Q Singapore's humid weather is a curse to people like me who love bangs, as they often turn oily and messy after a while (I have combination skin). Is there a way to help my fringe remain dry and retain volume? Hairspray doesn't work for me.

A Here are some tips from Tsuji Yoshiko, creative director of Komachi The Haircult in Liang Court.

Besides focusing on your hair, it is also important to make sure your skin, particularly your forehead, is not too oily. Dusting loose powder and using blotting paper should be enough to keep your skin nice and matte.

For scalp care, use an oil-controlling shampoo to neutralise your oily scalp. Try Simply Zen Normalizing Clay Wash ($22), which contains white kaolin clay to absorb excess oil without leaving your scalp too dry.

To achieve natural volume for a fringe, a good stylist should be able to cut the inner layer shorter than the outer layer. This allows the inner layer to push the outer layer out, making the fringe more 'fluffy and natural-looking', she says.

Using hairspray on your bangs will actually make your hair appear stiff, heavy and unnatural so just stick to blow-drying your fringe. You can also try setting your fringe in large curlers, then applying Urban Tribe 3D ($22) before blow-drying.

This styling product adds body, definition and support to bangs and gives a light, humidity- resistant hold while providing protection against the heat from your hairdryer.

Both products are available from Komachi.

This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times.