Emergency! First Aid for Hair

Emergency # 1: You've chemically straightened your hair, and now it looks and feels like straw.

So you dreamed of transforming your Nicole Kidman mane into Jennifer Aniston's straight and sleek 'do'. Sucker! The only way to budge those curls was to leave the straightened on too long - bad move.

The first thing to do is get your hair trimmed. The ends of the hair will be the worst damaged and may be already splitting. The problem with split ends is that they get worse - unless they are cut off, the hair continues to split all the way up the shaft. Also, there are a number of deep-conditioning treatments available that you can use regularly. And, leave-in conditioners can help with the combing and appearance.

Emergency # 2: Your hair has lost its shine.

You started out (in life) with a glossy sheen that would've made a Clairol-girl jealous. Now, you've got dry, dull hair that wouldn't shine if you left it greasy on a three-day experiment (which you've tried, and whose only result was that people started moving away from you on the train ride to work).

Semi-permanent colours can add shine instantly. They don't contain peroxide, so they won't damage your hair. Semi-permanents coat the hair, so the light is more easily reflected - and this gives hair the appearance of shine. Don't want a colour change? Don't have to. Choose a shade close to your natural.

Emergency # 3: You wanted your hair to look sun kissed - instead it looks yellow.

The instructions were simple, the price affordable, and the promised results - sensational! Just spray in the product, sit in the sun for an hour, and you too can have the sun-bleached look. With the fake tan you purchased, you're sure to look like you've just returned from the Bahamas.

Unfortunately, what the instructions failed to mention was that the sun-kissed look is only an option available to people with light brown to blonde hair - and now you are left with blotches of orange and yellow. Spray-in lighteners contain peroxide so the colour can only be cut out or coloured over. If you are worried about further damage to hair, don't cover the damage with a permanent colour. Hairdressers recommend regular semi-permanents of your natural shade - and some heart-felt advice. Never lighten your hair yourself.

Emergency # 4: Styling is killing your hair.

You taught yourself how to straighten your locks, and soon you became a pro: even if it did take seven different hair-styling tools and products to get there. The result? Forget a smooth head of hair - you've noticed that your hair is dry and - gulp - looking terribly thin in spots. This is not the drop-dead gorgeous look you were after.

Any form of styling that involves heat poses a potential threat to hair. And if your hair is dry or damaged to begin with, it could become progressively worse. Never hold the blow-dryer directly on you hair - keep it moving all the time. Just a few seconds held in one spot can lead to that dreaded smell that tells us we've burnt our locks. When you use hot rollers or tongs, wrap the ends of the section in a couple of sheets of toilet paper. The ends are closest to the heat, and they need to be protected. Also, don't over-use these tools: if you're blow-drying your hair straight or tonging it every day, you're doing it too often.

Emergency # 5: You've chosen a 'Soft Titian' colour only to discover it's hair-speak for bright red.

It sounded so appealing. You were sure you'd come out looking like Claudia Schiffer, who at least is "soft" if not "titian." And why the hell should you need a dictionary before choosing a hair colour, anyway? Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to tell how intense a colour will turn out, unless you're a professional. It all depends on the product and the amount of colour your own hair "throws."

Here's a quick lesson in colour: every colour has one that counteracts it - for yellow, it is blue; for red it is ash. You will need to apply a colour that counteracts the bright red overtones of existing colour. The intensity of the colour needed to counteract it will depend on the intensity of the existing colour. Don't go overboard - you don't want to end up with the same problem at the other end of the colour wheel. Besides, most colours lose a lot of their intensity after a few washes.

The moral of the story? Whilst most hair emergencies aren't a matter of life-or-death and can be remedied, the old adage is true - prevention is better than cure. Consult a professional - or at least a friend who's had some experience (and success) - before you try any major transformation at home. And please, don't go looking at those hair photos of Cindy Crawford ever again. She was born that way.