If you’ve ever been baffled by all the different styling aids on the shelves and wondered which ones you actually need, you’re not alone. “Any time someone finds out I’m a hairstylist, I end up surrounded by women with questions about products,” says Lisa Chiccine, owner of the Lisa Chiccine Salon in New York City. Here, Chiccine and David Rhys of Jet Rhys Salon in San Diego look beyond the label to demystify what’s inside the bottle.

Hair Spray
“It will put a nice hold on an elaborate style and lock in a look,” says Rhys. “It also helps refresh a look throughout the day.” Be aware that different types of hair sprays, such as flexible and maximum hold, deliver very different results. Higher-octane sprays (generally in aerosol form) are going to give you longer-lasting, stiffer hold and volume while locking out humidity. A flexible spray (in plastic bottles or aerosol cans) gives you more control and hair that still feels soft to the touch.

Style benefit: Hold, control, volume
Best for: All hair types and styles
How much to use: One to two pumps applied wherever you want to achieve hold. With sprays, you can be generous since they will disperse evenly
How to use: Hold bottle several inches from head to get even distribution, and spray on dry hair

Thickening Spray/Root Booster/Volumizer
“Before a blow-dry, this will give your hair body that will sustain itself all day,” says Rhys. 

Style benefit: Volume
Best for: Fine or straight hair
How much to use: Apply one to two pumps per section
How to use: Spray at the root and work into scalp with fingertips, then mist once over the rest of your hair

Texturizing Spray
“A texture spray makes hair stick together,” explains Chiccine. “You don’t want to see clumps, so less is more.”

Style benefit: Defines waves, curls and reduces frizz and flyaways
Best for: Wavy, curly and/or thick hair
How much to use: Five to six spritzes
How to use: Spray damp hair evenly from mid-shaft to ends of hair, then scrunch

Styling Cream/Styling Lotion/Curl Cream
“These are light and versatile and amazing as blow-drying aids for that non-product feel,” says Rhys. “They are also wonderful finishing products to show off layers and movement.”

Style benefit: Definition and separation
Best for: All hair types, but especially good for short, layered and curly hair
How much to use: A nickel-sized blob for creams, and two to three pumps for lotions/liquids
How to use: Work through hands, then run evenly all over damp or dry hair

Wax
“This is the heaviest product there is,” says Chiccine. “It takes just the tiniest amount of wax to create texture, and it’s best-suited for thicker hair.”

Style benefit: Texture, piecey look, spikiness
Best for: Thick hair, especially shorter pieces
How much to use: A baby pea-size dab
How to use: Spread between fingers, then pinch onto the ends of hair

Gel
“Ideal for short cuts, gel is good to mix with paste for a defined style that’s not sticky,” says Chiccine.

Style benefit: Volume, hold, control, texture
Best for: All hair types, but especially short styles
How much to use: A nickel-sized dollop
How to use: Apply evenly to damp hair

Mousse
A hair care staple for years, mousse has come a long way. “Like gel, it’s evolved into touchable, brushable, non-flaking goodness,” Rhys says. There are different formulations (some thicker and some lighter) to help you achieve different looks -- lift at the roots, all-over thickness, curl definition, tousled “scrunched” waves.

Style benefit: Volume, hold, definition
Best for: All hair types, but especially thin or fine hair
How much to use: A golf ball-sized dollop
How to use: Apply evenly to wet hair

Shine Serum
“Everyone needs shine,” says Chiccine. “Serums seal the cuticle layer to deliver maximum sheen, which is great for sleek looks.”

Style benefit: Shine, curl control, heat protection|
Best for: All hair types, but especially frizzy or coarse hair
How much to use: A pea-sized dab. Too much will make even clean hair look dirty and weighed down,” says Chiccine
How to use: Rub between fingers and run over wet or dry hair from midshaft to ends

Frizz Cream
“If you dislike the syrupy texture of serum, try the creamier, weightless version known as frizz cream,” says Chiccine.

Style benefit: Same as a serum but lighter and less likely to weigh down hair
Best for: All hair types, but especially frizzy or coarse hair
How much to use: Start with a pea-sized dab and add more as needed
How to use: Rub between fingers and run over wet or dry hair from midshaft to ends

Photo: @iStockphoto.com/Squaredpixels

Resolved: You’re going to show off your most beautiful skin and gleaming hair in 2012. And you don’t need to overhaul your entire beauty regimen or invest in a ton of new products to achieve this. Just launch the new year with these seven simple steps.

1. Make sure your daily skin-care regimen includes the three essentials: a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher; an antioxidant serum or lotion with ingredients like vitamin C, green tea or coffeeberry; and a wrinkle-reducing retinol cream or gel. “The antioxidant and sunscreen will defend and protect your skin during the day,” says New York City–based dermatologist Linda K. Franks, “and the nighttime retinol will switch your skin to the offensive mode, producing new cells and collagen to keep your complexion looking young.”

2. Cleanse your skin every single night -- late Saturday nights and stressful weeknights included. Going to sleep with the day’s accumulation of grime, dead skin cells and makeup clogging your pores can lead to the growth of acne bacteria and “those nasty big red craters,” says Adam Friedman, director of dermatologic research at New York City’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

3. Practice good skin hygiene. If you find yourself breaking out on the side of your face where you hold your cell phone, switch to an earpiece or clean your phone with an oil-free wipe once a day to make sure you’re not transferring grime to your skin. Plus, be mindful of not touching your skin when you’re eating greasy food, like French fries or pizza. “It may not be the oils you’re ingesting that are causing breakouts,” says New York City–based dermatologist Jody Levine, “but the oils that you’re introducing to the surface of your skin with your fingertips.”

4. Choose products that are the perfect match for your skin and hair. Beauty and hair-care companies now offer lines that are formulated specially for specific skin and hair types. Take advantage of these. The acne wash that has helped clear up your best friend’s breakouts may leave you flaky if your own skin tends to dry out easily. Likewise, the ingredients that help keep medium or thick hair frizz-free can weigh down finer locks. The right hair products will not only make styling easier, but also help protect your hair against damage, such as split ends or color fading, says Jeni Thomas, a research scientist on hair and scalp health for Pantene.

5. Baby your tresses. Use a wide-tooth comb to get the tangles out of wet hair. Cut down on the brushing; those mythical 100 strokes a night can actually lead to breakage and split ends. If you wear your hair in a ponytail, use seamless elastics and ease -- don’t rip -- the elastic out when you take your pony down.

6. Cool it with hot styling tools. Switch to a lower setting when you use flat irons, curling irons and hair-dryers. “Some high settings can exceed the boiling point of water,” says Thomas, “and may be far hotter than you need to achieve your style.” Always use a heat-protectant spray, and if your hair is looking scorched, consider moisturizing versions of your favorite shampoo and conditioner.

7. Dye your hair, without killing it. If you color your hair, choose a shampoo and a conditioner that are designed especially to restore the health of chemically treated hair. Bleach can be especially tough on hair, so if you’re going lighter, focus on roots rather than pulling the color through the entire length of your strands every time you need a touch-up. Whether you color your hair in your bathroom or at the salon, it’s best to stay within a couple of shades of your natural color. Be cautious about chemically straightening your hair if you already color it. Instead, consider a cut that works with your hair’s natural texture and use products, rather then chemical treatments, to smooth your locks.

If you love the look of your hair when it’s shiny, glossy and straight, you might be saving up for an in-salon keratin straightening treatment, or tried one already. At a cost of $200 to $500, these treatments promise to turn even the frizziest, most unruly manes into manageable sleek locks, with results that last for months.

But recent headlines have warned of the hazards of these treatments. It turns out that formaldehyde fumes from the smoothing ingredients, which are sealed into the hair with a flatiron, can cause lung, eye and skin irritation. This is true, government investigations found, even of treatments that are advertised as being formaldehyde-free. That’s led some stylists to don gas masks while providing smoothing treatments and to offer masks to their clients as well.

OK, so this news might hit you like the blow of learning that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny aren’t real. But don’t despair. Some simple shower-to-sidewalk steps will help you achieve smooth, shiny hair -- without putting your health at risk.

1. Pick the right shampoo and conditioner. Sun, heat-styling, chlorinated water and chemical styling processes leach protein from hair and make curly hair especially difficult to manage or style straight, says Lindsey Watts, an educator for Empire Beauty Schools. Shampoos and conditioners that are protein-enhanced temporarily smooth the outer portion of the hair fiber, making strands glossier and more manageable, says Dr. Jeni Thomas, a senior scientist with Pantene’s research and development team. Look for products that are labeled acid- or pH-balanced; many contain hydrolyzed keratin.

2. Be gentle with wet hair. Curly hair is especially fragile when it’s wet, so blot -- don’t scrub -- hair with a towel to dry. Keep in mind that those super-plush towels that feel so good against your wet skin aren’t the best choice for blotting your hair. The makers of CURL-ease, a completely flat towel, point out that strands of hair can get caught in the loops of regular terry towels, leading to frizz. You might want to invest in a towel designed for drying hair. Some are made of microfibers that whisk water away quickly, cutting drying time.

4. Detangle with care. Use a wide-tooth comb to gently separate curls. Finer hair may require a leave-in conditioner or detangling product, while thicker smoothing creams and straightening lotions often work best on coarser, curlier hair, says Domingo Serquinia, co-owner of the Paint Shop Beverly Hills salon in Los Angeles.

5. Practice healthy heat habits. To minimize heat damage, coat locks with a thermal protection product, allow to partially air-dry, then blow hair completely dry. Be patient; use clips to divide your hair into several sections and then place a round boar-bristle brush under a 3-inch section of hair. Attach a condenser nozzle to your dryer and hold so the airflow aims downward to smooth, not ruffle, the cuticle. Before releasing the brush, hit the “Cool” button on your dryer. “Letting the dried hair cool while it’s still held tightly in the brush will help set the smooth, shiny style in place,” says Thomas.

6. Add a spritz of shine. Spray your hairbrush or your palms with a shine spray and run it lightly through your hair. If you apply the spray directly to your hair, you’ll likely get too much product on your locks, and that extra moisture could lead to frizz.

Photo: @iStockphoto.com/anouchka

Some women are blessed with hair that goes from wet to wonderful without any help at all. For the rest of us, only professional intervention seems to tame our manes. The good news: With practice, patience and some expert instruction, it’s easy to recreate a professional-looking blowout at home.

Here is a step-by-step guide to getting sleek, polished tresses on your own.  

1. Gather the right tools You’ll need a wide-tooth comb; a hand mirror; styling products; a blow-dryer with a nozzle; a round, ventilated bristle brush; and six hinged hair clips.

2. Gently blot hair with a towel Vigorous rubbing can create frizz and tangles.

3. Apply styling product Steve Lococo, who teaches blow-drying classes at his Borelli salon in Beverly Hills, Calif., suggests using a leave-in volumizing or lifting spray on the roots to give lift to limp hair. If your hair is wavy or medium-bodied, also apply an anti-frizz serum or other anti-humectant product from roots to ends. 

4. Blow out the excess moisture until hair is about 80 percent dry Concentrate heat at the roots and don’t try to control individual strands. If your hair tends to become limp or flat, add volume by bending over while drying. 

5. Section the front Lococo suggests beginning with an arch that spans the top of your head, running from ear to ear. Part that hair horizontally, creating two sections. Coil each section into a rope and secure with a hair clip.

6. Section the back Working from top to bottom, draw three horizontal parts across the back of your head from ear to ear; coil and secure all but the bottom section.

7. Wrap hair around a round brush As you wrap, pull hair at a taut 45-degree angle to your head and finish drying your hair completely. Begin with the loose bottom section in the back and continue working from back to front. Point the blow-dryer nozzle at an angle to aim air across the surface of strands and into the brush.

8. Subdivide the tough sections In areas where hair is thick or especially wavy, separate the larger sections into smaller ones that will dry faster and be easier to handle.

9. Check your work in a hand mirror Look for still-damp or unruly strands. Repeat the drying process, allowing hair to set by cooling momentarily on the brush before unwinding.  

Advanced Tips

• Use a natural bristle brush, suggests John Doucette, director of student salons for Empire Beauty Schools. The gentle boar bristles prevent hair damage and help smooth the cuticle, a process that enhances shine.

• If you make your part on the side, dry it with your hair parted in the center, suggests Muriel Mastey, who leads Hair Bootcamp classes at her West Hollywood, Calif., salon, Point de Vue. The switch helps keep hair from falling flat.

• Keep the nozzle at least an inch away from the hair to avoid heat damage.

• Use your hair dryer’s “cool shot” feature to finish each piece with a blast of cooler air and “set” the curl.

• Unwinding the hair with a twist of the brush instead of pulling it out straight results in smoother, shinier hair with a bit of wave.

• To help your blowout last longer, Mastey suggests using a root lifter or amplifier at the start of the blow-drying process. The product can help lift hair slightly from the scalp, where body heat and perspiration may flatten it or add frizz.

• If you’ve achieved that straight-smooth look, a light mist of hair spray can help prolong the shiny perfection of your blowout. But be warned, if there’s any frizz in your hair, hair spray will preserve that too.

Bad hair days can drive you to distraction -- or at the very least, to the nearest hat department. We went to celeb stylists for advice on dealing with some of the peskiest problems. Here are their top tips on how to rehab your locks.

Frizz
“Start fighting frizz in the shower by using a hydrating shampoo and conditioner,” says New York stylist Kevin Mancuso, a favorite of Demi Moore’s. “Hair expands when it’s exposed to water, as it is on a humid day, but well-hydrated hair is less likely to drink up the moisture that’s in the air.” Use a silicone-based styling product to help seal the hair cuticle and lock moisture in.

If the frizz has already taken hold, you can still benefit from a silicone serum. Rub a dime-sized amount in your palm and smooth over the surface of your hair to add shine and deflate poof. Also, avoid brushing curly hair once it’s dry. 

Flyaways
A few simple steps will help you avoid the wind-tunnel look. “Often, when people blow out their hair, they over-dry it, causing flyaways,” explains Boston stylist Mario Russo, known for styling the locks of Natalie Portman and Caroline Kennedy. “Add a small amount of a moisturizing leave-in conditioner to your hair while it’s still damp, concentrating on the ends, which tend to be more dried out. Then blow-dry the hairline and crown first to get them smooth, aiming the nozzle down the hair shaft.” Keep the air in a downward flow as you dry the rest of your hair. It's important to get all the moisture out to avoid frizz, but stop as soon as your hair is dry to the touch underneath as well as on top, to avoid breakage.

A straightening iron can also help smooth flyaways -- when used correctly. “Always apply a heat protectant first: A hydrating spray is ideal,” says Russo. “Use minimal tension and round the ends in. Finish off with a styling cream or silicone serum to smooth down wayward strands.” Stash a travel-size serum in your bag to tame errant hair on the go. A dab before donning a chapeau will also help with hat hair gone wild.

Too-short Bangs
Got a little scissor-happy? While you can’t speed up hair growth, you can make the process more bearable. “Try sweeping your bangs to the side,” suggests MariLynne Mele, of Blow, a New York City salon that specializes in blowouts for a high-end clientele. “Blow-dry your bangs down with a comb to achieve maximum length, then lightly go over them with a rounded brush. Giving the ends a bend will ensure they don't bounce up, and impart a soft, naturally wispy look.” Luckily, headbands are tres chic these days too.

Over-processed Hair
Too many chemical treatments and your hair can end up looking -- and feeling -- like corn husks. Celeb stylist Ted Gibson, who helps get Anne Hathaway and Debra Messing ready for their photo shoots, offers this advice: “Getting a haircut, even a trim, will instantly cut off damaged ends and give you a fresh new look. Be sure to do a deep-conditioning treatment once a week as well.”

Mele recommends making your own treatment cocktail. After washing your hair, use a deep-conditioning mask mixed with about two pumps of shine serum. Apply, wait ten minutes, then rinse. It will give those dry, broken hairs extra shine and some weight to keep them down.

Roots
It’s one of the great mysteries of life how you can go to bed with perfectly fine color and wake up the next day with half-inch roots. To tide you over until your next dye job, New York City colorist Jason Backe -- a favorite with beauty editors -- recommends this trick: “Hide gray by using eye shadow or mascara on the roots and setting it with hair spray. Both shadow and mascara are available in shades from light brown to black, which will work for all shades of brunette.” 

It’s harder for blondes to get away with this. They’re better off trying one of the new at-home hair-coloring kits designed solely for root touch-ups. Match the color as closely as possible to the rest of your hair. Finally, no matter what’s at the root of your problem, changing the location of your part will help hide the telltale signs.