The three winners -- Jennifer Friedman, Ulrike Vernachio and Margie Schrager -- following their makeovers. (Bruce R. Bennett / Palm Beach Post)

Mom hair.

The term brings to mind permanent ponytails hurriedly pulled together every morning out of convenience and cropped style-less hair cut out of desperation. There are, after all, more important things for moms to worry about than hair.

But the winners of our Mom Hair Makeover Contest wrote to The Post asking for a little professional help courtesy of Anushka Spa & Salon and Shop Smart because they all agreed that even with 15-month-olds or teenagers or even adult children to tend to, looking and feeling good matters to moms, too! Here are the transformations:

Mom: South Olive Elementary School P.E. teacher Ulrike Vernachio, 45, Lantana

Ulrike before

Her family: A son, 9, and daughters ages 13 and 15

Why she entered Shop Smart’s makeover contest: “As a P.E. teacher and marathon runner, my hair with Florida’s humidity did not equal a wonderful result. My thick hair needed some maintenance.”
Her look before: Ulrike’s short style of varying lengths made her hair appear too full.
Her look after: Ulrike’s children accompanied her to the salon for her makeover and were delighted to see stylist, Louis Montenero transform their mom. The family is taking a trip to Sweden soon to visit friends and relatives and Ulrike’s children can’t wait to show off Mom’s new look.

Mom: Jennifer Friedman, 34, Palm Beach Gardens

Jennifer before

Her family: Two girls, ages 9 and 15 months.

Why she entered Shop Smart’s makeover contest: “My hair had absolutely no shape. It was typically always pulled back in a wet pony. It looked frizzy after styling, and I needed a style so I could feel sexy again.”
Her look before: Jennifer had more than an inch of black roots and blonde highlights. “I like to be bold, but my bold highlights left me with the wrong hair color,” she said.
Her look after: Stylist Celeste Salas helped Jennifer achieve a more natural look. Stark highlights were not complimentary. Salas helped Jennifer see that less is more. “We always look best when we take the natural approach,” Salas said.

Mom: Critical care nurse Margie Schrager, 59, Boynton Beach

Margie before

Her family: A daughter 27, and three sons ages 21, 26, and 27. (Yep, bad mom hair habits can begin when the kids are young and continue until the children are old enough to have babies of their own!)

Why she entered Shop Smart’s makeover contest: Margie admits her look was stuck in the ’70s and says the makeover was something she needed for herself.
Her look before: Margie’s hair was orange and damaged from years of neglect. Plus, her nightime work schedule doesn’t leave a lot of time for her to maintain a look she likes.
Her look after: Margie says the results make her feel like a “red hot mamma!”

$50 GIFT CERTIFICATE WINNER!
Sybil Williams, 51, of Riviera Beach is a breast cancer survivor whose short hair is growing out. The mother of three describes her look as “invigorating” because it is a testimony to her journey. Sybil won a gift certificate to Anushka Spa & Salon for bravely sharing her story — and a photo of her Mom Hair-Do!

THE TRANSFORMATIONS
1. Color: Each mom’s hair was treated to enhance her natural hair color. Margie and Ulrike met with colorist James Parlier for a Balayage treatment. Instead of a traditional foil procedure, this highlighting technique involves hand-painted highlights for a natural, sun-bleached result.
2. Styling: The stylist team chopped away split-ends and blow-dried the winners to perfection.
3. Makeup: Margie’s eyebrows were barely visible, so she underwent a layering effect on her eyebrows to enhance the appearance of more thick and healthier eyebrows. They were colored to compliment her new hair color as well.

3 TIPS FROM THE PROS
1. Protect color treated hair from the sun …
Color Specialist, Isabella Mushiev says: ‘Put conditioner in your hair and place your hair in a bun before going out into the sun. This protects your hair color and doesn’t oxidize your hair. The conditioner works as a nourishing treatment while offering protection from the sun.’
2. For salon-style curls …
Stylist, Courtney Kesler says: “Two words: velcro rollers. They give you the flexibility to blow-dry your hair smooth and apply make-up while accomplishing a salon-style look.”
3. It’s all about the eyes …
Makeup Artist and Lashologist, Ellie Malmin says: “Always use the eyes as the main framework to build your make-up. Don’t make the mistake of applying make-up that fails to compliment your eyes.”