Hair Don'ts of great Hair Do's

We all have them! Bad hair days! They just make you want to pile your hair up under a cap, and hide it from the world; Tired, listless hair that is limp and lifeless; boring or faded out color; split ends and fly-aways that make even the most beautiful style look frumpy and weird. But, if you have chemically treated ,colored , permed or bleached hair --you'll encounter significantly more bad hair days than the rest of the world.

Harsh chemical processing strips away the scalp's natural protective oils, leaving it defenseless against the ravages of weather, and daily styling and vulnerable to additional damage. You'll find that your chemically treated hair breaks off or snaps at the slightest provocation. One nasty tangle, and suddenly you have a bad case of split ends. Or, worse, it becomes so dried out it feels like straw.

Chemically processed hair requires extreme TLC! So what should you do?

After your salon professional trims away the split ends and damage, you can start rebuilding your hair's strength and vitality with daily deep moisturizing treatments and weekly protein conditioners.

To prevent future breakage to already weakened hair, avoid these common hair villains:

** Tight buns, or rubber bands, which can snap hair or pull it out. (some evidence suggests that women who pull hair back in this way may be more prone to spot baldness.)

** Metal curlers or rollers that pinch hair causing breakage

** Excessive or rough brushing: Never start brushing at the roots. This will only encourage tangles and breakage. Begin at the tips and brush the tangles out then work your way slowly upwards. If you encounter a tangle, don't yank at it. Work it out gently, using a de-tangling spray if necessary.

** Hair gels: Daily usage of hair gels and other alcohol based hair styling products can dry your hair out even more or weigh it down with sticky residue. The result: Flat, lifeless hair that refuses to hold a style. With thousands of hair styling products available, you may be tempted to try them all. For your hair's sake, be selective.

** The wrong shampoo: If you've recently had a color treatment, choose shampoos and conditioners specially designed for color treated hair. Regular shampoos (i.e. for normal or oily hair) will quickly dull your fresh color causing it to look faded and washed out.

** High heat curling irons or blow dryers: If your hair is already fried and dried out, the last thing you want to do, is add more heat to it. Give it a break! Opt for traditional soft, leave in curlers for a more gentle curling solution. Or, try scrunching hair, instead. Allow hair to dry naturally whenever possible. And, never rub, twist or brush your hair while it's wet.

** Direct sunlight, or tanning beds** Bleached, permed and color treated hair is especially susceptible to the damaging effects of the suns UV rays.

The sun's rays can be just as destructive to your hair as any chemical bleaching solution. Protect your hair with a cap, hat or scarf whenever going outdoors.

And, most importantly, be kind to your hair. Cherish it. Let it be your greatest beauty asset! With a few simple adjustments to your daily styling routine, you can have it all...a great hair style (or color) and gorgeous, manageable hair that makes you the envy of everyone you meet.