Cosmopolitan magazine and Head & Shoulders shampoo are looking for the “Head Turner of the Year” – someone with personal style, charisma and stand-out achievements.

Are you a head-turner? Ever imagine your photo on the pages of Cosmopolitan? If you read Beauty on a Budget regularly, we know you are a head-turner and you could win a three-day/two-night trip to New York City to participate in a photo shoot and makeover; the photo will run in the June 2007 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine.

To enter, just visit the website for details. Here’s the full press release from Cosmo and Head & Shoulders:

CINCINNATI, OH January, 2007 – Head & Shoulders, a hair care secret discovered by Cosmopolitan readers who know all about being head-turning, is looking for the “Head Turner of the Year” – someone with personal style, charisma and stand-out achievements. Women are invited to log onto Headturninghair.com to nominate themselves for “Head Turner of the Year.”

The grand prize winner will receive a three-day, two-night trip to New York City to participate in an unforgettable photo shoot and makeover with the Head & Shoulders’ Style Squad, comprised of some of the industry’s top fashion and beauty stylists. A photo layout will run in the June 2007 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine.

To enter, women should log onto HeadTurningHair dot com by January 31, 2007, and submit a recent photograph and original essay of 50 words or less on what makes them a head turner. The Head & Shoulders’ Style Squad will select 10 finalists, and the public will decide the winner via online voting.

In a blind survey, 80 percent of Cosmopolitan readers found that Head & Shoulders gave them head-turning hair. Head & Shoulders delivers truly healthy, head-turning hair because it provides both hair and scalp care.

Head & Shoulders helps to liberate people from hair and scalp worries, such as dullness and flakes, and contains six times more moisturizers than non-conditioning shampoos. Head & Shoulders increases hair’s protection from damage and decreases dandruff symptoms such as itching, redness, irritation and visible flakes. The result: healthy, manageable hair and an extra boost of self-confidence. This assurance, coupled with gorgeous, healthy hair, stops people in their tracks, embodying what being a head turner is all about.

Are you using the right hairbrush?

Natural or boar-bristle brushes have flexible bristles that won’t snag and stretch hair so they may cause fewer split-ends. These brushes are best for dry, straight hair but if your hair is thick or curly, you may find they don’t penetrate hair, causing it to snarl or tangle underneath.

Generally, if you have long, thick and curly or wavy hair, you will find it easier to use a brush with synthetic bristles. These should have rubber tips to prevent the bristles from scratching the scalp or catching on hair. The bristles are also more widely spaced than natural bristle brushes which makes detangling easier.

If you are using a brush to blow-dry hair straight, remember the wider the brush, the straighter the hair. Use a paddle brush with synthetic bristles for the best effect.

Always use a wide-toothed comb on wet hair first, to remove tangles and snarls. A round brush is good for turning ends under or creating soft waves but practice is necessary to use it effectively without getting it tangled in hair while blow-drying.

For years we were all told that we should wash our hair every day but lately beauty experts are rescinding that advice in favor of routines that are gentler to hair and geared specifically to hair types.

If your hair is very oily, you might get away with washing it daily, but chances are that most of that oil is near the roots and you are drying out the shaft and the ends of the hair. Brush hair from roots to ends to distribute oil evenly along the shaft. If oil at the roots is still a problem but the rest of the hair is dry, try using a dry shampoo. An inexpensive substitute is a little cornstarch or talcum powder on the roots. A good tip is to brush it out with a bit of nylon hose over the brush. Recycle old pantyhose that may have runs by cutting off the feet for this purpose.

If your hair is dry and brittle but you want to wash it before styling, try applying a conditioner prior to washing it with shampoo. This pre-conditioning will keep hair from drying out too much but you will still be able to wash away dirt and oils.

All hair types benefit from using styling products to smooth and moisturize hair prior to using hair dryers, curling irons or flat irons.

If hair is flyaway or frizzy after styling, use a smoothing product to tame it.

Split ends are the result of damage to the cuticle, or outer layer of the hair. This allows the fibers of the cortex to unravel. Split ends keep your hair from lying flat and diminish sheen, making hair look dull and unhealthy.

Heat styling and excessive dryness are the major culprits in causing split ends. Using a brush instead of a wide-toothed comb on wet hair can stretch and damage hair. The use of chemical preparations to dye hair also causes damage.

Prevent split ends by using a deep-moisturizing conditioner on ends and by avoiding too much styling. Protect hair daily by being careful when combing tangles, keeping hair conditioned, and allowing the hair to dry naturally occasionally to give it a rest from heat styling tools.

There is nothing you can do to repair split ends once you have them. The only way to get rid of split ends is to cut them off. Have ends trimmed regularly, avoid harsh styling products and keep hair well-moisturized to reduce the occurence of split ends.