The simple answer is no, you can't; you might be able to mask them, but you won't be able to fix them. Once the cuticle has frayed, nothing will stick it back down permanently.

Products that claim to mend split ends really only temporarily smooth them so that they look better for a while. If your hair grows slowly and you don't want to trim it regularly, you're going to have to put up with a bit of damage.

Hairstylist Jeanette says this is one of the facts about long hair: "You can use the best products and treat it very gently, but regular wear and tear will result in some split ends. Just don't leave them too long, because the hair will split further and further up the hair shaft and you'll eventually need to cut off even more."

2. I can't seem to keep any lip colour on my lips. Whether I wear lipstick or lipgloss, it wears off in no time. Please can you help?

Keeping colour on your lips involves a few tricks, and, if all else fails, there are a few new products that might solve the problem.

Waxy products are soft and tend to "lift" off very quickly. The matte formulations stay on longer, but these might leave your lips feeling dry, so first apply a lip balm, blot off any excess, then apply your lip colour. Pressing a little loose powder onto your lips between coats if you have the time can also help.

What does work wonders is if you line and fill your lips in with lipliner, then apply your lipstick over this. The lipliner, due to its harder formulation, stays on longer, so even when your lipstick "lifts", you still have colour on your lips.

3. I love to walk barefoot in summer but my feet end up looking a mess. I don't have a lot of time to spend on them. Can you give me some tips for quick care?

Walking barefoot after your feet have been cosseted in shoes all winter will result in a build-up of dead skin cells as the skin tries to protect itself. The only way to remove excessive dead skin that is safe to do yourself is with a pumice stone or gentle exfoliator.

Get into the habit of giving your feet a quick once-over every night in the bath or shower and you should be able to keep it under control. The most important thing to do is to keep this skin supple. If the skin builds up and is brittle, it will crack, resulting in painfully sore feet that take a long time to heal.

Religiously apply cream every night. If you can't manage a pedicure yourself, a monthly visit to the salon for a pedicure in summer is well worth the effort and cost.

Products to try: Feet First Softening Foot Butter with mint, lavender and cocoa butter (150ml about R20,95) and Feet First Rough Skin Remover with mint, apricot granules and apricot kernel oil (125ml about R18,99).

4. How do I get my skin to look dewy without looking oily?

A dewy skin starts with the most basic skincare: what you eat. Luminous skin requires a balanced diet and sufficient water intake. Following on from this is your skincare routine ­- if you spend just a little time on your skin every day, you'll reap the benefits. Exfoliate at least once a week to remove dead cell build-up. Day creams that contain light-reflecting particles can also make your skin appear more radiant -­ they soften the way light reflects from your skin.

A dewy complexion does need to be kept in check -­ don't expect to get through a very warm day without a little blotting or loose powder. Choose a light-reflecting powder, and only use powder where you look excessively shiny. Or, if you prefer, blot lightly with a tissue or a blotting sheet to lift any excess oil.

5. I love textured beach hair. What is the best way to get this texture to look natural?

Textured hair is such a hot look for summer that you're probably going to go out of your way to get it. If your hair is dead, dead straight, I'm afraid that, unless you really take time with it, it's not going to look natural.

Setting your hair in a few large curlers gives your hair uniform, large waves, which don't look very natural. The key to natural-looking waves and texture is to get them looking uneven.

The easiest way to do it is to spritz your hair with a texturiser, section it into irregular-sized pieces, twist them and pin them into little "buns". These should be left for at least an hour or two, or even better, sleep with them in. When you unroll them, do it gently and pull through some serum to reduce frizz.

If the waves are too tight, gently go over them with a hairdryer on a low setting to drop the curl. Don't overdo it, though, or you'll lose all your hard work.

Need some more help? Why not ask our Beauty Expert a question.