I'm 51. When I was 40, I'd wash my hair, blow dry it, straighten it. It would then last for at least 4 days looking absolutely mint every single day.
In recent years I've had to start periodically doing keratin treatments - no amount of intensive conditioner serums or hair masques has any effect; but the keratin does lock in the condition and my hair actually moves (like real hair is supposed to!). I look after it, go to a good salon, use good quality shampoos and conditioners, I never ever blow dry it on a high heat setting and use minimal straightening to avoid ruining and drying out and it's not over processed in the salon - they're sure to advise what can and can't be done in order to maintain condition.
On day 1 when I've washed it in the morning and go to work, it looks pretty good, but on day 2, it's appalling. If I've straightened it it's all kinked and rough and just looks like a birds nest. Yesterday I did Babyliss Curl Pods in the morning (I'm off sick so was experimenting) and they looked lovely during the day. But I didn't even need to wait until waking up this morning for them to look bad - just having my evening bath and skin routine, or just the skin routine on its own, is enough to 'ruin' my hair for the next day. Well, indeed, straight away.
When I wash my face or have a bath I put my hair in a thing that's like a snood (ie a full circle of stretchy material). You see, if I put my hair into a pony tail or clips (I can't actually do that now cos I've just had it cut but if I could do) it would just 'get stuck' in that shape (hope that's making some sense!). I wouldn't take it out of the pony tail and it would all tumble down still full of curls. If it was straight it wouldn't come out and still be straight, it's 'stuck' in whatever shape it's been put into. But I put it in the stretchy hair holder in what is probably the gentlest and most effective way of keeping it off my face so I can wash my face, do skin treatments etc. But literally, as soon as I've taken it off, my hair doesn't bounce out looking like it did before, it's done, ruined, looks like a birds nest again, no remaining definition to the curls at all or straight hair that's now all kinky. And this is not hours soaking in a steam-filled boiling hot bathroom. I am a bather not a showerer, but I'm in and out like a flash - 10 minutes at the most.
I was hoping if I curl podded on Monday I'd still be good to go with some semblance of curls remaining on the Tuesday - even if it was just a bit flat - but it's just completely lifeless, a mess, sticking up all over.
So I'm at the point where I'm going to have to follow this regime: Mon - wash hair, blow dry, straighten, Tue - curl pods, Wed - wash hair, blow dry, straighten, Thu - curl pods, Friday - wash hair, blow dry, straighten, Sat - curl pods.
What is it that's missing between when I could previously have my hair last in perfection age 40 to it now looking like I've been dragged through a hedge backwards by day 2 (or even only up until I have my bath and wash my face!)?! Like in the morning, whilst I'd like to wash my face and moisturise, I don't (because of this problem), I just use micellar water and have a wipe over, avoiding putting my hair into anything that will cause it to look any worse!
What do I do differently? I honestly don't think it can be put down to shampoo - I used the same shampoos then (Aussie) and about the only different thing was that I used Kerastase serum and a color masque. Now I use Aussie hair oil and tigi Color Goddess hair masque so I don't think it's that.
I either use tigi Catwalk Curl Collection Curlesque Curls Rock Amplifier pre-curl pods; and when blow drying for a sleek finish I use Elnett Strong Hold Volume Crème De Mousse.
But nothing works. And when I dry and straighten my hair sleek, I'm still very prone to the effects of humidity (even if I keep my hood up all the way to work) which is really annoying because my hair is in an asymmetric bob, shorter at the back, much longer pieces at the front - and the long pieces at the front will be slightly curled by the time I get to work which just ruins the whole bloomin' effect!
Literally, if I wanted on point hair every day, I would have to wash and style it daily. Btw it's not super thin (obviously, thinner a bit than when I was 10 years younger!) and it doesn't get super super greasy by day 2.
Help??