Bad times hurting your wallet? Try some cheap homemade hair remedies then. Five popular recipes are put to the test and two doctors - Dr Tan Kian Teo, associate consultant dermatologist at the National Skin Centre, and Dr Eileen Tan, consultant dermatologist at Eileen Tan Skin, Laser and Hair Transplant Clinic in Mount Elizabeth Hospital - evaluate them.

FOR DRY HAIR

Recipe: Mix two tablespoons of vodka, two tablespoons of honey, one egg yolk and the flesh of an avocado. Apply the paste to wet hair. Leave for 30 minutes before washing off with shampoo and conditioner.

What it's supposed to do: Vodka is said to remove the build-up of scalp oils and hair products, honey and avocado moisturise your hair and egg yolk smooths and conditions the hair shafts and scalp.

Karen's verdict: Be prepared to spend time picking out bits of avocado flesh stuck in your hair. Then there is that sticky sweet smell of egg, honey and avocado with a splash of alcohol to put up with.

This deep conditioning mask is extremely moisturising though. It softened my tresses but my normal to oily hair seemed weighed down after the treatment.

Expert view: Dr Tan Kian Teo says: "Your hair probably felt heavy after this mask because of the egg yolk, which has a high protein content, and the avocado, which has high oil and fat content. The fat from the avocado could have coated your hair hence weighing it down, so use this mask only if you have very dry hair."

FOR OILY HAIR

Recipe: Squeeze two lemons in a pint of water. Use this mixture as a final rinse after shampooing your hair.

What it's supposed to do: The lemon juice is said to remove excess oil and residual product from your hair

Karen's verdict: Finally, a hair remedy that smells great. My scalp perked up immediately after being rinsed with the diluted lemon juice.

After my hair dried, I was pleased to discover some additional volume and bounce in my locks. Plus, I enjoyed how my head felt lighter than usual for the rest of the day.

Expert view: Dr Tan Kian Teo says: "Lemon juice is acidic and strips hair of oil and sebum, which is why your hair feels lighter.

"However, hair needs a certain amount of oil to stay healthy and if you remove too much oil from your hair, it will become dry and lose its shine, so do this sparingly.

FOR DULL HAIR

Recipe: Wet dry hair thoroughly with beer. Wring out any excess beer and cover hair with a shower cap. Leave for 15 minutes before washing with your regular shampoo and conditioner.

What it's supposed to do: Beer, which is rich in protein, is supposed to restore shine to dull hair.

Karen's verdict: After my hair had dried completely, my naturally wavy hair was not only shinier but also softer and had a bounce to it. What I didn't like about this treatment was having to put up with the smell of beer and taking twice as long as usual to rinse my hair to get rid of the lingering smell.

Expert view: Dr Eileen Tan says that, in general, the sugars and proteins in beer give hair some body. These adhere to the hair shaft and make the hair a little thicker. However, beer does not have soap or conditioning properties and the residual smell can be a turn-off.

FLYAWAY HAIR

Recipe: Crack an egg open and pour the egg white into a bowl but do not beat it. Use on dry hair to tame flyaway strands of hair or to style your hair the way you would with hair gel.

What it's supposed to do: Act as a substitute for hair gel.

Xinyi's verdict: The gooey consistency of the egg white is perfect as a styling product. It is easy to get some onto your fingers and palms without it dripping all over the place and it really did give my hair a nice sheen and held a tousled look for a good six hours.

However, it was a very hot day and I couldn't help worrying that the egg white would cook. Fortunately, that did not happen, but I would rather stick with gel and not have to stress over whether my scalp will become a hotplate, or worse, drip goo if I were caught in the rain.

Expert view: Dr Tan Kian Teo says: "Egg white, which has proteins, coats hair and that is what makes your hair shiny. Its sticky texture makes it suitable as a hair gel. However, it will probably start smelling bad after a while."

FOR GREY HAIR

Recipe: Make a pot of coffee using very fine espresso beans. Let it cool, then pour it over your hair. Wrap your hair in a towel or wear a shower cap for 40 minutes. Rinse off but don't shampoo for at least 24 hours.

What it's supposed to do: Darken the colour of your hair.

Xinyi's verdict: Using coffee as hair dye sounded like another way to interact with my favourite beverage and, let me tell you, pouring a pot of coffee over your hair is really fun. Plus, it smells a lot nicer than stinky chemical hair dyes. Unfortunately, it didn't really work. My white hair - and I have a lot of it - didn't even turn a pale shade of brown.

Expert view: Dr Tan Kian Teo says: "I don't think coffee is able to stain your hair. The outermost layer of hair, the cuticle, is structured like tiles on a roof to prevent external particles from penetrating. So the coloured particles in coffee were probably unable to penetrate the cuticle."

This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times on Dec 5, 2008.