The 6 reasons you’re having a bad hair day.

There is nothing quite like the frustration of your hair getting up on the wrong side of bed.

When you wake up and it looks like your head got caught in a fan or that an oil tanker crashed into your scalp overnight.

When it seems that no amount of product or styling can help.

When you’re wondering, ‘WHY ME, HAIR!?’.

Well, your hair has a few answers – and it’s probably telling you it comes down to built-up damage. So before you reach for a headscarf, read up on all the things that might be causing your bad hair day in the first place.

1. Environment.

Most of us know that changes in temperature and humidity can wreak havoc on our hair, but this is exactly why.

Hair is largely hygroscopic which means it is able to exchange water molecules with moist or dry air. A dry atmosphere drives water molecules from your hair into the environment while humidity has the opposite effect, swelling pieces of hair as much as 16 per cent of its diameter.

Manufactured temperature can also have a significant effect on your hair with indoor heating and air conditioning causing damage.

2. Diet.

While your hair might be dead, the follicle surrounding it is not. And it’s your diet that fuels this hair follicle, affecting the overall health of your hair.

Dermatologist Jessica Wu says that a person’s nails and hair “are a barometer of how well or how poorly you're feeding the body as well as your overall health.”

A poor diet lacking in nutrients will result in dry and brittle hair. Try eating more protein, iron and omega 3 fatty acids in foods like spinach, eggs and fish.

3. Lifestyle.

Just like your diet, other health and lifestyle-related factors can contribute to your bad hair day. Stress and anxiety is one of the major contributors to hair-loss and limpness.

Incorporating regular exercise and meditation into your daily life can do wonders for your hair health.

4. Sleep.

If your rough sleeping habits result in a bird’s nest on your scalp come morning, you’re no doubt in for a bad hair day. To tame that mess it might be wise to invest in a silk pillowcase which reduces the friction between your hair and the pillow, meaning less tangles.

5. Products.

Your bad hair day could also be down to the products you are using. Make sure you use a shampoo and conditioner suited to your hair type and scalp condition. If your hair is fine and limp, go for good volumising products like the L’Oreal Paris Elvive Fibralogy thickening haircare range.

The range includes shampoo, conditioner and a serum treatment. The serum can be applied to damp or dry hair as a leave-in treatment, either before blow-drying, or after as a finishing and smoothing serum.

The range is available at all leading retailers for $5.95 for the shampoo and conditioner, and $9.95 for the serum. Or you can join the Fibralogy circle at www.ThickerHair.com.au and receive an exclusive discount.

6. Styling.

First up: stop brushing your hair while it’s wet. Wet hair is much more susceptible to damage than dry hair as it is more elastic and likely to break. And on that note, ignore hair-brushing advice from the Brady Bunch.

Marcia Marcia Marcia was very wrong about the need to brush your hair with 100 strokes a day. Excessive brushing will cause your hair to snap and break more easily which could be the reason for hair that feels like straw.

Using blow dryers, straightening irons and curlers regularly can also seriously damage your hair. But most of us aren’t about to give up our essential styling tools. Instead, ensure you are using heat protection products as well as a weekly conditioning treatment to curb future bad hair days.

How do you handle a bad hair day?

Over to the smart cookies at L'Oreal for more on the hair care front: