At some point, it’s a decision every couple confronts. Try to sidestep it, and you’ll risk drab-looking, damaged hair or endless arguments that begin with “Did you finish my shampoo without telling me, again?!”

We’re talking, of course, about whether or not you and your mate share shampoo, conditioner and hair styling tools, or maintain your own. Merging his-and-hers may seem like the budget-friendly, eco-smart thing to do. And it may be -- but not if you use twice as much electricity trying to dry your hair into submission because you’ve started out with the wrong cleansing and conditioning regimen.

Here’s what you should consider:

1. Shampoo and conditioner. The newest science on hair care shows that different hair types have distinctly different structures. Fine hair, for example, contains 50 percent less protein than thicker hair, and curly hair has a twisted growth pattern that creates a lot of friction between strands. Coloring or relaxing your hair weakens the strand’s protective layer, which can leave it rough and dull. Finally, long hair has been exposed to way more washes, styling products and sun damage than shorter hair, making it more vulnerable to split ends, frizz and breakage.

What this means is that, to get your healthiest and most beautiful hair, you’ll want to choose products that are created especially for your hair type. Unless you and your partner have the exact same hair type, you’ll each want to choose the hair care products that suit your own hair texture.

Eco-friendly tip: Consider a two-in-one shampoo and conditioner to cut back on hair care product clutter.

2. Hair Dryer. Ionic, ceramic, tourmaline -- with high-tech innovations, today’s dryers do a lot more than simply blow hot air. Not every technological option is best for all hair textures, however. For example, tourmaline dryers contain ground mineral crystals that can speed up drying time by 70 percent. That’s a terrific time-saver if you have thick hair. But if you hair is fine, the extra power is a disadvantage. “Your hair will dry so fast you won’t have time to style it,” says stylist Sonya Dove, co-owner of the Doves Studio in Santa Monica, Calif. What’s more, says Reeve McNamara of Atlanta’s Van Michael Salon, “if your boyfriend or husband is going to share your dryer and his hair is thinning, the intense heat might burn his scalp.”

Keep in mind that with dryers, like jeans, fit is everything. “The single most important consideration when you pick a dyer is how it feels in your hands,” says Dove. If your hands are small, you might be most comfortable with a dryer that’s light and compact, while he’ll have better control with a heftier model.

Eco-friendly tip: Save electricity and still create the style you want by letting your hair air-dry before you use your blow-dryer.

3. Brushes. For starters, there’s the ick factor with sharing brushes -- they can spread lice or ringworm of the scalp. Beyond hygienic considerations, having a brush that’s suited to your hair -- thick, thin, curly or straight -- will make styling easier. If you have fine or thin hair, a ceramic brush with a small, square barrel will let you get right up against your scalp to lift your roots for a volume boost. To get the bounce and bends of a salon blowout on thick, coarse hair, choose a large, round brush that has a combination of synthetic and boar’s hair bristles. The nylon bristles will grip your hair, while the natural ones impart shine. If you have curly hair, skip the brush and opt instead for a detangling comb with a double row of extra-long teeth.

Eco-friendly tip: Clean out dead hair and dust with a tail comb every few days, and your brush should last about five years.

There may still be a chill in the air, but there’s a clear forecast for spring hair: It’s coming undone. As relaxed silhouettes, bright colors and textured lightweight fabrics paraded down the New York fashion runways, hairstyles also unwound -- think the disheveled glamour of Kristen Stewart, Blake Lively and Sienna Miller. 

“This spring, you’re perfect in a cool pair of jeans, a simple shirt and a beautiful jacket,” says Jeanne Yang, who styles the likes of Keanu Reeves and Katie Holmes, with whom she also designs the fashion line Holmes & Yang. “Your hair should have the same vibe -- like you’re pulled together, but not trying too hard. Nobody wants to look like they’ve just sat in a salon for an hour.”

Hair is getting shorter, cut in long layers just below the collarbone or at the shoulders. Beverly Hills stylist Byron Williams, who tends to the tresses of Selena Gomez and Eva Mendes, has been chopping flowing hair to 2 inches below the collar bone for an “edgier, fresher” take on surfer-girl sexy. Still, says, Lori Morris, senior editor of American Salon magazine, “There’s no big haircut of the season. Curls are relaxed and wild, and ponytails are loose and messy, as if you’ve just played tennis for an hour.” Jamal Hamadi, a favorite stylist of Kirsten Dunst, says come spring he’ll start with a shoulder-length cut that has jagged ends for more natural texture. “You want to look like a messy child,” he says.

Want to get a jump on spring hair? Here’s how to achieve what will be the season’s big four hair trends: 

1. Loose Waves
For this surfer-girl look, start with day-old hair that has some texture and body to it. Dampen your wavy locks with a texturizing spray, then scrunch random pieces while you blow-dry with a diffuser. If your hair is straight, wrap 3-inch chunks around a large-barreled curling iron. Finish with a light-hold hair spray.

2. Messy Braids
The look: braids with attitude. Spritz hair with a texturing spray, then part to the side, letting loose strands fall around the face. Gather hair into a slightly-off-to-one-side ponytail. Braid loosely and secure with an elastic band. Cover the band by winding strands of hair around it. Fasten stray strands with a bobby pin.

3. Textured Ponytails
The ponytails that bobbed down the spring runways were a bit less sleek than usual. With the tails textured and a little bit wild, they were a fetching mix of control and chaos. To get this new hair trend, smooth your hair with a dab of gel, and then brush it into a high ponytail. To texturize the tail, flat-iron hair and then mist it with sea-salt spray. Pull clumps apart for that cool, unkempt, out-at-the-club-till-4 a.m. look.

4. Hot-rollered Hair
For sexy tousled waves, wind haphazard sections of your hair into hot rollers. Leave in for five minutes, then remove and fluff the curls with your hands. If the waves are too voluminous, lightly brush. Place a dab of shine cream onto your palms and work onto the surface of your hair, then mist with a light-hold spray. “I wore hot rollers in my hair as I drove to a wedding,” says Yang. “When I got there, I pulled them out and headed to the party. Everyone kept telling me my hair looked fabulous -- little did they know I’d just styled it in my car!”

It’s the secret to top hairstyles like Beyonce’s barrel waves, Kim Kardashian’s sexy bedhead look and the glamorous cascade of curls that stars regularly show off on the red carpet. We’re talking about curling irons. “You can change the whole texture and personality of your hair in just a few minutes with a curling iron,” says Mezei Jefferson, a Chicago-based salon educator. “It will also help boost volume and add fullness to baby-fine hair.”

There are a variety of different curling irons that create curls of different size and tightness. Here’s how to find the one that’s right for you.

Spiral Curls
These curling irons have raised ridges on the barrel. To create the telephone-cord curls of Mariah Carey or Sarah Jessica Parker, simply twist your hair around the spiral pattern. The closer the grooves, the tighter the curls. For cascading ribbon curls with volume at the roots, choose a spiral iron with a tapered barrel.

Tips:

• Work with diagonal sections of hair to get closer to your scalp and create small bouncy curls.
• After you curl a section of your hair, pin it to your scalp to keep your curls intact as you continue styling the rest of your hair.

Loose Curls
Megan Fox and “Glee” stars Jayma Mays and Dianna Argon all rocked retro Hollywood glamour at this year’s Golden Globes with romantic, wavy texture. To create this look, choose a spring curling iron with a barrel size of at least 1 inch. The longer your hair, the larger the barrel you’ll want: Opt for a barrel of 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches for mid-length hair, or 2 inches if your hair is shoulder-length or longer. Spring curling irons are a great tool for novice curlers; the clip helps you keep a firm grip on your hair as you work.

Tips:

• Begin working from the middle of the hair shaft. Roll hair in the direction of your scalp. Then open the clip and feed in your ends.
• To protect hair, use as little heat as needed. Start with a temperature of 300 F. If that doesn’t give you the hold you want, gradually move on to hotter settings, increasing heat by 25 F at a time.

Waves

Double- or triple-barreled curling irons give you that just-back-from-the-beach look you’re craving in the middle of winter. This is the tool to choose if you want the tousled tresses of celebrity hair trends seen on Taylor Swift or Blake Lively.

Tips:

• For an authentic beachy look, start with day-old hair rather than just-shampooed locks.
• Apply a light holding spray before curling, and then work with horizontal sections of hair, rolling up to about 1 inch from your scalp.

Tips for All Types of Curls

• Apply a silicone-based serum before using the curling iron to protect your hair against heat damage.
• After curling, apply pomade or a silicone-based styling product. Work through your hair gently, and then finger-comb your hair to separate curls.
• Keep the barrel of your iron clean. Run a smooth, dry cloth over it when it’s still warm -- not hot -- to remove dust and product buildup.
• Make sure your hair is absolutely dry before you use your curling iron. Otherwise, you’ll end up with damaged hair and limp, ill-formed curls that will wilt in one to two hours.
• Always work with small sections of hair and hold the curl around the curling iron for 10 seconds, then release.
• Spray each section with a light mist of flexible-hold hairspray.

Photo Credit: @iStockphoto.com/coloroftime

Shiny, bouncy, healthy hair -- it’s every woman’s best beauty asset. But as much as we treasure our tresses, we put them through a lot of torture. Blow-dryers, flat irons, hair dyeing or bleaching, chemical straightening and tight ponytails can leave our hair dry, fried and unable to hold a style. Hair expert John Gray, author of The World of Hair, explains all this rough handling strips away your mane’s outer protective layer -- the “F” layer -- leading to a degradation of the cortex, the central core of the hair shaft. Ouch!

Dire as that sounds, with just a few tweaks to your hair care routine, your damaged hair will act, look and feel healthy while you prevent future harm. “Hair care technology has come a long way,” says Pantene senior scientist Jeni Thomas. “You can still color your hair, use styling tools or spend time out in the sun and have great hair -- as long as you are taking the right steps to protect it.”

Here’s how to mend your damaged hair from the four main types of assault.

Over-processing
If you dye or lighten your hair, staying within two shades of your natural color will be far less damaging than going from dark brown to blond -- or the other way around. When you touch up your hair at home with permanent or semipermanent color, focus on the roots so you’re not processing your porous ends again.

Be cautious about exposing your color-processed hair to chemical straightening or permanent waves. If you love the results you get with chemical straightening, talk to your stylist about switching to a gentler process that improves the texture of your hair -- leaving it soft, glossy and manageable rather than pin-straight.

Use a shampoo and conditioner formulated for colored hair. Chemical treatments alter the structure of the hair and these products contain ingredients, such as certain polymers, that enhance this new structure.

Heat Damage
The highest setting of your flat iron, curling iron and blow-dryer may actually exceed the boiling point of water. Instead of poaching your tresses, apply a heat-protecting spray and use the lowest setting that will allow you to get the results you want and maintain your healthy hair. Don’t blow-dry your hair when it’s sopping wet; wait until it’s two-thirds dry, or blot with a towel to absorb extra moisture. When you use your flat iron, keep it moving: Try to go through each section of hair only once.

Look for hair care products that contain the words “moisturizing” or “hydrating” on the label; these will provide your thirsty locks with the restorative drink they need.

Rough Handling
Use only a wide-tooth comb to detangle wet hair. Cut down on how frequently and aggressively you brush your hair. Forget the 100 nightly strokes maxim and use the minimum number of brush strokes that are needed to achieve or refresh your style. If you wear a ponytail, be sure to use seamless elastics and take care when you remove them; carelessly ripping out your pony holder can lead to breakage. If you already have signs of breakage, such as flyways around the crown, use a smoothing cream. Rub a dime-size amount between your palms, then lightly apply to your flyaway zones.

Sun Exposure
Just as UV rays damage your skin, they also wreak havoc on your locks, weakening the protein structure that keeps hair strong and healthy. The best way to protect your healthy hair from damage on a sunny day is to wear a hat; choose one with a wide brim and you’ll protect your skin too. If your tresses have already seen more sunny days than you can count, choose a shampoo and conditioner that are designed to strengthen your hair, and pick the formula that’s right for your texture (fine/fragile or medium/thick).

Summer is a great time to be outdoors, but all that fun could wreak havoc on your hair. Here’s how to protect your locks from the harsh outdoors.

Wet Hair Before the Beach
Hair can absorb up to 30 percent of its weight in water, so drench it to prevent salty sea water or chlorine filling up those strands. “Chlorine and blonde hair can spell trouble, so wet your hair before and after swimming with fresh water and apply a UV treatment,” says Sally Brooks of London salon Brooks + Brooks.

Use Hair Sunscreen
Just as you’d never venture into the sun without slathering SPF over your face, protect your hair against sun damage by using specialist hair sunscreen. “Hair can get really affected by the sun,” says hair stylist Benjamin Ahrens from London salon Hari’s. “It can bleach the hair and make it frizzier, so you need to protect it properly by using a UV filter spray before leaving the house.” Re-apply after swimming. 

Invest in a Hair Mask
They say prevention is better than cure so give your hair a health boost by massaging a nourishing mask into your follicles before you hit the beach. Smooth a generous amount of mask through your hair, leave in overnight then rinse out to quench thirsty hair and prevent damage. “You can also put a treatment on before going to the beach,” says Ahrens. “Massage it in, then slick hair back into a ponytail. Hair will be intensively conditioned during the day, leaving it smooth and sleek.”

Wash Hair Thoroughly
“Leaving salt and chlorine on the hair for extensive periods of time and avoiding washing can affect the colour of the hair and reduce condition,” says Akin Konizi, HOB Salons' International Creative Director and current British Hairdresser of the Year. Try a clarifying shampoo to remove any buildup of salt, chlorine or product, then follow with a nourishing conditioner to restore moisture and add shine.

Avoid Heat Styling
It may sound obvious, but heat styling your hair after a baking-hot day in the sun won’t do your locks any favours. “Reducing the use of heated appliances is ideal for helping to protect the hair and maintain healthy condition,” says Konizi. “The reduced heat applied will encourage high shine, glossy manes and motivate vibrant locks.” Can’t live without your hairdryer or straightener? Make sure you mist in a heat protection spray. If your hair is looking a little sun-dulled, reach for the shine spray or nourishing mist to get it looking glossy again.

Be Gentle
Avoid brushing your hair when it’s wet -- a wide-toothed comb will tease out tangles after swimming and avoid stretching and breaking your strands. And if you must tie your hair up, steer clear of tight elastic bands. Instead, loosely pile hair on top of your head and fasten with a head band or grips, or wear in loose braids instead to avoid sun-brittle hair becoming damaged or broken.