Hair repair: haven't seen the hair you were born with since … well, when you were born? All of that coloring, curling, straightening and blow-drying is doing damage—but it's reversible. Get back to your roots for hair that's healthy, vibrant and simple to style

Natural Health, Feb, 2004 by Dina Roth Port

When it comes to hair, most of us want what we don't have: Those with curls spend hours ironing them into submission, those with straight locks fry them with curling irons, and brunettes dye to be blonde. In our search for a different 'do, we overlook the beautiful aspects of what we were born with--and wreck our precious strands in the process.

But before you cancel your next color appointment or throw away your blow-dryer, know that there are plenty of ways to keep your hair healthy. "One of the keys to caring for and protecting your hair is first understanding how it's structured," says New York City dermatologist Lenora Felderman, M.D. Each strand consists of three basic layers: The innermost is the medulla, which contains melanin pigments that provide color; in the middle is the cortex, which consists of proteins (called keratin) that give hair its strength and texture; and the outer cuticle is a barrier made up of overlapping scales that shield the inner layers against damaging heat and environmental elements. These scales also reflect light to impart shine.

While hair isn't alive, it is the end result of a growth process initiated by living cells in the scalp, so what you eat can dramatically affect its appearance. Stick with a balanced diet, complete with vitamin A (colorful foods like carrots and tomatoes), folio acid (fortified cereals and green vegetables like spinach), zinc (shellfish and meat), and fatty acids (salmon and flaxseed). Eating protein-rich foods like meat, fish, nuts and soy also helps keep your hair strong.

In the end, the key to beautiful hair--curly, straight or treated--is proper care from the outside in and the inside out.

curly hair

On the runways and in the real world, curls are in this season. But that's not the only reason to let yours be once in a while. Hair is curly or straight depending on the angle at which the shaft comes out of the scalp--the more horizontal, the curlier; the more vertical, the straighter.

"Tugging at your curls every day while blow-drying them damages the integrity of your hair because you're stretching it," explains Christo, artistic director at Christo Fifth Avenue salon in New York City.

Dryer heat and excessive brushing can create breaks in the cuticle, exposing the inner layers and making hair susceptible to further damage. "This heat also dries up the proteins in the cortex," says Christo. Also, straightening irons--particularly those that aren't ceramic, which distribute heat more evenly than metal--can literally fry the hair, resulting in frizzy, dull locks.

Prevent these problems by backing off the heavy-duty straightening maintenance every so often. Keeping your curls from becoming overly dry is a good way to care for them. Curly hair is prone to dryness because natural oils tend to collect at the root. Also, because the scales of curly hair's cuticle layers don't lie closely on top of one another, the inner layers are more exposed and lose moisture easily.

Overwashing strips away natural oils, so shampoo every other day at most. Scrub at the scalp, where the oils are concentrated, and let the lather rinse through the rest of your hair. Use a mild purifying shampoo such as Bumble and Bumble Curl Conscious ($18; bumbleandbumble.com), which contains transglutaminase, a curl-enhancing enzyme that fights heat and humidity, which can make curls limp; or try Phytocurl Curl Enhancing Shampoo ($20; 800-557-4986) with mate, a South American tea leaf known for its stimulating properties, and mild cleansers to keep curls light and bouncy. Dry, curly hair needs a daily conditioner that seals the cuticles and fights frizz as well; use Infusium 23 Leave-In Treatment ($6; at drugstores), with 23 provitamins that work on the surface to smooth away frizz. Also, you'll greatly benefit from a monthly conditioning mask like Curlisto Deep Therapy Masque ($30; curlisto.com), with amino acids that mimic keratin and help restore natural proteins and oils you may have lost.

For styling and finishing, look for products that are oil- or water-based, not alcohol-based. Try curl-enhancing lotions like Aveda's Be Curly ($16; aveda.com), which contains organic marshmallow root and flaxseed oil and helps curls keep their shape without being sticky, and Frederic Fekkai's Luscious Curls ($18; sephora.com), with ginseng and honey nectar to add elasticity. Apply these after gently towel-drying your hair, then comb through or use your fingers to evenly distribute the products.

straight hair

Straight hair has so much potential: The scales of the cuticle can lay flat against the hair shaft, creating a smooth surface that reflects light in unison--this gives hair its shine. Unfortunately, blow-drying and overwashing can leave it lifeless, especially if your hair is fine. "Straight hair loses its edge when you're rough with it because the protective scales of the cuticles can fray like denim, causing strands to lose their ability to reflect light," says Philip B., owner of salons in Chicago and Los Angeles.