When you are away from home in a different climate your hair will be subjected to weather it is not used to.

Your hair needs to be protected in the same way that you do with your skin. UV rays are very harmful to your hair affecting the pigment, strength, shine and vitality.

For your skin you take with you cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen and after-sun lotions so for your hair take shampoo, conditioner, hair sunscreen and styling products.

Cold Climate

1. Cold temperatures weaken your hair and susceptible to damage. Flyaway hair tends to be subject to static. Hair should be well conditioned and protected by wearing a hat.

2. If you have frizzy hair use a leave-in conditioner and take a deep moisturizing mask with you on holiday. All hair types will benefit from using a heat protection spray and serum to keep the elements out and keep the moisture in.

Humid climate

3. Hair expands just like it does when it is wet in a humid climate. This will make your hair fluffy or if it is curly, frizzy.

4. For all hair types, a pre-holiday deep conditioning treatment is a must to nourish the hair and seal the cuticles, as you want to prevent excess moisture from entering the hair shaft.

5. If you have fine hair use a light leave-in conditioner from mid-way down the hair to the ends and use a serum to seal the ends after blow-drying, being careful not to overdo the serum on fine hair.

6. If you have curly and/or frizzy hair then you need to seal the cuticle (the outside of your hair) to minimize the additional frizziness that results in humid weather.

7. Use a leave-in conditioner very morning. Use an anti-frizz serum to coat and seal the cuticle.

Hot and dry climate

8. The sun strips the hair of its natural oils and dry heat increases this effect. UV rays attack your hair and the resulting free radicals damage the hair. The weakened cuticle causes the hair to become dehydrated, allows the bleaching and fading of the color pigment as well as split ends.

9. To protect your hair 100rom sun damage wear a hat!

10. Deep conditioning your hair before your holiday is essential.

11. If you have fine hair use a wash your hair with a gentle shampoo and use a light leave-in conditioner with UV protection. Use a sun-protection spray containing a UV filter to screen your hair from the effects of the sun and seawater and re-apply after going in the sea.

12. If you have curly hair use a moisturizing shampoo and a leave-in conditioner to minimize dryness. Apply a nourishing hair mask whilst you are away to deep condition your hair. Use a sun-protection spray containing a UV filter to screen your hair from the effects of the sun and seawater and re-apply after going in the sea.

13. If you have frizzy hair use a sun-protection spray containing a UV filter to screen your hair from the effects of the sun and seawater and re-apply after going in the sea.Use a rich leave-in conditioner with UV protection each morning and apply a hair mask every other day during the holiday.

14. When you have been swimming in the sea always wash the salt out afterwards.

15. Chlorine from the swimming pool is extremely damaging when combined with the effects of the sun, wet your hair in the shower before hand and protect your hair with a leave-in conditioner preferably one containing a UV filter. Wash your hair thoroughly after swimming.

16. Hair grips and bands are an extremely useful item to have on holiday and offer a quick-fix solution for hair care problems.

17. Don’t forget your travel plug to ensure that you can still use your hairdryer and other electric hairstyling equipment whilst abroad.

These tips assume that you are going to be using your regular hairdresser to plan your style and on your wedding day. However if you plan to style your hair yourself, you can easily follow the same timetable and I have added some extra tips for you.

1. Plan! Plan! Plan! The earlier you start to plan the better. This gives you the chance to get your hair into the best condition possible and to have practice runs with your hairdresser trying out different styles and colors as well as trying out veils, tiaras and flowers. Ideally start this process 6 months before.

2. Collect pictures of possible hairstyles from all different magazines not just wedding magazines and discuss them with your hairdresser at least 4 months before your big day.

3. Each time you go to the hairdressers to try out a potential wedding day style take photos to help you remember what you liked about it for future reference and take someone with you whose opinion you can trust.

4. Make the most of what you?ve already got, maximize your good points rather than going for a look that isn?t really you.

5. Start weekly conditioning treatments at least 3 months before your wedding.

6. Give you hair a break from harsh styling methods and equipment; this will help with getting your hair in tip-top condition.

7. If you are having flowers in your hair have a trial run with your hairdresser a couple of months before and make sure you have your appointment booked for the wedding day.

8. One month before have a trial run with your veil/ tiara and finalize with your hairdresser the style you have decided upon.

9. If you are having an updo on the day, wash your hair the night before as just-washed hair can be harder to manage.

10. Make sure you have an SOS kit on your big day, which you can give to the bridesmaid with the biggest handbag! - Plenty of hairgrips and pins in a matt color in a shade similar to your hair, hairbrush, tail comb, hairspray and shine spray.

Extra tips if you are doing your hairstyling yourself

1. As well as planning your style in the months before your wedding you need to try out various styling products so that you can be confident that the ones you are using on the day will make your hair look it?s best.

2. To avoid your hair being flat use most styling product on the roots.

3. Hair products from the same range are designed to work together.

4. Have a trial run with your veil and tiara on the style you have chosen. To fix them into your hair, use clear combs and matt grips in a similar shade to your hair. If it?s practical, keep them in your hair for a few hours to make sure they have staying power and to avoid having a slipping veil and tiara on the day.

Last but not least relax and enjoy your day :o)

Skye Irwin operates the website HairCare Made Easy, you can get her Hair Care Made Easy book from http://www.hairc aremade-easy.com/spage.html

Most women with curly or wavy hair have at some point coveted straight hair. If you are one of them and wish to try this, you should know that there are several great options these days and none of them involves a clothes iron. New methods, using state of the art technology, are safer and less harmful to your hair. You can opt for the chemical process to permanently straighten your hair and achieve a smooth, shiny, straight mane for anywhere from six to nine months. Or you can temporarily sport a straight hairstyle for special occasions. You may want to try this before you commit to a permanent change.

If you have the time and patience you can just use a good hair dryer and styling brush to blow dry your hair straight or you can try a straightening irons. There are several different types of straighteners available, from the older, most commonly used chrome-plated metal irons to gold-plated ones and of course the newest technology, ceramic. If you are short on cash try the regular metal or the gold-plated ones; gold is easier on your hair. If you can afford to splurge, purchase a ceramic straightening iron and your hair will thank you. The ceramic heats up more evenly and is gentler to your hair by helping preserve the natural moisture. It also results in shinier, smoother, healthier looking hair as it tends to glide through better. Ceramic is known to eliminate frizz and minimize static.

Things to look for in a straightening iron:

- Does it have adjustable and several heat settings? You will have to experiment with it to find your ideal temperature. Although a high heat setting will get hair straighter quicker, try to follow the general rule of using lower settings for fine hair and higher setting for thick or coarse hair

- Look for solid ceramic plates instead of a ceramic coating as the former will last much longer.

- How heavy is it? A lightweight one will be easier on your arms and make you task much more bearable.

- Does it have a swivel power cord? This feature can make your task go much quicker.

- There are now several cordless models on the market. If you are going to use it for quick touch ups or for travel; this option is great.

- Look for a straightening iron with a protective heat resistant case so when you are done you can move on without worrying about it cooling down.

- Get a smaller plate iron for short hair and a wider one for longer hair.

Tips

- Make sure your hair is totally dry before using a heated iron. Hair is most fragile and prone to breakage when it is wet and the straightening iron on damp hair will open the cuticle and damage the cortex. If possible, allow your hair to dry naturally instead of blow drying as this will reduce the amount of heat your hair has to endure at one time.

- Use a product like serum or protein treatment before straightening - specially on the ends. This will further help protect your hair and leave it shinier.

- If you are looking for pin straight hair, part hair into small sections and do a couple of passes with the iron on each section.

- If you are in a rush or are looking for just a smooth, polished finish; straighten just the top layer of your hair. No one will see the bottom layers anyway.

- Do not wrap the cord around the iron as it may fray or damage cord causing a hazard and giving your investment a shorter life.

Ann is a home based business entrepreneur who researches various topics and reviews internet products. For more information on total hair care visit her site Best Hair Care Guide