Split ends will be ‘hair-story’ if you follow these DIY beauty hacks

Three of the dirtiest D-words ever: Dry, dull and damaged. Straggly split ends are the consequence of the cuticle being worn away by stress and corrosive chemicals, and usually means a snip is in order.

Happily, you needn’t resign yourself to a salon appointment just yet. Try adding these tress-taming tricks to your arsenal for high-wattage shine and softness – we swear we won’t judge if your newly rejuvenated coiffure compels you to perform a slow-mo shampoo commercial hair flip!

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Hair hero, to the rescue! Consider plonking down good dough for a deluxe dryer like Dyson’s spectacular Supersonic, $599. This grooming gizmo comes gussied up with a ton of smart tech: Built-in heat sensors, for one, automatically adjust the temperature once it breaches a certain threshold, slashing your chances of accidentally singeing your hair. This means it’ll work safely on all manner of manes – even the most frizzy and fried.

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Always hit the “cool shot” setting as a follicle-fortifying final flourish – the blast of frosty air will seal in the shine and lend a really reflective mirror-like mirage to your mane.

These “smart” appliances are also pricier, naturally, so it’s your call if you want to blow your beauty budget on a costlier contrivance. My take? They’re investment implements well worth coughing up cash for, so take the plunge and pamper yourself.

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Moisturising your mane regularly is paramount for protecting your pouf. Splashing out on an all-in-one tress-taming treatment is a quick and dirty (or is that quick and clean) way of pulling this off if you’re strapped for time. My obsession du jour has got to be Kose’s incredibly invigorating Infinity Esthetic Cleansing Cream, $42, a multitasking marvel that cleanses, conditions and comforts your scalp.   

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The buttery balm-like consistency of a creamy conditioner means it can do double duty as a rinse-off mask of sorts. Warm up a generous dollop in your palms, work it into damp hair, then relax for 10 minutes or so. (If you’re daunted by the prospect of dripping all over your daybed, clip your coiffure up and secure with a shower cap.) When you think you’ve had enough, step into the shower and splash off for surpassingly silky strands.

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Feast your way to fabulous follicles by loading up on iron- and vitamin D-rich goodies – these nutrients are said to stimulate microcirculation in your scalp for shinier strands. Some sources: Spinach and other dark leafy greens for the veggie munchers; eggs, milk and salmon for the rest of us.

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Here’s a hot hair hack: Coat your coiffure with a conditioner in the shower, then carefully comb through your moist mane with a wide-toothed brush like Tangle Teezer’s terrific Compact Styler Gold Rush, $35 from Sephora. This pre-emptive “polishing” will help to detangle and defluff to stave off split ends that may ensue from rough-shod rubbing with a towel.

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Your post-shower strands are at their most vulnerable, so pat gently using a clean cotton tee instead, and follow up with a shine-boosting serum from the midshaft down for buoyancy with none of the weight. 

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As with most things in life, timing is of the essence. Skipping straight to the styling step of your regime may result in coagulated clumps in your coif, and brushing these bunched-up hairballs may in turn lead to breakage and hair loss.

The solution? Give dry shampoo five minutes to sit and sponge up excess oils, then use clean fingers to tease out the leftover powder from your locks. If you have particularly unruly bangs, use a brush to sieve out any tangles.

For increased control, spray onto a brush and work through the hair from roots to ends. Using the same wide-toothed comb, rake it down the centre of your crown to create a horizontal part. For each section you make, flip the hair over and spritz in a zigzag motion, working your way down to the tips.

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The key to landing leading-lady locks is to load up on lock-loving lipids every two weeks or so. My money’s on Moroccanoil’s superbly soothing Smoothing Mask, $72, which comes crammed with cuticle-conditioning coconut and argan oils that have been designed to sink straight in. Simply dispense on damp hair, starting mid-length and paying extra care to the ends. Splash off for a super stylin’ head of soft hair!

ALSO READ: Don’t let your ‘nudes’ leak: How to get your foundation to last from AM to PM; Think you need to spend hundreds on salon visits for healthy hair? Think again; No grey area about this hair trend: Charcoal is THE colour to try now