* eat a nutritious diet- as if you needed another reason to. A well balanced diet affets the entire body including your hair. Zinc, Iron and B vitamins are great starters for optimal hair growth



* drink up - water that is. Divide your weight in pounds by 2, the result is the amount of ounces of water you should drink daily. More on water here.

* take a mulit-vitamin

* try an msm tablet - Msm is great for the skin, nails and hair. It helps with joint pain, fatigue and diabetes. You really can't go wrong.

Lesser known hair tips

* Trim, trim, trim! - (.5' and under) every 8 weeks for coloured, relaxed and permed hair or if you are prone to splits. You can go up to 4 months without a trim if you have virgin hair.

* Heat is you hair's enemy - Especially for chemically processed hair. Give you hair a break and limit heat to once a week or better yet for special occasions

* Nights in red satin - Cotton pillowcases dry the hair out leading to splits and tangles. Do your hair a favour and sleep on satin pillowcases. It will make a huge difference

* Protein - protein strengthens you hair. Get one done once a month either at the salon or at home. V05 makes a great at home treatment. A must for damaged hair.

* Moisture - to all my curly girls we need it more than most. Every week slather on conditioner on dry hair and put on a shower cap. Wash it out after a couple hours for moisture rich curls.

* Be gentle - tight ponies, braids and extensions wreak havoc on you hair and stress your scalp. If not done properly it can lead to baldness and thinning. Just don't!

* Rock and Roll - relaxed ladies I'm talking to you. Relaxers are the harshest of all chemical treatments so don't add insult to injury and use lots of heat. Learn to wet set your hair. It will give you style without the damage. Check this rollersetting tutorial for starters.