Beautiful hair, like many other things, comes at a price. Fantasizing over the luxurious, silky hair of a shampoo model will not get you anywhere. Meanwhile, you are stuck with split ends and a drawer full of flat irons, blow dryers, and curlers.

The feeling of dry hair that sticks out like bristles on a broom and hair that will not curl, straighten, or shine causes us to have those utterly despised “bad-hair days”.

The main requirement for repairing dry hair is that you seal in tons of extra moisture. With a little patience and dedication, fixing damaged hair can be done simply and inexpensively.

Generally, dry and damaged hair is caused by over processing, as in bleaching, coloring, straightening, perming, and heat-intensive devices like blow-dryers and curling irons that strip away the natural oils on your hair. These natural oils protect you hair from splitting and give you that bouncy, sheen look.

The first step is to cut off as much of the obviously damaged split ends you can. Getting regular trims prevents the split ends from worsening and traveling up the shaft.

The second step is to wash your hair with a mild shampoo every other day. Only wash your scalp to avoid further damaging or breaking the ends. The shampoo will clean the length of your hair as you rinse it out.

The third step is to apply deep conditioners once a week. A recommended deep conditioner is John Frieda’s Full Repair Full Body Conditioner.

“This product softens, helps to get rid of split ends, and adds shine without weighing my hair down. I love how it makes my hair so silky, manageable, and frizz-free,” says freshman Poonam Patel.

If you cannot afford or do not want to buy a deep conditioner, you can also make your own at home. A ripe avocado and an egg can turn into a hair mask that can strengthen damaged hair. The avocado is rich in vitamins, essential fatty acids, and minerals to restore luster to your hair.

If avocados are not in season, another item to use is olive oil. Warm up half a cup until it is warmer than the temperature of your skin and apply to dry hair. Cover the hair in plastic wrap, then wrap in a towel. Let this sit for 45 minutes, and shampoo and rinse out for strengthened, smooth hair.

Some things to make sure of are to use an iron blow dryer, do not brush your hair when it is wet, and do not over expose your hair to the sun or products with alcohol or sulfate shampoos. It is also important to not go swimming very often and expose your hair to chlorine water. All these things can cause your hair to become brittle and more susceptible to breakage.

“It is always important to eat a healthy diet, using quality hair products meant for your hair type and using some over-the-counter conditioners to prevent your hair from drying out. It is also important to create heat-free looks to let your hair rest,” says freshman, Ritika Nayak.

When will you revitalize your overstressed hair?