How healthy is your hair? - testing and treatment suggestion - Brief Article

CosmoGirl!, Dec, 2001

If your hair's frizzy or suddenly really hard to style, you've probably got damaged strands. To find out, pluck out five hairs, and drop them in a glass of water. Tap the hairs a few times with your finger, then watch: Do they float to the surface? Your hair's in good shape (yayI). Do they sink? Your hair's porous (that means your strands are open and absorbing water, an indicator of damage).

To fix this, use a deep conditioner with protein once a week (try Pantene Pro-V-Frizz Down Calming Masque, $7, at drugstores). The protein molecules fill in gaps in your hair, making it stronger-fast. (Retest in two months.)