With the straight hair styles now in fashion, many women are resorting to high temperature, high air-volume hair-dryers and flat irons. But the stress all that heat and pulling causes can make hair brittle and dry.

The great thing about today’s styles is that anything goes. It’s fun to change your hairstyle to suit the weather and also to give your hair a break from all those harsh products.

If your hair is wavy you can let it air-dry naturally. Use a good leave-in conditioner to keep the frizzies under control and make it look shiny and fresh. Even if your hair is straight you can scrunch it with mousse and give it that sexy, tousled and curly look. On hot or rainy days, pull longer hair up into a bun or a twist while it is still wet. An updo is a classic look for the office. It will dry through the day and when you take it out of the clips or pins, it will have voluminous waves that will look natural and healthy.

Play and experiment with your hair until you find the no-fuss way that works for you. You will shave a few minutes off your morning grooming routine and enjoy the change in your usual look.

Moisturizing your hair sometimes requires more than just a quick rinse-out conditioner, especially in the summer. A leave-in conditioner can supply that extra moisture and conditioning as well as smooth dry ends and frizz.

Most leave-in conditioners come in the forms of sprays or creams. Spray-ons may also act as a detangler and are especially useful for combing hair that snarls easily. Wet hair, as we know, stretches more and is more vulnerable to breakage due to rough combing and of course, never ever use a brush on wet hair. Creams can deliver more intensive conditioning and can be concentrated where needed most, such as dry or split ends.

A leave-in conditioner will give your hair that added bit of protection and moisture, maximizing shine. Shop for one with a sunscreen added. Although sunscreens may not last long on the hair, it’s a bit of sun protection your hair might not have otherwise.

The effect of a flat iron both straightens and smooths. Even if your hair is already straight, a flat iron will leave it with a more intense sheen.

To utilize a flat iron it is important to use a frizz control product beforehand, preferably while your hair is still wet, before you blow dry. When you blow dry, the most important thing is to get the hair completely dry, not to try to straighten it while you dry unless you have uncontrollably frizzy hair.

Once the hair is dry, you will need a comb to section the hair. Doing small sections at a time guarantees the greatest straightening and smoothing effect. If your flat iron comes with an adjustable heat setting, start with a medium setting. If that isn’t sufficient to straighten your hair, you may increase the heat but only go as high as is necessary to give you the desired straightening effect. The more heat you use, the greater the risk of hair damage.

Comb each section of hair smooth once it has been straightened. If necessary you can apply a finishing product to your hair but nothing that adds moisture. The time to moisturize is before you straighten your hair.

If you use a flat iron regularly, it is important to remember that it can make your hair dry and thus more susceptible to split ends and other damage, so moisturize your hair thoroughly when you shampoo and condition.

All through high school I wanted straight, sleek hair and envied girls whose hair naturally fell that way. Usually mine looked that way only when it was soaking wet. If you have wavy or curly hair, you know what the humid weather does to it. Try as you might to straighten as you dry it, once exposed to the moist air, it frizzes and fuzzes. I remember trying everything from mayonnaise to fabric softener in my efforts to achieve that shiny, smooth look.

Straight and smooth styles are in again in both long and short styles. This time around we have many more products to help us achieve our hairstyling goals. I have learned something since then, too. If your hair is already full of moisture, it is less likely to pick up excess moisture from the air.

So, the first step is to condition, condition, condition. Don’t get stuck in the habit of the same old shampoo and conditioner you have used for years. Experiment, try different brands and find the one that moisturizes your hair best. Pantene Smooth & Sleek is a my choice, promising 75% smoother hair.

Your hair dryer is the next most important factor. Too much heat dries out your hair and causes damage that leads to breakage and even more fuzzy ends. I recommend an ionizing hair dryer. They produce less heat and better air flow and the ions smooth out the hair as it dries. The Sharper Image has an Ionic Hair Dryer for $39.95 but you can find them under $20, such as Conair’s 209 Ion Shine model.

Your last step is a smoothing product. There are several excellent products on the market that can be applied to your hair either before or after drying or in conjunction with the flat iron. VO5 (yes, they are still around) makes a frizz-reducing cream and Frizz-Ease products are self-explanatory. Most of these products are priced between five and ten dollars.