hair like straw help!!!!!!

[MrsBucketxx]

any recommendations to help, or some miracle,

my hair looks dull and crap no matter what I do atm.

[youlooklikeaclown]

Hi Mrs B, have you tried washing your hair using conditioner only? HTH

[totallystumped]

Egg for dryness or beer/vinegar just to add shine?

[MrsBucketxx]

no I will try that, youlook

is hair oil any good for it?

[ArtemisKelda]

I've just discovered Aussie dual personality serum, it makes my hair feel really soft. It's for curly hair apparently but is fine on my wavy hair.

[Jammygal]

I am currently loving the tresemme keratin range. I have used shampoo and mask and am impressed. Don't usually like tresemme but have been blown away but how good this new range is 🙆

[HairyLittleCarrot]

do you heat style and/or dye your hair? I stopped both a year ago and my new hair is so different to the dyed/heat styled length.

course it could be said I look an ungroomed mess

but still, the softness and shine is ridiculous.
also second conditioner only washing and oils (pure coconut oil for me)
henna (if you want to be red)
cassia treatments too
apple cider vinegar diluted as a final rinse

all worked for me

[Pumpkinette]

Dry Straw like hair needs protein. Buy a deep treatment mask that is protein rich ( keratin ) or make your own using egg or egg and natural yoghurt or mayonnaise and avocado.

[MrsBucketxx]

mt hair looks like janis joplin if I dont use any heat on it, irs not an option, I love my straight hair too much.

off to boots today, hoping to sort something.

[GeetTallBird]

Conditioner only? Do you put it on your roots as a "wash"?

[StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes]

check out the Brazilian keratin thread, you won't regret it

[EagleRiderDirk]

If you don't want to spend a fortune and have some time try coconut oil. Wash with some baby shampoo, apply coconut oil liberally, cover and leave on for an hour or so, wash out with as little baby shampoo as possible (I apply a little bit of conditioner after just to be able to get a brush through it). I do this once a fortnight and my hair has never been better.

[HairyLittleCarrot]

GeetTallBird, conditioner only washing is less stripping than shampoo. The main ingredient in many shampoos is SLS which is basically what dishsoap, laundry liquid etc has too. This strips the hair so harshly that most people follow up with a conditioner containing silicones, which coat the hair and are insoluble in water. Silicones build up and need stripping off with SLS....wash..rinse..repeat. ..and on it goes.

Some conditioners don't contain silicones and therefore don't need stripping off so the idea is you wash with a runny conditioner in place of shampoo (the bonus is these are usually cheapycheap like Asda or tesco value stuff) using more than you would shampoo and massaging really well into your scalp. don't expect a lather, just a creamy smush. It really does clean your hair, but leaves it moisturised rather than that squeaky dry feeling. Rinse off and use a nicer conditioner on the length (again without silicones) as you normally would.

CO method seems to work best for wavy or curly hair, or hair which is a bit unruly or misbehaved. Stick straight fine hair may feel limp with this method.

I started this because my scalp was getting dry and itchy no matter what shampoo I used and this has been amazing for me. I really regret not making these changes years ago. My hair is the best it's been in years.

[Pancakeflipper]

ooh Hairycarrot my scalp is dry and itchy regardless of what shampoo ( wasted loads of money and got loads of half used bottles). Will try this.

What's the silicone chemical name in the ingredients?

[Pumpkinette]

pancake silicones usually end in cone, conol, xane. Some silicones are water soluable and will have PEG in from of them.

Remember check your styling products to as a lot them contain silicones.

[SoTiredAgain]

Hairycarrot. So you use cheap diluted conditioner to wash your hair and then condition as normal but using non-silicone conditioner for the conditioning part?

Is the conditioner as shampoo also silicone free? And can you recommend a silicone-free conditioner please?

[Pancakeflipper]

Thank you Pumpkinette. Very much appreciated.

Spends tomorrow reading labels.....

[Virgil]

Be wary of the brazilian keratin treatment, there are lots of dodgy ones and some can make your hair worse. Ive had it three times all in salon. The first time it was good but with hindsight not worth the money. second and third times I had it to try to maintain the effect and both times it was rubbish.

I always use a shampoo and conditioner in one to wash with and then a deep conditioner to finish. My hair is very long (good couple of inches below bra strap) and highlighted on the ends with bleach. Always always rinse for much longer than you think you need to and finish with cold water to lay the cuticles flat. Don't use heat stylers and always add some argan oil to finish.

Egg treatment has also worked in the past (but watch the temperature of the water!!).

[MrsBucketxx]

well I used an old favourite, frizz ease miraculous hair treatment and I feel all swishy and lovely this morning.

I looked at the keratin thing, I dont think more chemicals is the answer tbh.

thanks for all the advice

[valiumredhead]

L'Oreal Extraordinary hair oil is fantastic.

[HairyLittleCarrot]

sotired...both conditioners should be cone free, yes, but many cheap conditioners are like tescos own range, the large bottles which come in apple/coconut/raspberry, asda, boots, superdrug own range.

for a richer conditioner Im currently using inecto coconut oil conditioner (not dear from home bargains & smells like vanilla)or naked range sensitive scalp from boots. I'll try to find you a link to some others.

I recommend coconut oil massaged into scalp pre wash too, conditioner removes oils really well. mind you ive not done this in ages as my scalp is completely normal now.

worth a final clarifying shampoo wash to remove residual silicone from your hair before you switch to sls/cone free. and give yourself a couple if weeks for your scalp to adjust to the new method and work out its balance again.

[BerryLellow]

I second coconut oil, the proper virgin stuff.

Rub into dry hair, wrap in cling film or plastic bag, blast with dryer to heat or wrap in towel and sit with it on as long as possible.

Wash out by rubbing shampoo onto dry hair first before wetting.

[AnnOnaMaus]

Argan oil used instead of a serum is aces.

[HairyLittleCarrot]

I can't seem to do links on my phone, but google "conditioner only washing" for more info on the method.
also Google cone free condioners uk as they are often listed on forums, but check the list is recent as manufacturers often tinker with ingredients and pop cones back in again.

[Pumpkinette]

No problem pancakeflipper. You will become one of these nutters like I am that spends 50 minutes in the shampoo isles reading the ingredients lists. and therefore have security follow you around the shop

Superdrug are particularly bad at sticking the security stickers over the ingredients lists so you might have to pull them off to read the bottle and get strange looks from people who assume your trying to steal it

On the otherhand Bodyshop are great and will look up the full details of ingredients on their computer if you ask or let you behind the counter to read the 6 pages worth yourself (they have the stupidly small peel back labels on their bottles)

[rockybalboa]

Frizzease does the trick for me on the straw like front and my hair is straight.