What bride doesn't want to have great hair for their hairstylist to brag about on their wedding day? Even though you may not be doing your hair on your big day, it's still nice for the stylist to have an easy-to-work with mane that isn't overdried or full of breakage. There are tons of hair care products that claim to reduce the wear and tear that daily conditions put on your hair. While some of those may actually live up to what they say, you are really in control of the majority of damage that your tresses undergo. You ask, "How is that?" Well, my friend, it all comes down to heat exposure. If you are the kind of gal that takes a hot shower every day, followed by blow drying and straightening and/or rolling, chances are you're hair could stand a break.

You may think you have no other options, but you would be surprised to learn there are actually many alternatives if you get creative. Instead of a hot shower, maybe try warm water. From personal experience, I have found that when I rinse my hair with cool water, after about a week, I had fewer dead ends. Next in the process, you could attempt using the cool setting for drying your hair, just be careful with letting the ends of your hair beat in the wind, as this is also very rough on your locks. When it comes to straighteners and rollers, there really is no easy way around it. If you want straight-as-a-board hair, or you just love having that Barbie bounce, you've got to do what you've got to do. I would suggest testing out a few new styles. I have recently discovered that a side braid is very stylish and doable, but I don't have to actually do anything to my hair before braiding it. Another personal favorite of mine is having tousled hair. Some may be afraid of not being able to pull it off, but if you don't try it, you'll never know!

So, don't forget... you have the power! When in doubt about styling or tips, don't be afraid to search the internet. Fifty percent of the world is made up of women. The chances that some of those women are wondering the same things as you are highly possible!

(photo from TheKnot.com)