Many minutes of their daily grooming ritual go to styling her hair. For some, it's just a quick blow-dry, brush and they are done. Others would require tools like a hair iron to keep their hair straight for the whole day. Others use hair accessories to keep their hair in place.

First, here is a brief background on hair. Hair is a thread-like biomaterial which grows from follicles. These follicles are located in the dermis of the skin. Hair is primarily made up of a protein called keratin. Only mammals have hair and this is one of the characteristics that set them apart from other animals. Humans are covered with hair all over their body but it is most noticeable on the head. A head of healthy hair is an indicator of good health and vitality. There have been scientific studies that males prefer females with long and shiny hair because of evolutionary purposes. Women with healthy hair will bear healthy offspring.

A person's hairstyle can be a hint if he or she belongs to a group or subculture. Punks wear their hair in various styles, usually in a Mohawk or completely shaved. Hippies and heavy metal music lovers wear their hair long (and sometimes uncombed). Rastafarians have their hair in dreadlocks.

Most women like to fix their hair using different hair accessories. These can be made from various materials such as plastic, metal or fabric. They can also have real precious gems or faux stones (like cubic zirconia), beading or other embellishments. There are different kinds of accessories for different kinds of hair types (long hair, short hair, cropped, with or without bangs, etc). They can be classified into:

Headbands: Headbands can be made from plastic, metal, fabric or elastic and available in many colours and designs. It runs on top of the head, from ear to ear. It can also be used to keep the bangs pulled back away from the eyes and face. Headbands that are shaped like a horseshoe is sometimes called Alice bands after the main character of Alice in Wonderland. Some headbands can have bows on them. These bows can be made from rhinestones for the pretty sparkly effect. Some horseshoe-shaped headbands can have the rhinestones running the entire length of the band. Some can have effects on them like a plait that runs from side to side of the head.

Barrettes or hair clips: Barrettes, hair clips or hair pins are pins or clasps that keep hair in place. It is usually used to pull back bangs and to frame the face. Because of its size it cannot hold back a large amount of hair; it is advisable to use them as decorative pieces. Hair clips can be made from plastic or metal and is available in different sizes. Smaller ones are usually used to pull back the bangs, frame the face or use in accompaniment to big hair clips. Small and medium-sized hair clips made of metal usually have embellishments on them and are great to wear on formal occasions. They are usually studded with rhinestones, shiny beads, and pearls. Large hair clips, sometimes known as beak hair clips are great for pulling back a great amount of hair. They can come in different colours and designs.

Hair comb: Hair combs are ornamental hair accessories. These are held in place by teeth; the more teeth in the comb, the more secure it will be in your hair. Hair combs are made from a number of various materials like wood (cherry wood or boxwood), metal or plastic. Tortoiseshell and ivory were once used but they can be very expensive and not friendly to the environment. Hair combs not only keep the hair neat, they can also be used to keep other accessories such as mantilla (a veil popular with Spanish women, usually worn in church) or a wedding veil. Using a hair comb for the brides hairstyle can add a vintage feel to the wedding. Hair combs come in different sizes, ranging from small to medium to large. They can also have a lot of decorations, among which are small coloured crystals, rhinestones and pearls.

Elastics: Also known as ponytail holders, they are made from stretchy elastic. Scrunchies, elastics usually covered in fabric are popular ponytail holders. Some elastics are plain but are available in different colours and some are black with some decoration on it, made from coloured crystal beads and rhinestones. Elastics are perfect for keeping hair in place with minimum effort.

Whatever hair accessory you choose for your hair, you can be assured of looking neat as a pin throughout the day. Having neat and well-groomed hair can uplift one's mood because really, nobody wants to have a bad hair day.