Before you get all worked up about adding another to-do to your beauty routine, think about it: You style your hair every day (or nearly every day, minus the occasional sweaty post-Spin bun), yet you rarely give your conditioner enough time to really soak into your hair, let alone remember to spray on heat protector before scorching it with a 400-degree heat tool. And you don't think twice about bumping up your highlights appointment. Just like skin, hair needs regular maintenance to look healthy. "It's very important to me that all of my clients do a deep conditioning treatment once a week," says Lona Vigi, a Nexxus celebrity stylist based in Los Angeles. "And if their hair is more damaged, I say a couple of times a week." Even if you're all I don't need to waste my time—my hair is so healthy, Vigi disagrees: "No matter what, you need to replenish," she adds. "Your hair is going to be smoother, it's going to rebuild, it's going to look healthier."

Here, five ways to get the most out of your hair mask:

Apply it pre-workout

Because lets face it, what's a girl supposed to do in the shower for 10 minutes while the hair mask soaks in? Vigi suggests slightly dampening your pony, then comb through the treatment, braid it and wrap it in a bun. Then head to your sweat session and rinse post-workout. "As you work out, your body heat allows it to penetrate more," she says.

Use it before shampoo if your hair is really damaged

"If hair is extremely dry and damaged from excessive bleaching or chemical processes," says Vigi, "I'll coat dry hair evenly with a treatment before I shampoo, so there is a slight shield that protects the ends, which are usually especially damaged."

Always use a comb to apply it

Even though, yes, your fingers make a rake shape, it's not the same as actually combing it through your hair. "A comb guarantees that the ingredients are coating every strand—not just the top layer," says Vigi.

Do it before a big event

Although the panic of "I have crazy breakage all over and I want my hair to look killer" sets in on the day of (a wedding, date, you name it), that's exactly when you don't want to get all beauty do-gooder. "If you want to wear a fancy style that has shape and needs to stay in place, I wouldn't recommend doing a hair mask day-of. It could make your hair too soft and it won't hold the style as well," explains Vigi, who recommends applying a mask one to three days prior to get the shiny, stellar hair effect.

Look for strengthening proteins

Natural oils (such as babassu, argan, and shea) are great for hair (they provide much needed hydration and often have a small molecular weight that can penetrate the hair shaft), but sometimes hair needs more than moisture. Enter: proteins, the building blocks of hair, which can degrade from abuse. Look for a mask that will help replenish lost protein inside of your hair to help strengthen it from the inside out. "Protein is a key component of both hair and skin," says Vigi, who suggests Nexxus Therappe Humectress Replenishing Masque. "If you use it regularly, it is going to help your hair look better."

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Hellin Kay