It is often said that your hair can make or break a look and we certainly believe in the mantra. Ask anyone having a bad hair day and they’ll tell you just how frustrating it is when your precious tresses are being non cooperative and short of shearing your head, there isn’t much you can do to fix it. Is there a foolproof way to ensure that you never ever have another bad hair day? Probably not. But we do have cardinal rules that will help you achieve the healthiest and least likely to misbehave hair you’ve ever had in life. Intrigued? Read on to find out exactly how.

Loyalty pays

Are you someone who loves experimenting with different stylists? Do you tend to change your hair technician after each hair cut? That’s probably why your hair never ends up looking the best it could. Find a stylist that understands your hair and its requirements and then stick to them. It might seem inconsequential but loyalty to one stylist pays off in spades because your hair is managed by one person who’s taken time to study and understand it. A good stylist should ideally cut your hair according to your liking of course, but more importantly in keeping with your routine and how much time you’re willing to spend styling it. If you have extremely curly hair and want a shaggy bob that looks good only in straight hair, a stylist willing to give you this while knowing you don’t have any intention of regular straightening is doing you a disservice. Plus your regular stylist will know exactly how often you come in for a cut and can give your hair shape accordingly, so that it doesn’t look bad even while growing out.

Colour carefully

Kim Kardashian went platinum blonde in a day and the entire world was thrown into a tizzy. You’ll often see celebrities or even friends showing up to the salon with dark locks and then suddenly be transformed into light haired hotties. Sure there’s technology now that can protect your hair while bleaching but take it from a team that’s tried every colour under the sun, ranging from ash blonde to  bright pink: your hair pays the price. While products like L’Oreal’s Smart Bond or Olaplex will save your hair from being fried (literally, it burns your strands, stripping your hair of all moisture) it cannot prevent damage. The best way to go about lightening your hair is to do it gradually.

Again, if you have a regular stylist you can show them the colour you want and they can keep building on it, layer by layer with each appointment so that your hair has time to recover and it isn’t entirely damaged in one go. This process requires patience but what’s a little time in comparison to gorgeous, shiny hair?

Products matter

What you put on your hair matters as much as what you put in your body. Look into the shampoo and conditioner you’re using and ensure that it suits your hair type. If you find that your shampoo makes your hair greasy within in a day, switch to a formula that isn’t meant for scalps with excessive sebum or if you suddenly have developed dandruff using a particular product, discontinue use immediately. After shower care also matters - leave in serums or conditioners, applied to the lengths can not only nourish but protect your locks from pollution and general wear and tear. If you’re worried about build up then there’s a solution for that too.

One of the best things you can do to ensure that your hair remains squeaky clean is to invest in a build up removing weekly shampoo. Neutrogena has a great clear shampoo option, easily available in the market that is supposed to be used once a week as an alternate to your regular shampoo to eradicate residue.