Walking down the hair care aisle in your local pharmacy or Wal-Mart can make you wonder, "Can there possibly be this many hair products in the world?" Apparently yes, but the real question should address which ones really work, or more specifically, which ones will work for you.

Every woman wants to have hair that complements her features, brightens her face, and makes her look youthful. On top of that, we want hair management routines that fit our lifestyles and our budgets.

Sometimes, a new hair product will be unveiled surrounded by so much buzz that you feel like you just have to try it. While buying and trying new hair products can be a fun experience, it can also lead to much waste. Some of us have years-old bottles, jars and cans of product in our bathroom cabinets that were probably best left on the store shelf.

Does Pricey Equal Pretty?

If you want to make smart hair care choices, you have to know your hair type, your needs, and your preferred style. You also have to know how much you can spend. Hair stylists love to pitch their pricey salon brands to clients, and the costs of these can add up very quickly. Even when buying hair products from a pharmacy chain, you can still run into "special" brands that cost five times more than their counterparts and promise to make you look like you just stepped off the red carpet. Are these products actually better? Most studies done on the subject say they aren't. You can usually get the same or similar results from a bargain brand hair product as from one sold at salons.