Can someone please fix my rubbish hair?

[Frazzlerock]

I never blow dry and only use straighteners very rarely (like 3 times a year). I use Argan oil on the ends daily, wash it about every 3/4 days. I use natural cocoa butter shampoo and conditioner.

I've started plaiting it at night to avoid rubbing on the pillow.

Yet it is still so dry looking and is thin and fly-away.

Any advice for luscious shiny and healthy locks would be most welcome!

I tried the curly girl and I felt really weird. Like a poodle with product filled locks, very sweet and sickly. I didn't like the craziness of the curls (reminded me of when I was a child and used to sob about having curly hair when I wanted sleek straight hair like my friends) it also made it look so much shorter which I don't think suited me.

So I tied it in two plaits overnight and it looked even worse this morning so I washed again, and still used the curl activator but didn't do the plopping thing. I squeezed the water out with a t-shirt, let it dry a bit then diffused it. But I'm still not happy with it.
I think I'm looking for something that my hair simply won't do.
I used to have such thick hair and, because of PCOS and hypothyroid, it is very very thin so it will always look wispy I think.

Perhaps I will think about a hairdryer, mine doesn't seem to have any power in it and the cool function isn't cool at all. Plus it turned itself off and wouldn't go back on until it cooled down. Not very helpful after only 3 mins of drying.

Anyway, this is what it is doing today... 🤔

You have lovely curls. To get you hair straight you need a good pair of straighteners, GHD or Cloud.

Those products you tried sound quite heavy... your hair doesn’t look like it’ll need heavy products.

I can’t use shea butter or curl activators or anything like that and I think from the photos that my hair is not dissimilar to yours in terms of curl and thickness, if I put anything designed for proper curly hair rather than wavy then it’s just a whole load of product sat there.

Really what you want to do is make sure you do a final wash (it honestly makes a huge difference even if what you’ve been using is nearly CG friendly) then co-wash with a CG approved conditioner that’s not actually designed for curly hair, just happens to be the right ingredients (they are usually lighter) style it as normal and see how that is.

Then try different things like plopping or styling products one by one to see if you prefer them or not.

This is the shampoo I use, it’s very lightweight. It did take a while for my hair to get used to CG method, but if you prefer straight hair, it will never work for you! I do follow the CG method when I want to blow dry it straight though, and although I can’t get a whole week out of it when it’s straight, I could blow dry it on a Sunday evening and pineapple it at night and would probably still look okay on Wednesday. Might be worth trying that instead?

@GinGeum ahhh... I picked the only Shea Moisture shampoo that was available at Superdrug. It was the black castor oil one (or something). They didn't have anything else to choose from in that brand so I thought that was the one. I also bought the conditioner.

I've spent all my spare £ on this hair stuff now so will have to wait until next month to buy the right stuff.

Re the straightening suggestions - I don't want it straight. I'd like it wavy but not dry looking. I need to be able to wash my hair in the shower and run out the door.

I used to GHD my hair (I still have them) but my hair got frazzled over the years - GHD's are so bad for your hair! So I then started having keratin treatments (brazilian blow dry) which fixed my hair as the bad hair grew out. Once it became healthier I stopped spending money on the treatments, but then I started having it died when I began to see little greys come through, then I got experimental and wanted lighter hair, then rose gold etc... So it is now a frazzled mess again.

I guess I could do the keratin treatments myself but now my hair is so much thinner than it used to be, when it is straight, it is very lank looking so I'd rather not do that. Unless you can have the keratin treatment without straightening it? Or is that part of the treatment?

I've had Keratease at my local hair salon at £200 a pop (lasts up to 5 months) and have done at home at £18 a time.

Fantastic results but no difference between either method. Therefore I Choose £18 at home rather than £200 salon!

@HappyGoDucky, sounds good, can I ask what products you use for the DIY version?

Satin pillow case, and a keratin treatment should hopefully help x

@AnotherDIYSunday I'd like to know too!

I used a hair mask at home and it has worked wonders on my hair just do it once weekly takes 5 mins to prepare and I just leave it on for an hour or so while I watch telly on the weekend, 1banana 2 tbsp coconut oil 2 tbsp honey and mix together 😁 then just shampoo off and shampoo again and condition x

AnotherDIYsunday and OP

COCOCHOCO, eBay or Amazon 👍🏻

Philip Kingsley elasticiser is brilliant. It makes any type of hair look sleek and healthy. www.philipkingsley.co.uk/philip-kingsley-elasticizer.html

I think your hair is really lovely too.

Can you wash it when you get home & put it up for work every morning, or do you like to wear it down for work?

My hair is naturally light-mid brown and when I have highlights (which have to be bleach) my hair dries out - so if yours is darker you will be seriously drying out your hair with bleach. Your curls look lovely - could you not grow out the colour and see what condition it is then in? I’m betting it will look great.

I have blonde hair naturally very light but had various blondes running through it , it does get dry ... however Raw Egg all over your hair and then a cap on leave it as long as you can . Alternatively you can buy hair protein packs from places like sally's (online too) you need to put the protein back into your hair , tresemme moisture shampoo is by far the best I have used and I have had really expensive ones too.
Also try to tie hair up for a week or so and do nothing with it at all unless you have too.
I have been dying mine for over 16 years and it looks shiny and healthy . Nice blunt trim only when gets straggley! Xx

Has anyone tried Coco and Eve? It keeps popping up on my Instagram.

I keep getting tempted by it, but it's not very natural so haven't taken the plunge yet...

fuck me, it's £35!!!

I think you just have to work with what you have op - try curly girl over a week (it took a week to start looking good for me) or go full steam with some good hair protection spray and straighteners.

For cg , make sure you're patient and try different products before you dismiss it. Palmers coconut conditioning shampoo is great also find a good mousse to use on very wet hair before you plop. Find a leave in conditioner that works for you. Also get rid of your hair brush , or put it away at the very least! Only use a wide toothed comb before you plop. Tie your hair up at night in a messy bun with a scrunchie or one of those coily hairbands.