Quick hair repair: my hair is a wreck; it's dry and brittle. What can I do to make it healthier?

Q My hair is really parched with lots of split ends. How can I make it soft and shiny again?

A Lackluster locks can result from overprocessing (too much coloring, straightening or even just too-frequent blow-drying) or environmental factors, such as a change of season or dry indoor heat. Walter Claudio, owner of the Walter Claudio SalonSpa in Santa Barbara, Calif., offers these tips to get your hair back in shape:

* Get a trim. Ask your stylist to cut off 1-2 inches (then make it a habit to have damaged ends snipped every six weeks).

* Give yourself a mask. Once or twice a week, treat hair to a mask or deep conditioner. Massage the product into damp hair, paying special attention to the ends. Then wrap hair in a warm, damp towel (the heat helps the hydrating ingredients penetrate), and leave on for 10-15 minutes before rinsing.

* Protect locks from heat styling. "Hair is weakest when it's wet," Claudio explains. Before blow-drying, apply a leave-in conditioner (to detangle and protect against the heat). Try Paul Mitchell Seal and Shine ($6.25; 800-321-5767 for store locations) or ThermaSilk Detangler/Leave-in Conditioner ($4; at drugstores).

serious conditioners

A regular deep conditioning treatment can add vibrance to your hair. Some of our favorites:

For extra-dry hair Aveda Sap Moss Nourishing Concentrate ($18; aveda.com) is a pre-shampoo treatment with Icelandic moss, wheat protein and certified organic honey. For color-treated hair Phyto Phytocitrus Vital Radiance Mask ($32; 800-55-PHYTO) uses botanical butters and grapefruit extract to seal in color and hydrate hair.

For curly hair John Frieda Frizz-Ease Miraculous Recovery Deep Conditioning Treatment ($7; at drugstores) smoothes the hair's cuticle with wheat germ proteins and wheat amino acids.

For fine/thin hair Lancome Force Densite Extra Density Replenishing Mask ($28.50; www.lancome.com) uses ceramides and natural wax to thicken strands.

Send your questions to Shape, Beauty Q & A, One Park Ave., 10th Floor, New York, NY 10016; fax to (212) 725-9228; e-mail to BeautyQ&A@Shape.com.

source: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0846/is_5_24/ai_n8691151