Topping off every polished look Michelle Obama sports is a gleaming crown of carefully coifed, healthy hair. Because textured hair tends to be dry, it’s imperative that African-American women follow these healthy hair care guidelines, says Michelle O’Connor, an ethnic-hair specialist from Hollywood, Fla.

• Quench your hair with moisturizing shampoos and conditioners during weekly washings. Use hairstyling products on a daily basis to keep hair hydrated.
• Wrap hair nightly with a satin scarf to prevent breakage. The friction created when your hair rubs up against your pillowcase is damaging to your locks.
• Refrain from using hot styling tools on a daily basis and apply a heat-protectant product to tresses when you do use a flat iron or curling iron. To maintain waves between sessions with irons, loosely pin curls at night instead.
• Trim hair every six weeks to avoid split ends.

Here’s how you can get four of the first lady’s favorite looks:

Bob It: Michelle’s signature go-to look

• Why it works: Exudes no-nonsense elegance. Adds body because every strand is one length.
• Do the ’do: Start with an even or a blunt haircut that is chin-length or slightly longer. Wash hair and towel-dry. Apply setting lotion to small sections of hair and set in large plastic rollers. Sit under bonnet hair-dryer or allow to air-dry. Remove rollers and apply a dab of hair oil. Gently hold hair dryer over locks with one hand while moving a large round brush underneath curls until only large, uniform waves remain. Los Angeles hairstylist Rosalind Williams likes to finish with a light mist of a high-shine flexible-hold hairspray, like Sebastian Laminates.

Pony Up: The first lady keeps her mane casual when she’s hanging with daughters Sasha and Malia

• Why it works: “A ponytail highlights the beauty of a woman’s face,” according to Johnny Wright, Obama’s hairstylist, “and it can be taken from day to night if it’s done properly.”
• Do the ’do: Gather dry hair, smooth with a hair gloss -- try Oscar Blandi Pronto Gloss Instant Glossing Cream -- and secure with an elastic holder at the nape of the neck. Wrap a strand of hair around the elastic to give the look nighttime elegance.

Whirl the Curls: Michelle’s special-occasion loose and lively wavy bob

• Why it works: “This imparts sex appeal,” says Williams, but it still looks “very classy.”
• Do the ’do: Wash hair. Section, braid and let air-dry. Apply a protectant, like Mizani Thermasmooth Smooth Guard Smoothing Serum. Using a ceramic or tourmaline 1-inch curling iron (gentler, more controlled heat), hold the iron parallel to your head. Starting a couple of inches from your scalp, wrap a 1 1/2-inch section of hair around the barrel (away from your face). Continue wrapping up the barrel until you are holding the ends up against the iron. After curling the entire head, separate the curls in twos and threes with your fingers for even more volume.

Chignon Chic: Michelle’s classically elegant ’do

• Why it works: “This hairdo will never let you down,” says Williams. “It will always stay nice and neat, no matter what you’re doing.”
• Do the ’do: Moisturize freshly washed hair with a daily hair creme like Pantene Relaxed & Natural Daily Oil Cream Moisturizer. Follow instructions for the ponytail (above). Divide ponytail into two parts, then twist them together tightly into a spiral. For a more ornate look, braid the ponytail. Wrap all of the hair in a circular rotation around the ponytail holder and tuck inside holder. For a fuller look, add a weft or hairpiece. Spritz with hairspray.

Photo by Nicola Styles on Unsplash

Did your beauty resolutions for 2014 include a hairstyle makeover? Now’s the time to get, right before spring! Get inspired by some celebrities who have shown off dramatic transformations in the last few months. Here’s a look at some of our favorites.

Jennifer Lawrence

The award for the biggest hair makeover of the year goes to Jennifer Lawrence. When she went from shaggy and shoulder-length to a pixie, she made style headlines worldwide. As Jennifer showed up on talk shows and red carpets for her hit movies The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and American Hustle, we got to examine several versions of her versatile pixie: soft and tousled, waxed and piecey and slicked back into an elegant pompadour. Blockbusters all!

Before                                      After

 

Jennifer Hudson

In November, Jennifer Hudson provided more proof that the pixie is not just a one-note do. She modeled both a natural and a coiffed version of the cut a few days apart. Both were stunning.

Before                                     After

 

Taylor Swift

Late last year, the songstress trimmed her tresses into a long bob and ditched the fringe. When she walked the red carpet at a London gala, we saw an elegant, more sophisticated Taylor Swift.

Before                                     After

 

Reese Witherspoon

She was still Legally Blonde, but by the end of 2013 Reese Witherspoon had cut her blonde locks into a layered, shoulder-length bob. With beautiful champagne highlights, the lob showcased her sparkling blue eyes.

Before                                     After

 

 

Rebecca Romijn

An hour before arriving at a gala hosted by pal Jessica Alba, Rebecca Romijn gave her long hair the chop.  “I felt it was time for a change,” she told InStyle Magazine. “I had a couple of Brazilian blowouts in the last five years, and wanted to get rid of all that. Once in a while, change is good!”

Before                                     After

 

SEE ALSO: Hairstyle Classics: How to Keep your Look From Looking Dated

If you’ve rocked a classic style for a while, beware that even the simplest cuts need to evolve. The dawn of a new decade is a good time to update that hairdo. Take a tip (or two) from stylists and stars who know how to keep a good thing going.   

The Pixie
This ultra-short cut not only accents great cheekbones and jawlines, but it also portrays gamine youthfulness and chic sophistication for any age.

• Vintage Liza Minnelli has made the pixie her signature cut, which she keeps fresh by adding layers and fullness through waves and curls. In her days as Mrs. Frank Sinatra, Mia Farrow made the pixie so enduring that, years later, the boyishly attractive cut helped define the waif movement of the ’90s.
• Modern Today’s pixie vixens, such as Michelle Williams (who looks a lot like Mia Farrow) and Halle Berry, wear their short cuts with a mix of fragility and seduction.
• Keep it fresh Hairstylist Kristen Ess, who counts Rachel McAdams and Amanda Bynes as clients, likes to add a few accessories, such as a pair of narrow headbands, to make the pixie more playful. “You think when you cut your hair off that you are limited to that specific look, but the pixie is very versatile,” says Ess. “You can also use products to give a different look or shape. Pomade can make a matte texture, sort of like a shag carpet. A light-hold gel can make it go elegant and sleek, like Sharon Stone, with a lot of control.”

Long and Sleek
Nothing says “sexy” better than a long, flowing mane of luscious, shiny and thick hair.

• Vintage For Cher, long, shimmering hair has been as much her signature as have her wild Bob Mackie bugle beaded costumes.
• Modern Demi Moore not only has the body of a teenager, but also the flowing, shiny hair to match. The ageless beauty often lets her hair down for big red-carpet events.
• Keep it fresh Great hair requires dedicated upkeep, says Ess, who recommends applying a temporary gloss to hair every six weeks. “It seals down the cuticle and acts like a topcoat for your nails,” she says. Carla Gentile, owner of Steam, a hip salon near Beverly Hills, Calif., says the fast way to update long hair is to add bangs. “You can also get away with a really low side part, like Gisele,” she says.

The Shag
This layered hairstyle has become the chic rebel’s favorite look, if only because a bit of tousled imperfection makes it all the more appealing.

• Vintage Jane Fonda’s shag in Klute made her character tough, scruffy and sexy, and it launched a look that defined the 1970s and beyond.
• Modern Kristen Stewart and Ashlee Simpson have made a long, loose shag a sought-after look, with hair that is black, red or blond.
• Keep it fresh
  Gentile says modern shags don’t hug the head and neck as closely as Fonda’s cut. Longer, looser layers are today’s look. Gentile also suggests experimenting with products that thicken or add texture to make the layers more distinct and chunky.

The Bob
The classic bob endures because it is an easy-care style that radiates sophistication -- or in extreme colors, delivers an ironic, punk twist.

• Vintage The angular bob that silent-film star Louise Brooks wore in the 1920s and ’30s matched the elegant lines of art deco.
• Modern Katie Holmes has worn a variation of the classic bob for the last two years, first with razor-sharp bangs and now with longer, sideswept ones, while Keira Knightley wears her straight and wavy.
• Keep it fresh Wear it a bit longer to look modern, says Ess, adding, “The long bob is called the ‘lob,’ which is an awful word but a gorgeous hairstyle.” Ess also suggests giving the hair a few spiral twists around a 1-inch curling iron to add some wave. “And don’t be too uniform with how you’re curling it,” she says. “You want to break up the curl.” 

Ever wonder whether those hair tricks you’ve heard about really work or if they’re just old wives tales? We’ve separated myths from realities:

One hundred nightly strokes with a hairbrush will make your locks healthier.
Sleeping Beauty may have spent hours brushing her silky tresses, but in real life, excessive brushing causes split ends and hair breakage, says Mauricio Ribeiro, a hairstylist at B2V Salon in West Hollywood, Calif. Don’t lay off the brush altogether, though; a minute of bedtime brushing distributes natural oils from roots to ends, helping you avoid an oily scalp and dry tips. Ribeiro recommends using a paddle brush with synthetic and natural boar's hair bristles for optimal grooming. The nylon bristles grip the hair, and the natural ones impart shine.

A half-inch trim makes your hair grow faster.
This is a common misconception, according to Allen Edwards, hairstylist to such celebs as Brooke Shields and Kirsten Dunst. A trim won’t boost growth; however, it will eliminate split ends. And since the average head of hair grows at a rate of about half an inch a month, it won't take long for the length to return.

Fresh lemon juice plus sun equals natural sun-streaked highlights.
While the juice of a fresh-squeezed lemon will subtly lighten your locks in the sun, the combination of the lemon’s acidity and damaging UV rays will dry out your hair and may even make it brittle enough to break, says Ribeiro. Instead, use an easy brush-in home highlighting kit or have your colorist add subtle highlights. A few streaks placed in the areas where the sun would naturally hit, like the bangs and small pieces around the crown, will create natural-looking sun-kissed tresses. 

Mayonnaise can double as a great deep-conditioning mask.
Yes, the oil, egg yolks and vinegar in mayonnaise will serve as an organic, natural conditioning treatment, says Diana Schmidtke, a Los Angeles-based hairstylist who has worked with George Clooney and Josh Duhamel. Distribute the mayo evenly through your hair with a wide-tooth comb, cover your mane with plastic wrap and leave it in for 15 minutes. To help the mayo penetrate the hair shaft, run a blow-dryer over your hair for the last couple of minutes, making sure not to overheat the plastic wrap. Shampoo immediately afterward.

Sprinkling baby powder on thin, limp locks revitalizes a flat head of hair.
"This is one of the oldest tricks in the book," says Schmidtke. The powder will absorb hair oils and return a bit of volume to your mane. To avoid looking like Marie Antoinette, be sure to use only a pinch of powder. Or check out the aisles at your local beauty supply shop for colored powders.

Pull out one gray hair, and two will grow back.
"The only thing that will make your hair more gray is worrying about the gray you already have," jokes Edwards. In fact, gray hair occurs when melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells in your hair follicles, stop producing pigment. Genetics determine when this will begin to happen. Not a fan of gray? Apply a semipermanent color that lasts for six to 12 shampoos.

A cold rinse after shampooing leaves your hair shiny.
Yes, you can shiver your way to shinier tresses, says Christopher Dove, co-owner of The Doves Studio in Santa Monica, Calif. Cold water flattens the hair cuticle, creating a smoother, more light-reflecting surface. 

Sleeping on a silk pillowcase will decrease hair frizzies and keep your blowout intact.
It can certainly help. “A silk pillowcase won't absorb your hair’s natural oils or mat your hair while you sleep,” says Schmidtke. “So your style will have more staying power.”

As a meteorologist and host on The Weather Channel, Stephanie Abrams braves harsh elements during extreme weather, which suits the self-proclaimed tomboy just fine. “You can’t be a girlie girl,” she says, “especially when you’re covered head to toe in mud. There have been a couple of instances when I’ve seen myself on HDTV after working 36 hours during a hurricane and there’s not much you can do about your makeup or your hair. Basically, it’s me, a baseball cap and a microphone.” 

While Abrams admits there’s no beauty secret that’s totally hurricane-proof, she never leaves the house without applying an SPF on her face, body and lips. A well-styled ponytail can take this brunette through the day into the evening. Her best beauty advice? “If you’re confident and having fun, who cares if you hair’s a little wet?”

Still, when the weather threatens to ruin your look, try these expert, camera-ready tips.

Rain and Thunderstorms
Hair: “If it’s raining, I don’t even bother blow-drying my hair,” says Abrams. “What’s the point if it’s just going to get wet?” West Hollywood-based hair stylist Billy Lowe suggests keeping those natural tresses in check by using anti-humectant products that resist humidity. “That’s where styling creams and pomades come in handy,” says Lowe. “They’ll tame the hair shaft and minimize the frizz.”

Skin: “While you may be tempted to reach for waterproof mascara, it’s no better than regular mascara and can be harsh on your lashes,” says makeup artist and educator Raychel Wade. “Most mascara is already water-resistant, and if you don’t rub your eyes, it will stay put.” Skip the liner and pair mascara with cream eye shadow that comes in a small pot. These shadows are water-resistant, easier to apply than liner, come in a kaleidoscope of colors and have great staying power.

Heat Wave
Hair: When it’s hot and dry, boost the moisture content of your hair with a styling cream, says Lowe, and use a shaping wax to tame static flyaways. Hot and humid? Silicone serums can help smooth your hair and keep it looking polished. Or, opt for a simple updo to keep you cool.

Skin: There’s nothing like perspiration to ruin carefully applied foundation. Wade suggests mattifying foundation to diminish shine and control oil on your T-zone, and a waterproof concealer to keep eye makeup from running. If you still find your skin looking greasy, skip the powder -- adding more makeup will eventually look cakey. Absorb extra moisture by simply pressing a sheet of blotting paper against your skin.

To beat the heat and keep her skin protected, Abrams opts to wear long sleeves and even covers her neck when the temperature hovers in the triple digits. “When I’m in the desert or high heat, it’s unbelievable how much cooler I stay with loose-fitting clothing,” she says. “That way the sun doesn’t directly heat up my skin, because the fabric absorbs the heat first.”

Freezing Temps with Snow Flurries
Hair: Flyaways, a common winter problem, can be tamed with a spritz of hairspray. If you get flathead, pump up the volume with a volumizing mousse. The best defenses against winter’s drying weather, says Lowe, are the right fundamentals: a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. 

Skin: Abrams, who grew up in warm, sunny Florida, still hasn’t gotten used to cold weather. “There have been times when I’m covering a snow storm and my knuckles will split from dryness,” says Abrams. “Recently, in Alaska, my ear lobes began to peel.” Abrams religiously applies a good sensitive-skin moisturizer with SPF all over -- paying special attention to her hands and lobes.

To keep lips from cracking, Wade recommends applying lip balm under your lipstick. It creates a moisture base that will keep the color on longer. When the forecast is sub-freezing temps, swap your powder foundation and blush for a moisturizing base and blush in a stick or cream formula.

High Winds
Hair: When you want something a little more fashionable than Abrams’ baseball hat solution, “Hair waxes can give you a spiky look or give your curls and waves more definition that can hold up to wind,” says Lowe. The thicker the wax, the more control it provides.

Skin: For a rosy-cheek look that complements a windy day, use a tint or stain blush -- powders will likely wear off. These products can be tricky to apply, so try this tip from Wade: Take a pea-size amount of primer or moisturizer, add a couple of drops of tint, mix together and then apply it to the apples of your cheeks. This will give you wearability and durability.