NOW CLOSED What are your top hair care tips? Share them with Aveda and you could win a personalised three step hair care system worth at least £50

[KatieBMumsnet]

The folks at Aveda would like to know Mumsnetters' top hair care tips for different types of hair. Here's what they say: "Here at Aveda research is key to developing the best products for our customers and talking to men and women across the world about how their hair looks feels and changes through life. We'd now like to know what Mumsnetters think about their hair - be it a crowning glory or something you'd rather hide under a hat."

What are your best hair care tips? What problems does your hair type cause? Do you wish you had a different type of hair or are you happy with what you have? What's the best piece of advice you've been given with regards to keeping your hair healthy?

Also, you may have seen recently on MN that some MNers are trying out the new Invati range from Aveda, specifically designed to help thinner hair look fuller. If you have thin hair, do you have any tips to make it look thicker? Maybe you have a special drying technique or a use weird and wonderful hair mask? Have you tried any old wives tales that have worked wonders or failed miserably?

Whatever type of hair you have, Aveda want to know your top hair care tips. Everyone who adds their comments to this thread will be entered into a prize draw to win a personalised three step hair care system worth at least £50.

Thanks and good luck,

MNHQ

I have very very thick hair, if I don't blow dry it properly it looks a right huge mess.

Best thing that I learned was directional blow drying, but keeping the volume in.

You basically give yourself a massive combover, dry it in the direction of your hair growth, do the other side and then the middle.

Voila: You have lovely bouncy hair!

watching and hoping for lots of great tips. My only tips are not to wash too often. If I was my hair more than twice a week it gets very dry. I also avoid the hairdryer and straighteners whenever possible.

I have dry, curly hair and also loosely follow the curly girl method. My DDs have straight, fine hair and dry shampoo between washes means we don't have to wash too often.

We all have good hair days and bad hair days but for those days when it just has to be up, the doughnuts are a fantastic, easy way to create an up-do.
:)

Posted too soon- regular trims are essential, in winter the heating causes frizz and in summer it is the heat (or damp if this year is anything to go by).

My hair is just below my shoulders. I wash 2-3 times a week, put conditioner on the ends and leave for a few mins then I put some on top and rinse. I do the last rinse with ice cold water and it makes my hair do shiney.
Next I use a towel to get the bulk of water out of my hair and use a serum on the damp hair. Next I dry nozzle down hey presto :)

I get it cut every 8 - 12 weeks

I don't like to use many products as I think they cause a chemical build up on the hair I just like 1-2 good products instead.

Having recently changed my haircare routine, my routine is now:
Wash twice a week with either sulphate free shampoo or a silicone free cheap conditioner.
Condition with generous amount of silicone free conditioner.
Final rinse with apple cider vinegar occasionally.
Small amount of regular conditioner as a leave in sometimes.
Tiny amount of pure coconut oil on the ends for condition, detangling and moisture.
Deep condition occasionally with conditioner, honey and aloe vera gel mix.
I've switched from salon dye to pure henna. Should have done this years ago, henna is amazing.
Air dry naturally whenever possible.
Avoid heat styling. The irons are retired.
My hair is becoming wavier and smoother, and is beginning to return to the slippery, silky texture of my younger self. I'm really happy to be rediscovering my natural hair again after years of dyeing and straightening.

my hair is not in the best condition as i don't get round to getting it cut often enough so my tip would be getting atleast the ends trimmed really regularly to reduce split ends cos i know mine does look better when i do that. also taking care when combing it especially when wet, as something else i am guilty of is dragging the comb through harshly to get it done quick and its not really too kind on your hair to do that kind of thing
mine looks better when its blow dried rather than dried natural but i still end up leaving it a lot of the time, as im in a rush
sounds like i dont take any care of my hair with all this!

My hair has been at its best since I stopped using hair bands and a hair dryer. I let it dry naturally and only use hair sticks 95% of the time. Also not washing it every day.

What are your best hair care tips?
Not using hair products with any chemicals/nasties has made a huge difference. My hair fell out after my 2nd child and what grew back was badly damaged after an over-enthusiastic hairdresser used too much peroxide. I used Aveda damage repair, an over about 4 months my hair is not healthy and strong....just not sure what range to switch to now.
I also keep my hair chin length to keep it looking healthy.
Finally - on cold slightly damp mornings I wear a hat - stops the frizz setting in.

What problems does your hair type cause? If there is any moisture in the air my hair kinks and goes fluffy. I also cannot grow my hair past chin length or it looks fluffy and messy and thin.

Do you wish you had a different type of hair or are you happy with what you have? I would love thick swishy straight hair - with shine and no grey!

What's the best piece of advice you've been given with regards to keeping your hair healthy? Avoid hair products with chemicals/parabens etc. They clog up your hair and leave it dull and flat and ultimately damage your hair. Also - try not to use hair straighteners all the time!

I have lots of rather course, curly hair.
I wash it when I get the chance and whack a bit of mousse on then let it dry on its own.
I fell out of bed and hadn't brushed it yesterday when I bumped into a colleague (I'm currently on maternity leave) She said it looked glamorous. I disagreed with her.

My best tip is to rinse your conditioner for a few seconds longer than you think it needs.
When I started doing it, it made my hair much shinier as it had less residue on it.

I don't have time for anything more elaborate!

My hair is naturally wavy and it can be frizzy if I leave it to my own devises, so I make sure I look after it. My routine is wash and condition every morning, usuall leaving the conditioner on for about 3 min. I vary my shampoo and conditioner and I am rotating Aussie frizz miracle, herbal essences hello hydration and John frieda full repair at the moment. I always put a serum on after towel drying and before blow drying as this really helps it looks shiny and non frizzy. My favourite one is Aussie. I think my new hair drier has really helped as well. It's a John frieda non frizz one with ionic technology.

I have liked aveda when it's been used on me at the hair dressers so I would love to win some!

What are your best hair care tips?
Not to wash every day and leave to dry naturally.

What problems does your hair type cause?
I have thick long straight hair. My hair does fall out rather alot but I still have plenty of it. The fullness of my hair is my main problem, have it layered to look sleeker.

Do you wish you had a different type of hair or are you happy with what you have?
No, I love my hair ...... just wish it was not going grey :(

What's the best piece of advice you've been given with regards to keeping your hair healthy?
Let it dry naturally and have it cut regularly.

Tips

1. Have a decent cut on a regular basis - my hair is far easier to maintain when it has been cut
2. Moroccan oil on the ends
3. Do not use hairdryer/straighteners too often as the heat causes damage
4. Leave in conditioner once a week

What problems does your hair type cause?
Mine is straight but prone to frizz at every opportunity

Do you wish you had a different type of hair or are you happy with what you have?
It's OK

What's the best piece of advice you've been given with regards to keeping your hair healthy?
Not to overuse heat on my hair and to eat well.

My hair is thin, porous and curly.

For best condition, I wash it lightly (usually a colour keep shampoo as it's highlighted- currently Aveda one), condition with Aussie minute plus 1x per week with Keratase treatment, then do not dry it AT ALL. I barely let a towel see it.

I pile it on top of my head and let it dry naturally - that's what keeps the moisture in, the curls stay together and it looks fuller and shinier.

Whilst it is drying I use Aveda be Be Curly, and I usually twist it around my fingers if there are stray bits.

Once it is dry, I tip my hair upside down to give it more volume.

Viola.

I've thick hair that's wavy.

A good hairdresser is essential. In my case, keeping the hair below shoulder-level is good as any hair shorter than this length tends to bounce up too much. Layers help reduce volume bust must be gentle to avoid looking like I've 2 haircuts. Razor cutting has horrendous results.

My hair is becoming more coarse and I have mixed texture hair. In the main it's medium texture and lightly wavy, but increasingly I find thicker, coarser strands that are frizzy at the ends. This makes it hard to choose a product range. Probably less than 5% of my har is coarse-textured, but it's enough to cause mayhem. I need products that can help my normal, smooth-cuticle wavy hair and the coarse, frizzy hairs.

Top tips? Be honest about your hair type, which may change throughout your life. Don't chase a style that doesn't suit your current hair or lifestyle just because it worked when you were younger.

I have oily hair. My top tip to keep the dirty look at bay is to spray the roots with hairspray when I dry it. The lift at the roots stops it looking greasy so quickly, and means I don't have to wash my hair every day. It seems counter-intuitive to put product on your hair to make it look fresher, but it really works.

1. If you have blonde hair which is going slightly orange or brassy use a purple shampoo and leave it on for 20 minutes to cancel out the orange.

2. Always get your hair dyed at the hairdresser.

I wash my hair every day otherwise it just doesn't feel right. I use Aussie shampoo. I rarely use a rinse out conditioner as I find they make my hair heavy feeling. I use a leave in spray conditioner like Aussie or Boots coconut and a little Fudge Sea Salt spray at the roots for volume. I use a heated styling brush to dry.

I have curly ringlet type hair, and its long. I like it most of the time. I wash it and dry it (naturally) and it looks great that day, by the time ive slept on it at least once it frizzes up tones. So to make it look okay I end up washing it more than I should!
Tips:letting it dry naturally always helps the condition of my hair and be careful how you colour it.... the parts of my hair which have been coloured have never recovered fully!

My hair is sooooo thin! but I have no tips as having curly hair hides it :)

I have thick wavy hair. If left to its own devices it goes into a big bushy mess. I have tried the Aveda be curly products but don't have quite enough curl to carry it off at my current length (medium bob). I do use them on holiday when camping etc.

I'm growing it a bit longer to give more styling options i.e. up-dos or tying back or waves at the ends.

My tip is not to faff about with a domestic hairdryer from Argos - get a professional one like a Parlux or Eti if you have hair that needs bringing under control. They have about 10x the power. It has literally changed my life and now 15 minutes gets me presentable smooth hair every 2 or 3 days.

I really do wish I had hair that I could wash and leave and it would dry straight and tidy - does that exist? Basically no maintenance !

I have long shiny dark hair, that is fine, but there is a lot of it. If I don't do the following it tangles far too easily.

1. wash hair daily, massaging the scalp

2. let hair dry naturally at least twice a week

3. massage in argan oil from root to tip once a week, leave for half an hour or overnight then rinse and shampoo as normal

4. get ends cut every 4-6 weeks

5. only use GHDs or tongs once/twice a month

I have thick curly hair, which is prone to frizziness if overworked.
My top tips are: Wash, Condition (comb it through with my fingers), apply Aveda Be curly, wrap in a towel for as long as possible, then leave it!

My hair is terribly weak and damaged following a nasty bout of pneumonia and years of colouring so I take iron supplements and a tablet of jelly every day - both of these work! I always dry my hair on a low heat and avoid hot curling tongs, straighteners etc. I use Philip Kingsley Elasticizer once a week in a attempt to prevent further damage. I only ever use products (mostly the Kerastase resistance range) for damaged, fine, weak, brittle hair but I haven't yet found a miracle solution to my problems!

Curly hair, prone to frizz.

My routine:

1. Wash with shampoo rarely (7-10 days)
2. In between rinse with conditioner
3. Apply curl creme to very wet hair
4. Dry by plopping hair upside down onto a cotton/lycra long sleve t-shirt. Tie sleeves around head to squash hair flat onto head. Leave 30 minutes then shake out.