Daily washing and styling can do a number on your hair - leaving it dry, brittle, and dull. To keep hair healthy and gorgeous, give your hair a vacation from styling with these easy tips:

• Don't blow dry your hair for an entire week if you can, or blow it dry only for special occasions.

• Wash your hair only every three days, if possible. Try braiding your hair the night of the second day - when you unbraid it the next morning it will be a mass of loose curls. Or put conditioner on the ends of your hair and put it in a bun before going to bed. By the next morning your hair will be wavy. Curly or coarse hair will benefit most from infrequent washing because the cuticle is easily raised when washed, which can make hair appear dry and dull. On days between washing, spritz hair with water to reactivate whatever product you already have in. Adding more products will only weigh hair down and make it appear dull.

• After washing hair, wrap it in a towel for 10 minutes. When you remove the towel, your hair will be half dry and fall into clumpy waves. Let it air-dry and apply a dab of styling cream.