How do I get my hair from straw to glossy?

[MissMiss1]

My hair is normally tied up, but this weekend I was feeling brave and decided to wear my hair down.

Omg! It looked awful.

It lacked volume, the roots were ok but the ends we so so dry. It looked like a fuzzball, they were that bad. My fine hair is medium length, coloured and in bad condition.

What do you use to keep your hair looking in tip top condition.
I know most people are going to say get it cut, but I'd have to have a heck of a lot cut off to get rid of it.

What shampoos, conditioners and styling products work?

Elvive miracle oil for ends
A good intensive conditioner and I sometimes use leave in conditioner (like Aussie hair insurance) as well

Sounds like mine. Brazilian blow dry helped along with sulphate free shampoo (which I hated at first). It's getting better slowly and I've been able to stop straightening it every day.

Sorry but the only true remedy that has ever worked for me is a good cut.
I'm not sure you can actually really 'repair' damaged hair after a certain point.

The best thing i've found to make hair lovely and soft is hedrin headlice stuff. Put it on overnight and once it's washed out your hair feels lovely.

You really probably should get it cut though to sort it.

A good cut to get rid of the deadends & frizzy bits and then regular conditioning treatmenrs. If your hair is as bad as you say it is then a cut every 6-8 weeks to encourage hair growth & remove dead ends.

Coconut oil. Soak the bottom half of your hair in it, leave overnight if possible (shower cap on and towel on the pillow!) apply neat shampoo in the morning, massage in, add water, lather, rinse and repeat. You'll also need to have a good cut as you can improve condition but nothing will repair split or broken ends.

Mousse.

Pour a jar of water with some vinegar all over your hair after washing. I do this and my hair is nice and soft, we live in hard water area.

Yes I would get some cut off for sure.

Also, don't blow dry your hair. I discovered this by accident after DS1 was born & I didn't want I wake him with the hairdryer. At first it was awful getting used to that but now I can't be arsed with the hairdryer unless a special occasion! So I just put it in a low ponytail & let it dry naturally. Occasionally get the odd kink that needs sorted but on the whole my hair is loads shinier & softer. Didn't think it was until a work colleague commented when I returned from maternity leave.

Also make sure you're not using too much shampoo to wash your hair & maybe try a different one? Some shampoos make my hair feel horrid.

Try washing with conditioner instead of shampoo. Get a thin, cheap, SILICONE-FREE (important!!) one (Sains own apple is good for this) and slather the ends before slapping a load on scalp and giving a really good scalp massage to stimulate growth, oil production and get rid of dirt and sweat.

Leave it on for a few minutes, froth with some water and massage again before rinsing out. Then condition properly with another silicon-free, either the same one again or a thicker one, I use Tresemme Naturals. Try a vinegar or lemon rinse as a pp said. It feels counter intuitive but the acid is good for hair.

Wide-tooth comb when out of shower (or while conditioner is still in), then run coconut oil through the ends. Don't blow-dry it. Let it dry naturally and put it up gently to avoid further damage. Only use hair bobbles without the metal joining bit, and ideally use clips and hair-safe pins rather than bobbles at all. Spin pins and claw clips are good. Add more coconut oil each night before bed and try not to wash it until you absolutely have to.

Switching to this routine transformed my hair. Hope something in there can work for you too. Once it was sorted I don't have to do this every time, and can use a sulfate-free shampoo in place of the first conditioner, or I mix them together, depending on how my hair feels.

Stop having it coloured. Step away from the hair dryer....drip dry only. Cut some of the damage out and use hot oil product at least twice weekly. You'll never have hair in good condition (unless it's quite short) whilst colouring/styling with heat.

Redken Extreme range has transformed my hair into strong, glossy, younger looking locks..
It's well worth a try.

gamerchick my hair was never so soft and glossy as it was after after using hedrin

I never considered using it as a beauty aid!

Totally agree with blithereens re: no silicone, it is disastrous for hair! Mine was like straw, literally breaking off only a couple of months ago. I stopped using Frizz Ease and other silicone products, starting using a drop of oil after I've washed and conditioned my hair, plus some curl cream. The condition has improved so so much, I can't believe it, so that is my top tip. Good luck!

Hi MissMiss1

Unfortunately, there isn't really a quick fix. Some products alone will help in masking the damage and may temporary condition the hair to a certain extent but truth be told, the real way to great hair is to care for it in the long term with good quality products (which can vary in cost) and to create a routine that will preserve the hair condition rather than correcting it.
If you can afford it you could try the Redken Extreme Range as mentioned by a previous user. My personal recommendation is Redken Extreme Strength Builder PLUS. This will go some way in improving the texture and appearance of the hair but ultimately, stop colouring your hair, use heated very sparingly, consider cowashing your hair and have a trim every 6-8 weeks. As far as your options go, prewash treatments with pure natural oils can really help with the softness and shine. Feel free to PM me for a more detailed answer and/or product recommendations, and that goes for anyone else reading this. I am more than happy to help. I can suggest products and techniques for every budget.

May depend on what kind of hair you have. I have wavy, frizzy, dyed blonde hair. What has really changed my hair condition is ditching both sulphate based shampoo and silicone based conditioner. Sulphates are a harsh detergent that strips hair of your natural oils and silicones are a form of plastic that coats your hair, building up to the extent that your hair can't retain moisture. For me, using the Bodyshop Rainforest range ( as recommended by my hairdresser), has totally transformed my hair. It took a bit of time but was def worth it!

I thought my hair was dry but it was just build up from dye and products making it feel like straw. I now use tresemme clarifying and although it fades the dye my hair feels much better.

I use aveda stuff and it really helps the condition of my hair. I took a couple of weeks and a good cut but it is much better. The damage repair range and oil are very good, especially for coloured hair.

I'm back, sorry not replied sooner

Thank you so much for all your responses, really appreciated.

Goldenears are redken products sulphate free.

I've read that using natural products that are sulphate free are better as they don't coat the hair, is this true?

Would that also mean only using natural hair styling products ie serum, mousse etc?