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.