Few people have the perfect Pantene-commercial hair. Sure, we all try hard to achieve it, buying products from infomercials, drugstores and salons to fix our hair "problems." Who are we kidding? Not even the model in the commercial has perfect hair -- but she does have a team of stylists helping her look close to perfection.

Good thing we found three Indianapolis salons to help us reach hair perfection.

Stylists from DL Lowry Hairspa and Boutique, Full Circle Hair Studio and Elite Images had their way with the coifs of three women to help them fix their individual hair issues.

Deedra McClung, 30

Problem: Dry, brittle hair

"Right now it's summertime, and I swim a lot, so it's dry and it can get brittle. I have some breakage. I like my color, so I need to stay on top of taking care of it."

How she deals with it: "I shampoo and condition, and condition a lot. I try not to put too much heat to it."

Stylist: Nefertiti Reed of Elite Images, 5452 E. Fall Creek Parkway, N. Drive.

Solution: Reed uses a conditioning treatment from the Elumen product line. It seals in the hair's moisture and cuticle, while adding shine and color.

"A lot of people think that your hair has to be damaged, falling out, breakage before you get treatment," Reed said. "Her hair is not to the extreme -- it's kind of in the middle -- so we want to protect it before it gets there."

After leaving in the treatment for about 20 minutes, Reed rinses McClung's hair and blow-dries it straight. She uses a flat iron for shine, and a small amount of smoothing serum.

Result: Stronger, straight, more moisturized hair.

Dawn Nowakoski, 40

Problem: thin, lifeless hair

"I've had it all my life, but the older I get, the more thin and lifeless it becomes."

How she deals with it: "I've gone to hairstylists and asked for, let's see, it started with the Olivia Newton John (style) in '80s. I've asked for the Meg Ryan in the early '90s and the Jennifer Anniston in the late '90s and it never does what they do, and so this is it. I buy every product that is advertised in the magazines that claims it will give me fuller, thicker hair. Nothing has ever worked."

Stylists: Lincoln Weir (color) and David Lowry (cut) from DL Lowry Hairspa and Boutique, 1300 E. 86th St.

Solution: Weir darkens Nowakoski's long blond tresses to a rich brown, with a "halo" of auburn to add "interest" and "texture" to flat hair. "Just so it seems a little fuller than what it actually is," he said.

Nowakoski then puts her hair in the hands of Lowry, who's aware that her husband has requested to keep her hair no shorter than shoulder-length.

Lowry carefully cuts Nowakoski's mid-back-length to a shoulder-sweeping length and adds something she's never had before: thick bangs. "Her hair is very fine, so I've got to be careful as far as the layering I do with it, because I want to achieve a real thick feeling to the hair," Lowry said. "It's very young-looking."

Result: Four hours later, Nowakoski has a much darker hair color and a shorter, shaggier cut.

"The reaction to my hair has been very polarizing," Nowakoski said a few days after her hair makeover. "People either love it because it makes my eyes look super blue or they don't like it."

Katie Snipes, 26

Problem: Thick, unmanageable hair

How she deals with it: "I wear it in a ponytail most of the time because it's just hot and heavy and it's just hard to work with."

Stylist: Lisa Ryberg of Full Circle Hair Studio, 314 Massachusetts Ave.

Solution: Snipes is a low-maintenance hair gal with a wash-and-go mindset. She often trims her own ends, and it has been a year since her hair has been professionally cut.

Ryberg starts by cutting off a good, donatable hunk of Snipes' long, red locks. She adds a few golden highlights to break up the curls, for "more dimension."

"My main goal will be getting rid of some of the bulk and making it more manageable for her," Ryberg said. "Something that if she wants to wear it curly, she can wear it curly and wavy, or if she wants to take a little bit more time she can wear it straight. She'll have a style both ways."

Result: A highly layered cut that places the bulk of Snipes' do on the top of her head, instead of at the bottom, giving her a "lighter" -- and, yes, more perky -- look.