" business). When you pluck gray hairs, the regrowth sprouts straight out from your head. Plus, many women don't realize how much they're pulling out.

To prevent OILINESS

For all the benefits of hair that's slightly dirty—it's lower-maintenance and easier to style—there's a fine line between a healthy shine and an oil slick.

1. DO IT DAILY. Oily hair should be shampooed every day, but resist the urge to use the strongest lather you can find; deter-gents can dry the scalp so much that oil production increases to compensate. Instead, wash with a gentle shampoo one day, and one that exfoliates the scalp the next ( look for salicylic acid on the label ). As with the pores on your face, unplugging the follicles on your scalp can help normalize oil production.

2. CONSIDER YOUR CUT. Oily hair that is longer than shoulder-length can start to separate and look like bad extensions. A slightly layered cut will help. And think twice about getting bangs, particularly if you have oily skin—they can lead to breakouts on your forehead.

3. DON'T BE STRAIGHT. Flatirons make oily hair look oilier. Instead, slightly tease at your roots and just under the top layers of the hair with a paddle brush. Or pull hair into a loose, low twist—anything too tight will only highlight the grease.

4. BE CHOOSY. Thickening spray can be your best friend, since its key ingredients counteract greasiness, by misting it over damp hair, section by section. Avoid shine enhancers and pomades—they can turn greasy in your hair. (To make hair shine, simply dampen the bristles of a paddle brush and run it from your scalp to the ends.) For curls, rake through a dime-size blob of gel— most contain alcohol, which absorbs some of the oil but still gives you some style.

5. BLOT AND GO. To combat oiliness quickly, spray dry shampoo on a brush and work it in from roots to ends. In a pinch, you can also use facial blotting papers or translucent face powder at the roots ( it's better than baby powder, which tends to clump. ). To apply, part hair at the crown and, using a large bronzer brush, dust on some powder, then massage it into the roots. (Continue parting and applying until you've absorbed most of the oil.)

To prevent DANDRUFF

Despite common misconceptions, dandruff is not just dry flakes; it's a scalp-specific form of eczema. There's an overgrowth of a harmless yeast, and one way the skin tries to get rid of this excess is to shed affected cells. Here's how to fight the flakes.

1. SHOP RIGHT. Alternate between a shampoo that kills the yeast ( look for ketaconazole or pyrithione zinc ) and a formula that exfoliates with salicylic acid. If your hair is colored or damaged, choose a gentle dandruff shampoo. Dab the medicated shampoo only where you need it on the scalp, and rinse it out. Then apply a moisturizing shampoo to the shaft.

2. WASH WELL. Thoroughly massage in the shampoo and leave it on the scalp for at least a minute to allow the active ingredient to work. Then rinse with warm—not hot—water. Follow this routine daily until the flakes abate (depending on their severity, you could see improvement after a few days). Then just repeat a few times a week for maintenance. If you haven't noticed improvement after a month, see a dermatologist. You may need a prescription-strength treatment, such as a steroid lotion.

3. LIGHTEN UP. Dark hair colors make dandruff obvious, so consider dyeing your hair as light as your skin tone will allow, or simply get highlights.

4. CUT THE CHLORINE. Shampoo as soon as possible after you get out of the pool. Any residual chlorine can exacerbate dandruff.

5. HIDE IN STYLE. Certain styling tricks can help make flakes less noticeable. First, avoid a ruler-straight part and flatironed or blunt-cut hair. A simple, part-free twist is a better option: The twist will help keep you from touching and scratching your head and creating new flakes. If you'd rather leave hair down, blow-dry it with a few Velcro rollers at the crown to obscure the scalp.