Bad Hair Day

Having a bad hair day can be enough to make you want to just stay home. Curly hair can frizz, straight hair can go limp, and wavy hair can go either way. Sometimes you just have bedhead — hair that sticks out or flattens exactly where you don’t want it to. Then there are the days when your hair isn’t at its best because you didn’t have time to give it a needed shampoo.

Summer can make the situation even worse. High temperatures and humidity, along with all those afternoons spent in the sun and water, can make hair become dry and harder to control. That’s because the sun’s rays can damage hair, and exposure to chlorine in pools and saltwater at the beach can add to the damage. What to do?

Preventing a Bad Hair Day 
Proper hair care can go a long way toward preventing bad hair. Try the following strategies:

• Get a good haircut. A good cut makes hair easier to style. Then be sure to get your hair trimmed every six to eight weeks to keep it from growing out of its shape.
• Select a shampoo and conditioner for your hair type. If your hair is thin, lather up with a volumizing shampoo. If you have dry or damaged hair, try a leave-in conditioner for extra moisture.
• Avoid shampooing every day. Washing your hair too often can dry it out and make it harder to manage.
• Stay away from styling products that are high in alcohol, especially if your hair is dry. These can make hair brittle.
• Keep your hair natural. Letting curly hair curl and wavy hair wave doesn’t just mean fewer bad hair days — it means hair that’s easier to care for in general.

Fixing a Bad Hair Day
Even with your best efforts, it’s not always possible to keep your hair looking good. Bad hair days do happen. But before you take refuge under a hat, try these tips:

• If your curly locks go frizzy, rub a little hand cream between your hands, then smooth it lightly over your hair to tame it.
• Rub dry, flyaway hair with a dryer sheet. Just as dryer sheets keep your skirt from clinging to your panty hose, they can keep hair from sticking together, which will make it easier to style.
• If your hair won’t hold a curl, use a styling cream or gel to lock your look in place.
• No time to shampoo? Use a dry shampoo (a powder that absorbs oil to clean hair without water). Dry shampoos can also add volume.
• Accessorize. Pull or brush your hair back and put on a headband. If your locks are limp, clip them away from your face with a barrette. And remember, long hair can always be pulled into a pony tail.
• Try a hair extension to add length and fullness to your own hair. Permanent extensions are sewn or bonded to your hair and last about five months; clip-on extensions are attached to your hair with clips that are almost invisible.
• Get a wig (or two). Wigs cover up problem hair — and they can also give you an entirely new look.

The bottom line: Home repairs can turn your hair from bad to at least acceptable, so you don’t have to let bad hair ruin your day.