Help! Wavy hair won't stay straight

[newmomof1]

Hi

I've always had this issue but I'm reaching the end on my tether so hoping someone can give me some advice

I have fairly thick, naturally wavy hair with a tendency to frizz.
Whenever I straighten it, it looks great for about 12 seconds (slight exaggeration, couple of minutes) then random waves start to reappear (on previously straight hair.
I use GHDs (if relevant)
Can someone please give me some advice on how to keep it relatively straight - or at least just stop it looking like I've missed bits!

My hair also manages to always look greasy IMO when I wear it down. OH always says it doesn't look greasy and it's in my head but any suggestions for that would be welcomed too!

Thank you x

I used to have this problem but since having a baby my hair type has changed woohoo!

Anyway, when I used to have this issue I used to use one of those ‘3 day straight’ sprays after I washed my hair - tresemme do one but I liked the John Frieda one! It kept my hair straight for maybe a day before I had to straighten again but better than nothing!

Amazing - thanks so much. I've got a 10 week old but I'm still waiting for the change 😂

A day of straight hair would be amazing!

I have thick curly hair I straighten. Best product is the colour wow dream coat you spray on before drying and using the straightener. Spray it on all sections and comb through.

One other thing though if your hair is dry and coloured using something like the Olaplex conditioner helps a lot too.

The colour wow spray will build up over time though so use a charcoal shampoo or something like the aveda shampoo for swimming. It will remove build up.

I have similar hair and my advice is to stop fighting it. You are wasting your life trying to get it to do something it was not designed to do. Trust me - I am a world authority on wasting time. You then need a hairdresser who understands wavy (not curly) hair and what it will and won’t do. Funnily enough they often have wavy hair themselves.

Brazilian blow dry (spendy but the only thing that's ever worked on my wavy frizz, and I can assure you I've tried the lot!). You can get home kits off the internet for £20 I think but you might need someone to help you straighten the back.
Be prepared though, you can't get your hair wet, at all, for three days after. So do it when you have nothing big planned for days two and three!

I've got really thick hair with waves and kinks. I had a keratin straightening treatment and it's amazing. I still need to straighten my hair but it takes 5 minutes and stays straight and smooth. It lasts 4-6 months but it's really changed how I deal with my hair.

That dream coat stuff is good but by the end of the day mine had started to wave again. And it's also pricey.

And congratulations on your baby.

Don't straighten just after u wash and dry it. I find mine stays better if I leave it a while. I tend to wash and dry mine at night and then straighten in the morning.

I have exactly the same hair type and I echo the John Frieda 3 day straight spray. Apply or to wet/towel-dried hair and blow dry as straight as you can get it. Then straighten as normal.

However, I do accept its time consuming and I can’t imagine having the time to do all that with a baby! So agree with pp to find a hairdresser who can work with your hair so it can be left.

I’ve also just booked mine in to get permanently straightened - had it done before and it’s amazing so I’m really excited to get it done again!

My hair sounds similar, it’s damaged/fine though. Seems like you’d benefit from a clarifying shampoo if your hair tends to look weighed down/greasy.

I always straighten after a blow dry, I wash my hair at night. GHD advanced split hair therapy is really good, it holds the style in like those 3 day sprays. I also use Moroccan oil.

Then in the morning, I’ll straighten it again. This time, I’ll use another lightweight serum to make sure my hair is hydrated. I think my hair just reacts to the humidity in the air and clings onto any moisture, hence the kinks/waves! So I avoid hairspray and dry shampoo etc (anything drying).

You may like a keratin smoothing treatment - I didn’t because my hair is fine so it looked limp, but your hair is thick so you’re better suited!

I straightened mine with Schwartzkopf Glatt straightening cream. It took about half an hour and the hair stays straight for months. And it's shiny.

I'd say stop fighting it.
I've got naturally curly hair I spent years straightening and blow drying only to end up frizzy within minutes.
I now follow a loose version of the curly girl method and get non stop comments on my hair now and how people wish they had the same. (I work in a salon, people don't stop me in the street )
I can wear it up now without looking like The Trunchball too so it takes zero time in the morning and I only need to wash it a few times a week.

Life is too short!

Another one here saying stop fighting it. Mine is naturally wavy and I like straight styles but like you it still went wavy. So I gave up and got a hairdresser to shut it in a nice shorter style and it goes wvy and looks really good. Only 10 minutes to wash and dry too

Have you tried ice blasting it with the hairdryer immediately after straightening?

I'm leaning towards the advice of others who say stop fighting it. My hair is exactly the same - thick, wavy and a lot of it. I once had a Japanese straightening treatment in Malaysia and it left my hair so soft, shiny and poker straight sigh.
Anyway, my waves go curly with a bit of encouragement. Had mine cut yesterday, or rather, she ran the thinning scissors through it to take some bulk out. I know mine is ready for a cut when it takes 20 minutes to wash! I dont know what my hairdresser did but I asked her not to do the usual blow dry and straighten as a) it was raining and b) still humid so no point. It's the curliest it's ever been! This comes with it's own problems of frizz but it's nice not to spend ages battling with straighteners. I think to get the straight to last, you need to blow dry it straight and then straighten it. It's a lot of heat!

I'm desperately trying to grow my hair so I can let it be a bit wavy, this weather is awful for my hair and it sticks out and goes so frizzy and awful.

The problem I have is the front doesn't grow, I think I'm on a vicious circle of straightening it too much and it then breaking off, I hate it

I have quite strong waves in my hair, and I get a much better better result if I wash and dry it at night, then straighten it in the morning

I've got naturally curly hair that straightens well. If you like it straight, don't give up on it just yet.

First off, what products do you use on it? If it looks greasy, you might be using too much on it. I personally don't use any serums or products on my hair if I'm straightening it otherwise it just makes my hair greasy and it goes kinky and frizzy. I only use a heat protect spray. The 3 day straight spray is good as well.

Secondly, I'd get new straighteners. I don't rate GHDs, they're not hot enough IMO. My first set were FHI and my most recent ones were Remington. They've just packed in after 6 years so in looking at getting a new set.

Third, when straightening your hair make sure it's absolutely bone dry before you straighten it. I take the rough off with the hair dryer, blow dry it straight with an air styler, blast with the hair dryer, run straighteners over it and then blast it with the hairdryer again to make sure it's 100% dry. Alternatively, I can wash it at night, braid it to sleep on and in the morning smooth it through with the striaghteners.

Also never go out in the rain. I don't even bother straightening it on a wet day!