Get the hair you want: you don't have to live with locks that are frizzy, flat or fried from too many chemical treatments. This guide can help your hair look healthy in no time - Beauty in Action

Shape, Jan, 2003 by Daniella Brodsky

Enough with staring wistfully at those better tressed than you. There's no reason you can't get what you want when it comes to perfect-looking healthy hair -- no matter what the condition of your strands now. So, toss that case of the blahs and get ready for your best hair ever.

YOUR HAIR: curly, with a frequent case of the frizzies

"Hair gets frizzy when the cuticle (the outer layer of the hair strand) is damaged," explains stylist Paul Labrecque of Paul Labrecque Salon & Spa in New York City.

Low-maintenance solutions

* Wash two to three times a week with intense conditioning agents. Look for ingredients with hydrating goodies like aloe vera, vitamin E and panthenol (a vitamin-B-based moisturizer). Start with a rich shampoo like Kerastase Oleo Relax Shampoo ($17; 877-748-8357) or ThermaSilk Curl Defining Shampoo ($4; at drugstores), and always use moisturizing conditioners like Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Conditioner ($4.30; at drugstores). You can extend the life of your most recent lathering by using powder or spray cleansers like Sebastian Dry Clean Only ($10; sebastian-intl.com); rub or spritz into dry hair to absorb oil, then brush or style as usual -- no water required.

* Deep condition once weekly. Try Prive Formule aux Herbes Intensive Mask ($25; 866-351-1193) with strand-nourishing jojoba and sesame oils.

* Mix leave-in conditioner with styling gel. This helps separate natural curls. We like Wella Liquid Hair Restructurizer Leave-in Treatment ($16; wellausa.com), Nexxus Y Serum ($20; nexxus.com) and L'Oreal Studio FX Melting Gel ($3.60; at drugstores).

* Skip heat styling. To cut frizz and shape curls, twist small sections of wet hair around your finger (the sections will remain when you remove your finger) and let them air-dry. If you're part of the straight-hair-or-bust club, a powerful dryer (like BaByliss Pro TT Dryer Twin Turbo, $100; www.sallybeauty.com) cuts styling time and won't give hair a chance to dry and curl.)

YOUR HAIR: colored/processed, with some damage

Chemicals from processing aren't the only enemies; heat styling (think: daily blow-drying or flat-ironing) can, over time, produce the same negative effects: split ends, flyaway strands and coarse hair.

Low-maintenance solutions

* Choose a gentle daily shampoo and conditioner. "Shampoo is the most important step in rebuilding," says stylist Catherine Scherwenka of the Butterfly Studio salon in New York City. Look for Aveda Curessence Damage Relief Shampoo ($17; aveda.com), Matrix Biolage Color Care Shampoo ($10; 800-6-MATRIX) or John Masters Organic Birch Phyto-aroma Intensive Conditioners ($20;johnmasters.com).

* Give your hair an extra dose of moisture with leave-in conditioners. Apply to towel-dried hair after you've already washed and conditioned. Rene Furterer Okara 2 Phases No Rinse Conditioner ($20; renefurterer.com) is a light spray-on that also detangles.

* Use a deep conditioner once a week, leaving it on for as long as possible. For a decadent treatment, apply Aesop Rose Hair and Scalp Moisturizing Mask ($30; blissworld.com) or Phyto Phytocitrus Mask ($32; phyto.com). Salon conditioning treatments are another option; they contain higher concentrations of active ingredients. And the time you spend under the dryer ups the penetration power.

* Lighten up on processing, if you can. If you rely on highlights or double-process color, have your stylist gradually weave more dark pieces through. Air-dry your strands whenever possible, and always use a brush with natural bristles (try Mason Pearson flat brushes, $27-$164; 516-599-1776); it's got better grabbing action and causes less breakage than a synthetic-bristle brush.

YOUR HAIR: straight, lacking body

Lifeless locks are commonly caused by fine individual strands, which need an uberdose of protein to boost their thickness quotient, says Cody Kusakabe of Gavert Atelier salon in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Low-maintenance solutions

* Choose light shampoos and conditioners that raise strand protein levels. We like Clairol Herbal Essences Natural Volume Texturizing Shampoo and Weightless Conditioner ($4 each; at drugstores) and Bumble and bumble Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner ($14 each; 800-7-BUMBLE).

* Apply a thickening/volumizing product to the root area to roughen the hair's texture there, which will make styling easier. Try Redken Headstrong Fine Shot Root Boost Styling Treatment ($13; 800-REDKEN8), Physique Volume Boosting Gel ($7; at drugstores) or Terax Original Lotion Volume ($16; 800-213-5531). Then dry hair upside down, fluffing with fingers.

* Add body. Velcro rollers on damp hair afford the best no-fuss volume. (Try ones by Sally Beauty, $3; www.sallybeauty.com.) Then use a dryer to set. For silky textures, a curling iron provides the most holding power. (Opt for Remington SuperSmooth Curling Iron, $10; 800-REMINGTON.) Or try Rolla-Brush, a brush whose head is actually a detachable roller ($65 for a set of four rollers; 866-400-4002). A body wave is another way to achieve texture: The Iso Neotexture perm is unlike its '80s kinky-curl predecessors. It's a semipermanent treatment that provides loose waves, gradually fading after three to four months ($150-$200; visit iso.com for salons).