We all know the struggle. You leave the hair salon one day looking and feeling a million bucks. Then, only a few short days later, your hair is back to its usual dry/frizzy/oily/flat/unmanageable self, and by the time your next appointment rolls around it's practically as if you've never set foot in a hairdresser's your entire life.
But before you give up hope and max out your credit card buying every expensive hair product known to man, hear us out. There are actually ways you can keep your hair nice and healthy between appointments -- without breaking the bank.
Have a cold shower
When it comes to retaining your colour and boosting your hair's overall shine, hot water is not your friend.
"My biggest advice and secret is to turn down the hot water temperature when showering as the heat will fade the hair colour quicker than cooler temperature water," international stylist Anthony Nader of RAW Hair told The Huffington Post Australia.
"It only takes the coolest water temperature you can withstand while showering," he said. "The coolness of the water temperature closes the hair cuticle which imparts shine. This is also a good tip for those of you that have very thick course or wiry hair."
Heat protect
While we're on the subject of heat, we should address heat appliances -- especially for those with frizzy hair.
"Turn down the heat on your electrical appliances as the higher the temperature is the more fragged your hair can become over time," Nader said.
"So invest in a heat protector spray as this shields the hair from excess heat and keeps the hair looking and feeling fabulous."
Natural remedies
A quick scout of the old interweb will reveal countless at-home tricks that will supposedly rejuvenate your hair. Here are the ones Nader actually recommends.
Avocado
"Avocado keeps the hair more supple and plump," Nader said. "Excellent for anti-ageing not only for the skin but also the hair -- and who doesn't want to be youthful?"
Coconut oil
"Fantastic for hydration and shine factor."
Egg
"For starters egg yolk is most effective on damaged hair as it will make the hair shiny and strong. It's full of proteins and amino acids."
Honey
"Honey is good for keeping the hair nourished and enriched. So think as honey as food for your hair."
Lemon juice
"Lemon juice will naturally lighten up lighter shaded hair a half-to one shade overtime depending on how much sun you're in."
Yoghurt
"Yoghurt is packed with proteins and helps promote hair growth. It also, works a gem on women who are suffering from hair loss."
Invest
To really make your hair last the distance between appointments, it's probably worthwhile having at least a few decent hair products at home. However they do NOT, we repeat NOT, have to be ultra expensive.
To add some oomph to dull or lifeless hair, Nader recommends having some medium hold styling mousse on hand.
"On damp hair, add in a little bit of medium hold styling mousse and rank that through with your finger tips from root to end," Nader advised. "Give yourself two plaits staring at the forehead, braiding all the way down to the nape and leave them overnight.
"In the morning unravel the plaits and you've yourself some new found beautiful soft waves. This can really help with witching up your lifeless hair strands."
For bad hair day emergencies, Nader says a good bristle brush can work wonders for achieving a sleek and professional look in minutes.
"If you're having a bad hair day and you're time poor, using your bristle brush to keep your hair looking smooth, place a deep side part and brush your hair into a low slick pony tail and secure," Nader said. "This is a fantastic trick for women who want to look sharp in the board room and super stylish when going out for cocktails after work."
Those with dry, damaged and/or coloured hair may also benefit from a good moisturising treatment.
"If you can invest in one good moisturising treatment that you can put on your hair once a week, you will notice a huge difference," Nader said. "Your hair will be more hydrated and it will perform the distance between haircuts.
"Really, for those with dry or damaged hair, your best friend is moisture, moisture, moisture!"
Diet
The secret to healthy hair doesn't just come from external sources. As any dietitian or nutritionist will tell you, it's also what's on the inside that counts.
"When it comes to human hair itself, it's made of a protein called keratin," accredited practising dietitian and spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia, Kate Gudorf, told The Huffington Post Australia. "So what I would deem to be essential for improving your hair would be protein, number one, to make sure you are able to able to produce keratin in the first place.
"However not all proteins are created equal, so my top picks would be lean meats and fatty fish.
"Other nutrients I would deem essential would be Omega 3 fats and other healthy fats like monounsaturated fats and things like iron and zinc, which are all important for healthy hair."
Gudorf also recommends looking at a Mediterranean style diet.
"It focuses on not only core food groups but healthy fats, so things like avocado, olive oil and fatty fish, which are all great for keeping your hair and skin lovely and luscious and silky," she said.
"The Mediterranean style diet would also include nuts and seeds which are also good sources of your healthy fats as well as zinc."
Other tips
"Rather than using a towel a regular bath towel when it's wet, opt for the oldest cotton t-shirt that you may have that you want to throw out," Nader advised. "And yes, blot.
"In doing this, you don't rough up the hair cuticle as much as a towel. This works a treat for women with highly coloured hair.
"Also, when you tie your hair up, never use rubber bands as its only going to snap the hair overtime. Always invest in snag free elastics."
Regular appointments
Finally, to keep your hair in tip-top health, you will need to see your hairdresser at least semi-regularly -- even if it's just for a trim.
"It's actually impossible to repair split ends -- you have them cut off," Nader said. "This is the reason why you should always have your hair cut every 6-8 weeks."
And while you endeavour to keep your hair as beautiful as possible between appointments, don't forget to carefully read the instructions of any treatment or procedure you decide to do yourself.
"[I hate it] when some people keep the conditioning treatment in for days and don't rinse it out and wonder why their hair is oily looking and drag," Nader said. "While I'm happy they are giving themselves treatments as they know that's what they need to do to give their hair longevity (especially if hair is coloured), it's the perfect example of having to read instructions."
Now all you need is a personalised wind machine and you're good to go.