How can I help my daughter with her hair, without damaging it?

[freddiefrog]

DD is 12 and started high school last week and is struggling with it a bit and is fretting about her hair.

It's sort of a non-descript colour, shoulder length with some layers. It's really fine and quite lifeless and prone to go straggly and rats-taily so we've been getting it regularly trimmed and what hair she does have is in good condition.

I've caught her using my Tresemme Keratin shampoo so her hair is quite glossy and a couple of times I've put a heat protection spray on it, blow dried it with my babyliss big hair and then straightened it for her. It looks lovely, just how she wants it and lasts 2 or 3 days but I don't want to do it all the time as I don't really want to damage what hair she does have

It was so easy in primary, she had it tied up every day so it didn't bother her, now in the world of high school it's all blow dried and straightened hair.

Any tips please? Any recommendations for suitable hair products?

Thanks!

Blow dried and straightened at 12?

Would she try plait induced waves instead to prevent heat damage?

Could you look on Pinterest for some cool updos rather than wearing it down?

I know a lot of girls that age and older do some nice things with plaits.

I am working in yr8 at the moment and not many of the girls really have their hair down. There's a lot of those donut bun things and basic ponytails but with the addition of headbands/bows. The 'cool' girls simply have ponytails - maybe it's my school but there's not a lot of straightened blow dried hair going on!

I do feel for your daughter though - look

Oops I pressed send too soon!

Looking the part means so much at that age. Seconding the idea for up style searching on Pinterest - maybe she'd feel better about having it up if it looked a bit more interesting?

Thanks!

All the girls here seem to go with the straightened, swishy hair, very few are tied up, those that are just tend to have the front section clipped up with the rest straight and swishy

It's really not a habit I want to get into, but while she's settling in and finding her feet I don't mind helping her out with the straighteners every now and then

Her hair does have a slight curl to it but it's tends to just go straggly rather than nice waves, would those curl hair products help?

Unfortunately her her is the focus of her flapping at the moment

I'll get her to have a look on Pinterest as well

If it has a slight curl could she try 'plopping' it and an enhancing product?

. What does 'plopping' mean?

Plopping is a way of partial drying and defining.Using a microfibre towel,bend over putting soaking wet hair directly in centre of towel,bring towel to head,ensure hair is on top of the head only and held firmly down by the towel,then twist sides of towel and tuck back to keep in place.Just make sure no hair is in the twists and is all just plopped on top of the head.

Remove after around 20-30 minutes and your curls literally bounce down in a more defined shape,roots lifted,and leave to air dry (which now won't take long.You then have your curls at their very best.