With the humidity index on the rise, women are compiling their arsenal of hair products in order to defend against the dreaded frizz that will ravage their hair. Here is some advice to help you build your arsenal.

First, frizzy hair is caused by two things. The first we are all familiar with and that is humidity. Humidity will cause your hair to grow about 20% in mass – just by walking outside to your car! If humidity is between 70% and 100%, your hair mass will even double! That means it will expand up to 40% – just by walking outside. The second thing that causes frizz is friction. Yes folks, friction. Your hair has a lot of texture in it and when it rubs up against other hairs, it will build mass, thus causing frizz. So, now we know the two major contributors to frizz, let’s talk explore the tools and products that combat this problem.

The first and most important thing you can do to fight frizz is take care of your hair. Yes, that seems like an obvious answer but one that we typically don’t follow. The more damage that you have from split ends, coloring, chemicals, etc, the more damage you have to the cuticles in your hair, making them open to moisture (humidity) and friction. So, don’t skip or hold out on hair cuts and make sure you are doing cleansing and conditioning treatments.

Now, onto products. There is an exciting new production on the market called No Frizz by Living Proof. It rejects the ingredients used in other frizz care products, which is Silicone. Rather, they worked with a scientist and found a new ingredient (PolyfluoroEster) that coats each hair fiber in a thin shield that keeps the water out of the cuticles of your hair, thus avoiding frizz. They have a whole line of anti-frizz products, including the “Straight Styling Cream for Medium to Thick Hair” that won the Cosmetic Executive Women’s Beauty Insider’s Choice Award. A 4 oz bottle will cost $24. A couple other products that work well include the John Freida “Frizz Ease” collection, especially the Overnight Repair Formula. It will help repair breakage and split ends and contains a “blend of conditioning agents and a humectant, plus an infusion of chamomile extract.” It is lightweight and won’t leave any residue on your pillow. A 1.69 fluid oz bottle runs about $9. Another great product line is Aussi 3 minute Miracle deep conditioning treatment. It uses “intense, fortifying conditioners” that deeply condition hair and repair dry, damaged hair. An 8 oz bottle runs about $7. OK, so this next product is a very cool, very stylish shower cap. It is called the Zazz Shower Cap and it is made of waterproof, ultra-thin Italian vinyl fabric. Unlike regular shower caps, the Zazz cap has a a thin stretch elastic and ribbon detailing that protects the hairline from getting wet, thus causing frizz. It’s super cute and comes in all different styles. It costs about $36. I had to include a picture of one of the caps as they are so cute!

Whether you have straight, curly, wavy, short or long, you can take some very simple steps to achieve illustrious shine to your hair.

You are what you eat. Same is true for a healthy, shiny mane. It is important to eat foods rich in protein, iron and omega 3 fatty fats as these help boost your shine over time. So, eat foods like greens, sweet potatoes, red meat, greens, nuts, fish, eggs, beans, dairy products, avocados, salmon and flaxseed oil. Also, take a vitamin E supplement or simply buy hair products that have Vitamin E in them.

Try to avoid shampoos that contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Ammonium Laureth Sulfate. These will strip your hair and make it look dull. Try L’oreal Everpure shampoo ($7, drugstores). However, milder shampoos won’t be able to get rid of silicone or wax. So, you may have to experiment with these shampoos to see what works best on your hair.

Condition, condition, condition. There seems to be a myth out there that alleges over conditioning hair will lead to greasy hair. That is just not true. In fact, you should condition every time you shampoo your hair. Choose nutrient rich conditioners that have avocado oil, olive oil, or shea butter. These nutrients will not only moisturize your hair but also fill in any cracks in the hair shaft. Also, a deep conditioning treatment once a week recommended. You don’t have to go to the salon or even buy product at the store. Some simple home remedies include smearing mayo on dry hair (avoid getting it close to hairline or scalp). Work it into the hair and wrap with plastic wrap or plastic bag for an hour. Then wet, shampoo and rinse. Another technique is mixing 2-4 egg yolks (depending on length and thickness of hair) with olive oil. Put mixture on after shampooing hair and leave in for 5 minutes. Rinse with cool water. Honey mixed with aloe vera is another deep conditioning remedy. Mix condition with aloe vera and honey (equal parts) and leave in for 10 minutes.

Blonds – dab lemon juice on hair and then rinse. Brunettes and red heads – apple cider vinegar. This step during the rinsing process will help bring out mega shine!

Don’t rub your hair with a towel. Rather, blot or gently squeeze hair with a towel. Also, don’t brush wet hair. Use your fingers to gently de-tangle hair. Use a heat-resistant product on your hair before drying. Matrix Sleek Look Iron Smoother works great!

Try to avoid using a blow dryer and heated hair tools daily. Let your hair air dry once or twice a week. Skip the straightener and go for a wind blown look on the weekends. Also, if you do use heated hair tools, make sure they are ionic hair straighteners and blow dryers. This will protect your hair from too much damage. Finally, avoid using product every day as well. It can cause buildup and reduce the shine in your hair.

Use a shine serum on wet or dry hair. Be sure it is water soluble or you will have a hard time getting it to wash out of your hair. Try Redken Glass ($14 salons).

On Oprah.com at their beauty section, they featured what kind of haircut is best for different face types (the oval face, square jawed face, etc). The right haircut can give you an instant face lift apparently. With the right one, it can narrow a jawline, plump up cheeks, shed off years, draw more attention to your eyes.. I’m sure you’ve heard all about what a haircut can do. I get haircuts to get a new look, so the whole shedding off years can do me good (like make me look like I’m still in high school, i.e my recent haircut, or make me look mature, not kiddish) So finding the right haircut is quite vital. If you don’t know what works as well, you can always ask your hairdresser, they usually know whats the right thing.

An excerpt from Oprah.com

For those who want to hide their wide face, high forehead.

The Right Cut was bringing up the models hair just below her chin. The springy curls are also flattering to the type of model’s face and texture, by keeping the length around the ears and in the back, it gives the look a younger edge.

Try to avoid forcing coarse hair to be straight, trying to do this will leave it looked stressed and tortured and make your face appear tired. Straight style will give you strict edges leaving you to add years to your face since it echoes any lines around the eyes or mouth.

Check out more styles HERE.

One of the hairstyles that I’ve seen and I’ve grown to desire is the Asymmetrical Bob.  One of my acquaintaces had her hair cut just like Posh Spice and Voila!  A whole new look.  She looked sophisticated, mature, daring, you name it, she was on a roll.

Umberto Savone tells PEOPLE that “more and more women are coming in looking for it. The asymmetrical bob is a very good summer look if it’s cut right.”

It looks like a lot of fun too, everytime I see a girl with this hairstyle, I think during the time when Rachel from Friends had that effect making everyone get that hairstyle!  Let the good times roll.

So on Saturday, just before my friend’s big birthday bash, I chopped my long locks. I don’t know what got into me, I just needed a new look. I was quite devastated as to why I would do such a thing. To my surprise, InStyle reported that on its Beauty Buzz for June 2007, short hair is IN. In Hollywood. Celebrities have traded in their long locks for short, pixie-like styles. Grinning from ear to ear, I’m glad there was a big style guru who agreed with my decision! New look? Change your hairstyle, it makes a huge difference. Trust me

“It’s a very fresh, fashiony look,” says celebrity stylist Mara Roszak.

My hair has always been straight. Short or long, still pretty straight. Once when I was in Japan, my best friend and her Japanese friends tried curling my hair, just for that one night we were going clubbing. It was also because compared to all the girls in Japan, my best friend and I didn’t have obnoxiously dyed hair. Compared to mose of them, they were outrageous with hair and even make-up (This one girl had neon eyeshadow that apparently was also glow in the dark). So with curling iron in hand and alot of hairspray we got to work. Two hours passed, hair was curled! Two hours after the curling, hair was back to straight and a bit stiff from all of the hairspray.
So what can girls like me do when they want a change of hair just for a day?

One of the easiest that I’ve tried is putting my hair in a bun while its still wet, dry it out with a hairdryer, and spritz on some hairspray. Voila! Curly hair!

Another no cost curling technique is braiding your hair while its still wet, same procedures as the bun, and you’ll get a different kind of wave but still, finish product = Curly hair!

But also there are other ways to approach this situation, there are those old school curlers which give you the certain curl you want. Bigger waves would mean using bigger curls, smaller waves, use the smaller curls, apparently you must use smaller rollers on the top of your head, saving large ones for the back and underneath.

And you can’t forget the good ol’ curling iron. If your hair isn’t as stubborn as mine, this works perfectly.