When Your Hair Just Won’t Behave

You know this all too well: Even if you love your hair, it doesn’t always love you back. Check out these helpful solutions to your most common mane emergencies.

Many of us consider summer as the time that’s toughest on our locks — thanks to all that exposure to sunlight, chlorine, and saltwater. And, when you add other hassles like frizz-induced humidity, and oily scalp, limp locks, and broom-like strands, it’s easy to get fed up and just give up the battle. To help ease your frustrations, we tackle your trickiest hot-head hair woe and offer you easy, fast solutions.

Q: How can I make my scalp less flaky and dry after going to the beach?

A: When at the beach, you tend to forget that even your scalp is exposed to direct sunlight, which can lead to sunburn, irritation, or flakes. This change in weather can cause your scalp to peel. Protect your scalp from after-sun peeling and dryness by misting on a protector like spray sunblocks. However, if peeling is persistent and comes with other symptoms, you might have dandruff. In that case, you’ll want to switch to a hair shampoo made to treat this condition. Most contain zinc or sulphur, which work as antibacterial agents to free follicles of buildup and eliminate flakes in a few weeks.

Surprising Signs of Dandruff:

• Your locks go limp all of a sudden. Dandruff flakes can trap oil at the roots, so your hair might not have a healthy bounce like it used to. Use an effective fungus-eliminating hair moisturizer that still keeps locks’ vitality.
• You have a super dry face. If spots that used to be oily, like your T-zone, now feel tight, your scalp is also dehydated and may start to peel. Apply soothing, bacteria-fighting leave-on treatment to help relieve irritation while keeping your scalp healthy and flake-free.
• You notice redness or rashes on other parts of the body. If you have bumps on the back of your arms and legs, your skin might be heaving a reaction, and you’re more likely ot develop dandruff.

Q: The heat is making my hair all messed up. How do I tame it down?

A: When humidity goes through the roof, your hair strands tend to absorb the extra moisture in the air and expand — leaving you with twisted, unruly hair. Fortunately, you can tame unruly hair with the help of the right anti-frizz products.

For fine/straight hair, rub a smoothening cream to the ends of your hair to avoid greasy buildup. If your hair’s the type that gets unruly as the day progresses, restore its sleekness by stashing a light, anti-frizz mist in your office drawer.

For medium/wavy hair, your hair is thick, so it can handle a rich, leave-on conditioner to lock in moisture and flatten locks. Apply it on damp hair before you blow dry. For extra-humid days, try something more nourishing and shine-inducing.

For full/curly hair, coarse hair needs a heavier leave-in or overnight cream to lock in shine and moisture while still keeping its shape. Avoid alcohol-based gels, which can dry out curls. For day, define your ringlets with a curl enhancer.

Another way to tame down your hair is to use hair straighteners. Be careful in getting the right kind, though. Some hair straighteners can only damage your hair rather than help it. If you’re cutting down on expenses, find the cheap Ghds (good hair standing) online to get the best prices. http://www.cheap-ghds.co.uk/ offers exclusive online deals, limited editions, and free gifts with GHD hair straighteners (also available White GHDs which includes tutorial dvd and heat resistant case).

Spending money and taking time to care for your hair is always a good option. Note that it takes a lot to achieve your desired results, so be patient.