I have curly hair, and sometimes it just drives me crazy when I try to do something with my hair—it doesn't come out right and it takes too long. So I have recently considered the idea a putting a relaxer in my hair, but I'm not sure. What are positive and negative things about putting a relaxer in hair?

A lot depends on the condition and texture of your hair. Do you have color or bleach in your hair? Is it overly curly, or just enough to be annoying? What are you using for shampoo and conditioner, and how long is your hair? There are new thermal straighteners that work really well at making curly hair straight, but I mean STRAIGHT! If you are looking to just relax the curl a little, there are varying forms of relaxers. If your hair is in good condition, I say find a good stylist that has done a bunch of relaxers on a bunch of different hair types and book a consultation with him or her.

The good side of relaxers: They can make your hair much more manageable and decrease the frizzies when you use good product to maintain them.

The bad side: They do damage your hair. If they are done correctly and the right product is used the damage should be minimal. But you will have to buy product to keep your hair in good health, so it can get expensive.

Let me know if I can be of any further help!

Why is it that after I've used a certain shampoo and conditioner for a while my hair starts to look sort of dull and tired? Should I switch shampoos every so often?

You should use a clarifying shampoo once a week to every other week to clean your hair thoughly.

Any tips on using hot rollers? I keep trying to get the smooth and shiny look I see in the magazines, but after a while the curl sort of falls out and my hair looks kind of frizzy (it has a natural wave but isn't curly).

You should use a styling product like a gel or spray in your hair whenever you use heat to help protect it and to help set the hair. The product will help keep the hair in its shape. When wrapping each section keep the hair as smooth as possible, then when brushing it out keep each section smooth. Finally, spray with a light hold spray with shine for a finished look.

Do you have a styling or hair care question you need answered? E-mail us!