LIFESTYLE / Fashion

Strand-saving tips
By Christine Fellingham (Health)
Updated: 2006-07-13 16:54

Four ways to keep your looks healthy this summer.

Healthy hair repair

A great way to make summer your favorite healthy-hair season: Carry a conditioning mask and a spray bottle filled with water in your beach bag, hair stylist Angileri suggests. Before taking a dip in the pool or ocean, spray your hair with water. "Then smooth the mask into your hair and slick it back," he explains. "The heat from the sun will help all the ingredients penetrate deeper. Plus, the conditioner will act like a styling aid, keeping your hair in place."

A natural strand-saver

If your light hair turns a greenish hue after swimming laps in the pool and your clarifying shampoo can't fix it, reach into your kitchen cabinet instead of heading to the salon. "All you need is a small can of tomato juice," hair colorist Hazan says. "Bring it into the shower, vigorously scrub it into your hair from roots to tips, and rinse thoroughly. Then, shampoo and rinse well." After your hair dries, check your results (you may need two treatments to get out all the chlorine). Follow by combing in a leave-in conditioner to moisturize your well-washed strands.

Moisturizing highlights

Enhance your natural shade variations without a pricey highlighting job. "A clear gloss every 6 weeks is really all you need¡ªand it's good for your hair," says colorist Rita Hazan, owner of New York's Rita Hazan salon. "It will moisturize and seal the cuticle, so your natural highlights are more noticeable," she says. Also try a moisturizing hair-color protector to keep your strands healthy, which has UV filters. PS: Skip the old lemon-juice trick. "It¡¯s too acidic," Hazan says, "and it dries out your hair."

A boost for curls

"Styling disasters happen when you try to force your hair to behave as if it's not humid outside," says Los Angeles¨Cbased Matrix stylist Enzo Angileri, who offers hair help to high-profile clients like Charlize Theron. "Humidity actually keeps your hair resilient and shiny," he explains. His expert advice? Don't fight the air, and work with your curls: Use a conditioning shine serum from your hair's roots to its tips so your curls look shiny and bouncy. If your hair has a tendency to swell, "spray a little root lift at the crown for extra volume," Angileri adds. "Otherwise, your hair can look too bushy at the sides."