Have a Good Hair Day Every Day - Without Paying The Price

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(ARA) - Having a good hair day could mean spending money on salon appointments and several products to look as good as you did when you left the salon.

But dermatologists say having healthy, beautiful hair doesn't have to break the bank."There are many ways that we can trim our hair care expenses, from going to the salon less frequently to using fewer products," says Dr. Paradi Mirmirani, a dermatologist and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco. "But, the ultimate goal with any type of change in our hair care routine should be to maintain healthy hair."

The following tips can help you to save some money and still have a good hair day:

Be kind to the strands
Bad hair days are often caused by damaged hair. When the hair cuticle, or the hard outer surface of the strand, is damaged, the inner fibers of the strand are exposed, resulting in frizzy, flyaway or lackluster hair. Any care routine or products used should be gentle enough to maintain the structure of the hair fiber and cuticle.

Brush up on your hair brush
Plastic brushes with wide-spaced needles work the best, and don't cost as much as boar bristle brushes, which put a lot of friction on the hair going against its natural grain. "Boar bristle brushes can cause a considerable amount of damage," Mirmirani says.

Bring the color treatment home
Hair color found on store shelves is basically the same product used in the salons, meaning you can save considerable money enlisting the help of a friend for quick touch ups. If you do choose to use a store-bought color, test a small amount on the skin behind your ear 24 hours earlier to make sure you don't experience a reaction to the chemicals.

Finding a full look
If limp hair has you pulling it back into a ponytail every day, consider blow drying your hair upside down and using a shampoo that adds volume. These are the first steps you can take for a full, luxurious look. But Mirmirani doesn't recommend using products that claim to regrow hair, because the only product that has been shown to do this is minoxidil, a topical solution approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat hair loss.

"Even though minoxidil is available over-the-counter, people who are considering using it for thinning hair should see their dermatologist for a full evaluation before starting this therapy," Mirmirani says. "Infomercial and Internet products that claim to improve hair growth for people with fine or thinning hair may not have been scientifically tested, and I strongly advise people not to spend their money on these types of products. They are expensive, and they often don't work."

For additional information on keeping your skin, hair and nails healthy, visit the American Academy of Dermatology's Web site at www.aad.org. If you have multiple hair concerns and are unsure what products will work best for your type of hair, Mirmirani recommends you ask a dermatologist for expert advice.

Courtesy of ARAcontent