HAIR IS FRIED FROM STRAIGHTENING

Dear Jellybean,

my hair has started to get really thin because i straighten it almost every day. i love my hair being straight but have been told recently that it could end up falling out!! i'm horrified and couldnt cope without it!! i'd die if i lost my hair. i use protective sprays and all that but its still really damaged. is there a way to restore its condition and still keep my hair straight?? please help!!

Dear Writer,

No, there's really not. I know that's not the answer you were hoping for, but it's the truth. If your hair is fried from heat styling (blow drying, flat ironing, etc.), you've got to stop damaging it immediately. Otherwise, your hair really could fall out, and then you'd be in a mess. A big unattractive mess!

You'll need to lay off the styling tools pronto, so non-straight hair is what you're going to have for a while. If you can't stand your curls, you'll have to figure out a way to wear your hair au naturel, and still look cute. You could always hide your ringlets (which I'm assuming you have, if you're straightening daily) beneath a gorgeous scarf or bandana, which is always chic. Alternatively, use a wide headband to push hair off your face, or slick some leave-in conditioner through just-washed tresses and pull them back into French braids, a ponytail, a twisted bun, or some other type of simple updo.

But why not embrace your natural texture? You might be only one great haircut and a few good styling products away from embracing your curls. Talk to your hairdresser (or get a referral to a stylist from a wavy/curly haired friend with a great haircut) and see what they have to say.

Now let's talk about getting your hair back into decent condition, from the frazzled mess that you're probably dealing with. To fix the damage you've already done, you'll need to put back some of the moisture and protein that your heat appliances have robbed from your hair. Besides using a good quality daily shampoo and conditioner (Pantene products are fine), you need to add a weekly deep conditioning treatment or masque to nourish your distressed strands. You won't be able to bring them back to life entirely, but deep conditioning can help to smooth the hair cuticle, so damaged hair doesn't look as bad. Try Wella Kolesterol Intensive Conditioner or KMS Replace Conditioner, both of which are packed with proteins and have been known to revive even the frizziest strands. Getting a trim every 4 to 6 weeks will also keep the ends of hair fresh and prevent split ends from becoming big breakages.

If you take fabulous care of your hair now, you might just be able to attack it with heat tools again someday. If you must do that in the future, do invest in a hair appliance that won't fry and singe your locks. Buy one of the newer ceramic irons that are available now. These are less damaging because they distribute heat evenly andquickly. Ask your local hairdressing salon or beauty supply store if they carry ceramic flat irons for sale. When you go at your hair with your new iron (or even when you're just using a blow dryer), be sure to prepare and protect hair with a thermal styling aid that shields the hair cuticle from damage. Try TIGI Protein Protective Spray, Paul Mitchell Heat Seal, or PhytoStyle Heat-Protective Spray. And before you dare straighten again, ask your hairdresser to give you a hands-on demo of how to use a flat iron without singing your hair. There's a trick to it.