Sacking the Straighteners!!

[HexagonalQueenOfTheSummer]

Has anyone else done this??

I've got quite wavy hair and for the best part of 15 years I've been straightening it regularly, and it's really wrecking my hair. I had my hair cut yesterday and was saying to my hairdresser what bad condition my hair is in and she has suggested that I dry it with a diffuser and wear it curly/wavy rather than trying to force it to do something it doesn't want to (it gets so frizzy even after straightening).

So that's what I'm going to do! My teenage DD has got a curling wand so I thought for nights out I could use those to give defined curls, as occasional use of those would probably be far less damaging than almost daily straightening.

I have hair that has kinks more than waves/curls. Parts of it take curls more easily than others.

I have just stopped using them, why fight it?.

The only problem is that I am totally clueless re styling products.

My hairdresser just said to get a curl defining spray; she said Frizzease ones are good and suggested one other brand which I can't remember now

Un-done is very in right now, which means for the moment I have trendy hair, yay

I have slightly curly/wavy hair which I have spent years ruining with bleach and heat. I have now given up all heat including haidryers, I also try not to use any sulphates or silicones and have started dyeing it with henna.

I have been doing this since christmas and I have totally different hair, I wash and condition it every other day, scrunch in some thickening lotion, let it dry naturally and that it. It is shiny, thick and bouncy, would really reccomend it.

Your hair sounds great, GobblersKnob! Might give that one a go myself and let it dry naturally. the hairdresser said it should dye nicely naturally if I put the spray on first.

I too have ruined my hair with heat and hairdye. I now only have my colour done at the hairdressers, which keeps it in better condition than it did when I was home dyeing it, but the straighteners have given me so many split ends and lots of strands seem to break off

Gave mine up 6 months ago. Feel funny without crazy wavy hair now!
Try morrocconoil / Amargan oil. With one of these my hair 'au natrel' is way better. I also have a bbh which I use to tame the top and fringe.

Where do you get the oils from, musttidyup? :)

Goblers. What thickener do you use?
I have pretty much sacked my straighteners too and wear my hair in a dirt of wavy surfer kind of look. The only downside is that it gets very tangled and ratty at the ends so I need to straighten it every few weeks to smooth it out.
I found macadamia oil really helpful or frizz ease serum. Some kind of oil is essential for my straw hair!
To keep the curl in I flirt with gk and spray gel but good old Elnette scrunched into wet hair seems to work for me.
One thing I will say is diffusing didn't work for me. I towel dry, chuck some product in and leave it to dry. So much lazier in the mornings he he!

Good on you Hex! I bet it looks fantastic

Coconut oil applied to dry hair and left on overnight works wonders for the condition.

Amazon. Not cheap but well worth it. You can by a trial size morrocconoil to see if you like it. (you will!). I prefer morrocconoil to Amargan but it's a bit more expensive.

Thanks everyone for the tips! I'll post a pic on my profile pics on here when I next wash and style it :)

I have ditched the straighteners too - I got a babyliss big hair for xmas and I love it.

I'm embracing the wave at the moment

WhippingGirl I use this one it isn't actually cone free, but they are close to the end of the list, so I am hoping they are small in quantity I find I have to do a sulphate wash about once every month anyway or my hair gets dull, so I think that must take out any build up.

It is really good though, you only need a tiny bit but it makes a real difference.

If I'm going au natural I think this stuff really takes some beating
m.boots.com/mt/www.boots.com/en/Umberto-Giannini-Scrunching-Curl-Friends-Jelly-200ml_50951/
Defines and enhances waves and curls without that crispy thing that happens if you hit the shock waves mousse! Hair still feels soft but much more controlled and less frizzy!

I went to a new hairdresser and only had time for a wet cut on Thursday and she used this

www.amazon.co.uk/Tubes-L%2527Oreal-play-ball-Candy/dp/B002WSYWXE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335651233&sr=8-1

sort of twirled it into large sections and it was brilliant - lasted 2 days . I am a convert. I will straighten about once a week now instead of daily. Best corkscrew curls I have had in years 1

yy to the scrunching jelly, is really good, I don't use it so much any more as I am not trying to be so curly but it is a great product.

colette that stuff has really good reviews, I can't find an ingredients list anywhere on the interweb though, does it have silicone in? (usually something ending in 'cone, like dimethicone).

Sacked my straighteners about 8 weeks ago. I either blow dry my hair for a sort of fluffy Charlies Angels look (!) or throw some frizz ease on it and leave it to dry into its natural mess curls. I'm much more relaxed now, don't even care if I get caught in the rain.

Boots organix range has a moroccan oil that is good and not too dear.

I have. I use the babyliss big hair after I wash it for a smooth hair day, and by the next day it is wavy but not frizzy so I wear it wavy.

Since I have stopped straightening my hair is much healthier, and my colour lasts better too. I think I look better when my hair has a bit of body.

Second the Boots Organix range. I've nearly finished my bottle of their coconut oil serum, I put some on after towel drying my hair and then a little more once dry. My hair actually hangs now with little help, rather than a big frizz ball.

I'm currently trying out the coconut milk, a nice fluffy mousse to put on when drying. Then a little of the serum once dry. Also www.boots.com/en/Organix-Brazilian-Keratin-Therapy-Flat-Iron-Spray-177ml_1233756/ for when I want to use straighteners. I can't find links to the milk and serum.

Try the Curly Girl method.
Lots of advice, product reviews and amazing before and after pix at www.naturallycurly.com

Can anyone recommend me a good diffuser??

I just got the Babyliss Big Hair as well and it is great. My hair is wavy/frizzy - tending towards frizzy and this makes it really smooth but with volume. Poker straight hair is out now anyway imo plus straighteners wrecking my hair though still use for a fraction on the time.

Used Moroccan oil - it's okay but not worth the big hype any more than a smoothing serum - on my hair anyway.