Whether it's flyaway or thick and bouncy, your hair defines your appearance. Pip Larkham looks at what you can do to improve the look of your locks. We get bombarded with beauty products on a day to day basis, but the root of all well-conditioned hair comes down to diet and the way we physically treat our locks.

Even though we think our hair is dead, we must remember that the actual follicles, which grow from the scalp, are full of life and produce hair cells very quickly.

When we are stressed, ill or eating a poor diet, our bodies replenish lost nutrients, by diverting them away from our hair. So a healthy head of hair goes hand in hand with our well-being and a diet made up of fresh fruit, vegetables and whole-grain foods is essential. Failure to feed our hair can leave it dull, dry, brittle, frizzy and in some cases thinning and prone to fall out.

For those who want that perfect shine, testing your hair type is the first step in choosing a suitable shampoo.

The three main categories of hair type are greasy, normal and dry. The secret to buying a good shampoo is keeping it simple and inexpensive. A mild product is ideal, particularly during the summer when hair needs to be washed more than usual.

But how many beauty products should we use? Haircare expert Lucinda-Ellery Sharp says: "You should wash your hair as often as you feel you have to and give it a deep condition about once a month, where you leave the conditioner on for about ten minutes and comb it through before rinsing.

"But the most important thing to look after is your scalp. Every time you wash your hair you should massage the scalp to keep up the blood flow.

"And when your hair is dry, brushing is good because it also stimulates your scalp and gets rid of all the dead hair."

During the summer months, the sun strips away all our hair's nutrients and this can cause damage if we don't increase our hair care routine.

Mark Hayes, creative director for Vidal Sassoon, says that protection from the sun is of paramount importance. His top tips are:

DO use products with UV filters.
DO wear a beach hat.
DO moisturise your hair and use conditioner.
DO rinse your hair thoroughly after swimming and comb it through.

DON'T over-expose your hair to the sun.
DON'T neglect the condition of your hair.
DON'T leave sea water in your hair.

Despite all our efforts to highlight our naturally lovely locks, nature sometimes needs a little helping hand in making hair look healthy. Some of the most common beauty treatments that can damage hair by overuse include blow-drying, straightening, bleaching and back-combing.

Hair experts recommend minimising the amount of time spent twisting and teasing and Mark Hayes has also put together some harmless cheat tips on healthy hair:

1. Cut your hair in a shape that suits your natural texture - this avoids damage caused by excessive heat styling.
2. Solid colours give the appearance of healthier, shinier hair.
3. Always rinse your hair well after swimming to remove salt or chlorine.
4. Apply a small amount of talcum powder to greasy roots.

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