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" What&amp;#039;s your damage?  Check the Bulb  Pluck out a strand of hair at the root and examine the base. Strong hair has a thick bulb. &amp;quot;If there&amp;#039;s no bulb, the hair follicle isn&amp;#039;t healthy,&amp;quot; says Michael Shaun Corby, global creative director for Alterna Hair Care. The cause? Damage from styling or, potentially, genetically linked hair loss.   Give It a Tug   Wrap a strand of hair around your index finger and thumb (like a piece of string), then use your other hand to tug on it. If it snaps immediately, your hair is lacking moisture; if it stretches &amp;quot;like bubble gum,&amp;quot; says Corby, it needs protein, which strengthens the hair&amp;#039;s keratin bonds.   Do the &amp;quot;Sink or Float&amp;quot; Test  Drop a strand of hair into a glass of water. A healthy strand will float. If it sinks, the shaft is porous. This can happen to color-treated hair, but it can also occur with a protein deficiency.  To get a fair picture of your hair&amp;#039;s overall health, repeat tests on at least four strands from different parts of your head, suggests Donna Maggi, education manager of Nioxin, a hair- and scalp-care company.  Stop a Bad-Hair Day Before It Starts  If you go outside with wet hair Outdoor elements (wind, cool temperatures) can be rough even for dry hair, explains Corby. But when hair is wet, it&amp;#039;s actually more fragile and susceptible to breakage.  Healthy-hair fix: Try styling products designed to cut drying time. The Paul Mitchell Express Style line, for example, is formulated with technology to help hair dry faster.  If you use a subpar blow-dryer In a cheaply made blow-dryer, the coil and motor can overheat, frying your hair&amp;#039;s cuticle. The tip-off: &amp;quot;The louder the sound, the poorer the quality,&amp;quot; Corby says. But a professional blow-dryer isn&amp;#039;t always better, says Erin Anderson, VO5 celebrity stylist. &amp;quot;They&amp;#039;re powerful and can burn hair if used incorrectly,&amp;quot; she says.  Healthy-hair fix: an ionic blow-dryer. Ionic technology shrinks water molecules, so hair dries faster but with less damage. Try the T3 line (the Rolls-Royce of dryers), or you can find one for less, like Conair ION Shine 1875 Watt Dryer, $37.  If you still smoke That nasty habit is not only bad for skin \u2014 &amp;quot;it pollutes your hair,&amp;quot; says Anderson. Smoke leaves residue on the scalp and hair, making it look dull.  Healthy-hair fix: Um, quit. Also, use a clarifying shampoo monthly, and consider a &amp;quot;facial&amp;quot; for your scalp. &amp;quot;Just like the rest of our skin, the skin on our scalp needs to be addressed,&amp;quot; says Maggi. Try Nioxin Scalp Renew, an in-salon dermabrasion treatment that removes buildup and unclogs follicles.  If you don&amp;#039;t use UV protection You shield your hair from UV rays at the beach, but what about at the office? &amp;quot;Like the sun, the fluorescent lighting in your office fades color and damages hair&amp;#039;s integrity,&amp;quot; says Corby.  Healthy-hair fix: Use styling products with UVB and UVA protection. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s important to have protectants in your styling products too,&amp;quot; says Maggi. &amp;quot;Styling products stay in hair, while your shampoo rinses out.&amp;quot; Try Logics Color DNA styling products, with UV filters.  If you rely on the shampoo at your gym Sure, it&amp;#039;s convenient to use the stuff provided in the locker room, but it could be stripping your tresses of essential moisture. &amp;quot;Most gyms choose economical detergent-like shampoos,&amp;quot; says Corby. &amp;quot;The pH of these shampoos is often better suited to scrub oil off the streets than the oil in your hair after a 30-minute workout.&amp;quot;  Healthy-hair fix: BYOB! Toting travel-size bottles of quality sulfate- and salt-free products will make a big difference in how your hair looks and feels. Try PureOlogy shampoos and conditioners, which come in a gym bag-friendly size.   If you wear your hair in ponytails \u2014 a lot! &amp;quot;If you wear your hair in a ponytail or a bun in the same spot every day, you&amp;#039;re causing breakage,&amp;quot; says Anderson.  Healthy-hair fix: Let your hair down! But if you must put it up, &amp;quot;look for elastics with a plastic-y feel so they glide through hair,&amp;quot; says Corby. Try Blax Snag-Free Hair Elastics Ponytail Holders \u2014 stylists love them.  If you frequently wield a flat iron &amp;quot;Women who use flat irons hit the same areas with the same intensity day after day,&amp;quot; explains Corby. &amp;quot;You can easily burn your hair.&amp;quot;  Healthy-hair fix: &amp;quot;Do as much as you can with the blow-dryer,&amp;quot; says Corby. It causes less damage than an iron. Also, coat your strands with a silicone-free heat-protective serum. Try Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Radiant Smoothing Lotion, with hydrating rhodiola extract.  If you don&amp;#039;t address your dandruff  &amp;quot;You never want to leave dandruff to its own devices,&amp;quot; says Anderson. The more you scratch, the worse it gets \u2014 you&amp;#039;ll end up damaging your scalp. &amp;quot;And a healthy scalp means healthy hair,&amp;quot; she says.  Healthy-hair fix: Stop the itch with a dandruff-controlling shampoo and the latest innovation: dandruff-fighting conditioner. Head &amp;amp;amp; Shoulders Conditioner Dry Scalp Care boosts the effectiveness of active anti-dandruff ingredients left on the scalp by 50 percent. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.redbookmag.com/body/health-fitness/advice/a2755/fix-damaged-hair/>