your guide to healthy heir

Make every day a good hair day with these tips for maintaining, styling, and genuinely appreciating the hair you have.

Caring for normal hair

If your hair isn't dry or oily or damaged by chemical treatments, consider yourself lucky. "Normal hair usually means a healthier scalp," says New York City hairstylist Julie Lin.

Maintenance: You can wash your hair up to five times a week if needed. "A basic shampoo and conditioner, even a two-in-one, is fine," says Marianne O'Donoghue, an associate professor of dermatology at Rush Medical Center, in Chicago. You don't want to disrupt the hair's natural balance by using products for dryness or an oily scalp.

Styling: It's OK to blow-dry every time you wash, but use a heat-protection product and keep the dryer moving along the hair to avoid burning, says Johnny Lavoy, owner of the Moda Rey Salon & Spa, in West Hartford, Connecticut.

Common misconception: If you have normal hair, it can't be damaged. In reality, normal hair should be treated as a fine washable, like lingerie or a cashmere sweater.

What's to love: You can experiment with styling products -- which means you can pick something just because it smells good. Real Simple: How to wash your hair

RS picks for normal hair

• Joico Daily Care Balancing Shampoo delivers basic, gentle cleansing.

• Warren Tricomi Protect Pre-Dry Calming Serum shields hair from the damaging effects of a blow-dryer or a flat or curling iron.

• Infinium by L'Oréal Professionnel Hair Spray holds a style but keeps hair soft and touchable.

Caring for dry hair

Sun, a dry climate, abuse from hot dryers and irons, and heredity can all contribute to dry hair. "But as with your nails, which are also made of keratin, you can restore moisture to hair," says dermatologist Marianne O'Donoghue.

Maintenance: Shampoo twice a week, using products containing moisturizing ingredients, like panthenol and ceramides. Condition after every shampoo. "Hair can absorb only so much conditioner, so don't feel the need to slather it on," says Amanda B. Once a month, use a deep-conditioning mask.

Styling: Try to minimize the use of hot styling tools. When you do blow- dry, straighten, or curl, apply a silicone-based cream or serum to tame frizz, promote shine, and shield the hair from heat.