Most people find their hair goes out of control with the heat and humidity, either that or it gets dried out by the sun and swimming during the summer months.

Excess exposure to the sun and the polluted environment causes keratin degeneration, which ultimately results in dried out, discolored hair. The cuticles open up, the hair breaks, and dreaded split ends appear.

It's time to think about the special care that our hair needs. To maintain healthy looks, it's essential to develop a daily hair-care routine.

Sally Zhu, creative director of Senses Hair & Beauty at Plaza 66, shares some summer hair care tips to help keep your hair looking fabulous.

It's important to wash hair every day or every other day with a shampoo that is formulated for your hair type and to always condition, as conditioner protects hair from damage and prevents splitting.

In summer, Sally recommends choosing a shampoo that is more moisturizing and gentle.

Don't consider yourself "finished" before adding a leave-in conditioner as well. By coating hair with a leave-in conditioner - a product that is usually sprayed on after washing or styling - this can take protection to a whole new level.

Use some products on your hair before using styling products, blow-drying, curling irons or going outdoors. Leading hair care brands such as Kerastase, L'Oreal, and KMS all have products, from sprays to gels, which contain a UV shield that will protect your hair from root to end.

It's also important to use some product with optimum color protection because the sun oxidizes hair and makes it discolored and fragile.

Zhu suggests using products formulated for color-treated hair, such as Kerastase's Reflection hair-care range, which aims to transform each hair fiber, revealing a mirror-like shine.

If you treat your hair well according to the above tips, you only need a nourishing deep conditioning treatment every two weeks. If your hair has been ultra-fried in the sun, you should invest in a good treatment mask to replenish your hair's natural moisture.

Don't forget to rinse your hair before swimming. Pools contain all sorts of damaging chemicals.

One of the most damaging chemicals in pools is a cousin of the bleach known as chlorine. Chlorine will not only bleach your hair but also dry it out, making it brittle.

Applying a leave-in conditioner to your hair to act as a protective barrier is essential before swimming. As soon as you are done swimming wash your hair with professional deep shampoo.

(China Daily September 6, 2007)