Frizz-ease, dismal failure for me

[clucks]

I first tried this a few years ago and it didn't work. After all the recent TV commercials and being a total suckerrr (and mumsnetter's recommendations) I bought some more.

Cost me over 6 quid for a ridiculously little bottle (I even got extra-strength). and I'm still FRIZZY. Admittedly, I do have hay for hair but I have had better products for far less cash. Just wanted to warn fellow frizz-balls of my recent experience. Will be trying kerastase curly head or something I saw advertised in shop window. You may note the effect of advertising on simple, homebound souls like me.

my best mate has a big frizz ball afro.I think its smashing..but she hates it...she swears by some Australian product.I..gets it shipped over...I'll try and find out its name if you want.

clucks, I spoke to a trichologist recently who said that frizzy hair (we were talking afro, really) can be best managed by using a 2 in 1, THEN a conditioner...just a thought.

Clucks - I've found it to be really good. Use the heat protecting spray and the wind down cream which both last for ages. Then (and this is the bit I really hate) blow dry it straight. If I'm too tired I can't be arsed to do this everytime but it does make all the difference. Otherwise, I look like Jim Kerr (now)

And of course the best must have gadget for hair at the moment is a set of ceramic hair straighteners. They are unbelievably fantastic! I have annoying, fluffy hair with a kink (as my mother used to say) and if I don't blow dry it, it dries into a Crystal Tips arrangement, otherwise known as the "dragged through a hedge backwards" look. 5 minutes with a set of ceramic straighteners, and I look like I have "Rachel from friends" hair... Seriously the most amazing hair gadget I have ever had! Even hairdressers don't bother blow drying hair straight and smooth anymore!

Having a hairdresser as a best mate means I can't take any of the products on telly seriously anymore! Most of it is complete tosh, or only works if you use the correct styling technique (which most of us can't do without the aid of a hairdresser!)

Oooh, that's put me off the Frizz-Ease I bought 'cos it was 3 for 2 in Boots. It seems to be working OK so far (2 days worth) but I find it's very strange to put the stuff on when your hair's soaking wet. I've found the best stuff is Sebastian - Potion 9 is a great leave in conditioner & their Moulding Mud smells just gorgeous. It's really expensive though, & quite hard to find. Where we live there are loads of Afro beauty places so I tend to see what they've got. And another good brand is Twisted Sista by Urban Decay - funky packaging. Not that I'm obsessed with curly hair products, you understand...

Agree about hair starighteners being a complete godsend. Was in New York once and we had a bag stolen. The thing that upset me most was that my hair straighterners were in it!

One of the best products is Andrew Collinge "no kinks straightener". It only costs between £3-£4.I bought it at Tesco's months ago as a buy one get one free.It is amazing and lasts quite a while,better than Frizz ease as I find that to be sticky.

Tinker :D

Oops - supposed to be a

Snickers, totally agree on the ceramic hair straighteners. The difference between them and the bog standard type is amazing. I also find that Aveda's straightening cream (can't remember what it's called) works wonders.

Frizz-ease does nothing for me either. I've been using Andrew Collinge leave-in conditioner for a while, which seems to calm my frizz, but I can't find it in the shops any more. The only leave-in conditioner I could find that isn't a spray is an Alberto V05 - does anyone use any other leave-in conditioners?

I've never come across hair straighteners before - what do they look like and how do they work?

I admit that the sebastian orange stuff gave me tumbling curls without frizz when I was man-hunting years ago. Trouble is I don't know how to blow-dry or use straighteners. Unfortunately, afro hairdressers can't do my hair because it's not been chemically treated, they hate my type of hair. The Greek/Italian hairdressers can blow-dry me in about 10 minutes but I'd have to go to Kensington or Greenlanes or somewhere for that.

Two questions:

Where do you get those ceramic straighteners from and do they burn your hair, are they easy to use? (several questions actually, sorry)

Also, the urban decay and andrew collinge do you get them from space nk or somewhere, I'm too heavily pregnant to travel into central london at the mo.

Bells, I did use aveda but no real success. It seems that natural stuff is wasted on me.

I got mine from salon-collective.co.uk but be warned, they cost around £80 (compared to around £20 for the standard model). They are essentially like a pair of tongs with two flat plates and you simply plug it in, wait for it to heat up and then pull your hair through it. The ceramic plates are supposedly better for your hair than steam models but I would have thought that any direct heat is not good. My hair is kinky rather than curly and exceptionally thick with a tendency to frizz. Not sure how well they'd work on curly hair.

I too suffer from the frizzies and now only buy my shampoo and conditioner from my hairdressers which makes alot of difference. Although you pay a bit more £8.00 for each you don't need to use too much and the results are much better. I'm currently using Redken products and there is a serum (which I've run out of) put it on when your hair is wet then blow dry or another one which you put on after blow drying - both good.

Bells2 - I have a friend with very very blonde, very very curly hair (it's gorgeous - but wouldn't you know it - she hates it...) I saw her the other day with totally straight hair - yup, ceramic hair straighteners. I nearly didn't recognise her... It was astonishing the difference it made! Her hair is very fine, so not sure about very thick curly hair.

They are very easy to use (easier than my standard hair straigheners - these are like flat tongs). It's the ceramic bit that is the key thing - makes your hair very smooth. They are expensive though (I was lucky and had a pair bought by my hairdresser friend trade price - saved almost half the cost).