Does your hair lack pizzazz? There’s a quick, easy fix that doesn’t involve much time or money. It’s a mini service called a glaze, and it’s a way to add shine and gloss to your locks, much in the same way that a clear or transparent top-coat on your nails provides dimension and sparkle.

Some glazes are clear, while others contain just enough blonde, brunette or red tones to tweak your own colour a bit. They’re applied at the shampoo sink and penetrate a few minutes before being washed out, or are activated under a hair-dryer, where heat closes the cuticle on the hair shaft so that it lies flat to reflect light.

An easier way to add gloss to your hair is at home with a once-a-week deep-conditioning treatment. If your hair has been chemically altered (coloured, relaxed or permed), choose a conditioner that is designed to counter that with moisturising agents that target damaged sites on the hair shaft. Here’s what we suggest: After a shampoo and towel-dry, apply the conditioner and don a plastic shower cap, which will trap heat from your head and send the ingredients deep within the hair shaft. No less than 15 minutes later -- preferably longer -- remove the cap and rinse out the conditioner. Minus sitting under the dryer and a professional blow-dry, this at-home treatment is as close to a glaze at the salon as you can get. And the price is right!