Help with really thick hair

[Afolnerd]

Dd is 13 and has crazy thick hair, I have never seen anything like it. It’s also naturally wavy.
Now hormones are kicking in I noticed that it was looking quite greasy and she told me she struggles to wash it as it’s so thick. So I gave it a go to help her and it’s ridiculous, I used so much shampoo and it’s so difficult to get it all through. Especially at the nape of her neck.
It’s also breaking where she has to tie it up for school as she has to do it so tight to stay in place due to the weight of it.

At a loss what to do with it. She isn’t keen on the idea of cutting it short. I don’t know if an undercut is a solution, but don’t know if school would allow it?

Any suggestions on how to deal with it and shampoos which are good for thick hair please?

She is my head bridesmaid in 3 months and wants her hair to look amazing.

I struggled with my hair and once I hit the same as as your DD it was just out of control.

The thing that saved my hair is hair straighteners . I went to get my hair cut and they straightened it afterwards for me and it felt and looked perfect.
My daughter has been blessed with the same have it as me and it's thick, curly and frizzy.
So we use a good conditioner and always use heat protection spray before straightening.
My decent hair straighteners broke so was at a loss on what to do but I got some from Argos £25 and they go up to 235 which is what me and my daughter need as anything below this temperature just doesn't straighten at all.These hair straighteners are amazing.

I would get a trim for your daughter rather than cut it short and maybe add layers to even out the bulk , I've been there and thought it would be easier to manage but it was the worse thing I had ever done.

It's always a nightmare when you have combination hair as roots are greasy and ends are dry and if you used a deep conditioning conditioner on the whole head then it's too much for the roots. She could just use the conditioner on the ends and length but just leave the roots.

Superdrug do extra large hair bobbles

Only condition the ends

Look for shampoo with no silicone

Don’t brush between washes - brush before you wash it

Dry naturally

I have thick hair too. If the problem is that hers is getting greasy then I would personally avoid conditioner and go with just a shampoo for oily hair. It’s very possible that at 13 hormones may cause her hair to become thinner - conditioner makes any hair loss worse

Itwon'train - what conditioner do you use? My hair is also thick, wavy and quite frizzy, a nightmare!

This was my hair I struggled some much Keebelo straightening treatment changed my life no more knots, no more frizz.

How does she dry her hair?

My hair is the same 🙈 and Im also a hairdresser! My tips would be bedhead products (I use the red one) It is the only shampoo which actually seems to get all my hair clean, As others have said skip conditioner, Maybe once a week. Get a good hair brush < I cant be with out my detangler. Always dry hair fully and use a brush to help straighting it out while drying then a quick straight over (Shouldnt need to much heat). As for her hair snapping please avoid elastic/ Rubber hair bands and invest in some cotton ones (Though some schools may not approve) You could also try the coil hairbands.

Thanks
She washes it every other day, only uses conditioner on the ends and leaves it to dry naturally.
She uses the nylon fabric type hair elastics.

Will have a look at the bedhead shampoo and different hair bands.
I just had a chat with the school and if her hair is shoulder length and worn down they have no problem with her having an undercut.

I have booked her an appointment on Sunday with a more senior stylist than we normally use to hopefully get some more ideas about how to get it under control.

@nightowl558 at the moment I'm using treseme moisture one. I also like one called osmo it's in a little pot from Sally's. For me it usually depends on what I put on after I have dried it. The tresseme recovery is brilliant too to use as a mask. Aussie reconstructer is good too.
I have tried lots of products from cheap to expensive.
I'd recommend using a good hair serum too but not too much.
Me and my daughter is the hair bobbles without the metal bit on they have to be quite thick and stretchy too to keep the hair in. The bobbles don't rip the hair out like the ones with the metal on.
My and my DD hair is a terrible when we use the hair dryer so we try and let our hair air dry as much as possible.

@Afolnerd there is also a product called frizz it's a curl spray and it brings out the natural curl but doesn't make it go frizzy and all over once it has dried ,on days when my DD doesn't want to have her hair straightened or when her hair is playing up I just use this (I'll attach a pic ) and it's only 99p. Just spray on and scrunch. My DD hair get quite bushy when in a bobble and it just consumes her head but she gets lovely curls with this one. It's the best I've tried and she gets lost of comments about how nice her curls are when we us this product.

Maria nila do a shampoo range called true soft which is really good for thick hair- its moisturising but not too heavy. Make sure you're not using too much shampoo each wash and instread add water to make it lather more. Really wash the scalp well getting to all areas. If the hair is that thick try to only wash it 2 or 3 times a week-unless exercising a lot- and use a bit of dry shampoo for excess grease. I have to agree - straightening hair does help it to be easier to manage. If only done twice a week it won't damage the hair-my hair is in very good condition and I straighten it often. However I do use good products and this definitely makes a difference. Also do not heat straighteners beyond 200 degrees otherwise it is far too hot and damaging. For a protective heat spray try the loreal 10 in 1 spray absolute repair series expert. It sprays onto damp hair and also detangles really well and obviously use a proper tangle teezer. Spending a bit on proper products will make both your lives easier!

I've got very thick wiry hair and I've always struggled with it. I wear it just past shoulder length. Here's what I've learned works for me.

1. Undercut - it's a lifesaver. My hair is so thick and voluminous that it's never been noticed unless I tie it up and even then barely. But it removes loads of volume and bulk and has made washing, drying and styling so much easier.
2. I get it thinned at the hairdressers. This only works if I commit to going every 6-8 weeks. Otherwise it will turn into a massive unruly bush. But with very thick hair, I've learned regular hair cuts are really something I just have to do.

3 silicone and sulphate free products work well. I avoid them where possible, and my hair is in great condition.

1. I use loads of conditioner / hair mask etc. I would never be able to detangle otherwise and my hair would get brittle and break. I use the body shop banana or strawberry. The body shop ginger shampoo is not sulphate free, but is great for scalp condition, which can be problematic with such a lot of hair.
2. I recently discovered the GHD glide and it's a total game changer. I have too much hair for any straighteners I ever tried. And I just didn't have the time or skill to section my hair to use them. I rarely meet anyone with hair as thick as mine, so many people don't really understand this point. The GHD glide gives me a lovely smooth finish, removes the frizz but leaves the volume. I look like I've had a lovely salon blow dry. It's so simple and quick also. For the first time in nearly 45 years I can confidently wear my hair down and look polished (or at least like I've not been dragged through a bush...). I've spent a fortune on hair products and this has been the only thing to give a significant result in terms of frizz reduction.

I have this problem too (my bunches are as thick as a lot of people's ponytails would be) and the best thing I have found is to not condition my roots and to section it when I wash it.

So wash the crown and where a fringe might be, then split the rest into four sections, two each side of my head and above and below my ears.

Small amount of shampoo on each section then rinse it and rinse it and rinse it and rinse it. Then rinse it some more.

Sometimes what feels like greasiness is actually residue from shampoo that hasn't rinsed out properly when hair is super thick.

I got a silicone hair wash brush to use in the shower to work the shampoo in, works a treat.

I've dry hair scalp so can't help with greasy other than starting conditioner part way down.

How about getting it thinned out at the hair dressers?

My hair is exactly how you’ve described and getting it thinned out in my teen years was a life saver. Especially as I didn’t want to compromise with the length.

Now that I’m nearly 30, I can manage it better but it still takes forever to wash!

I feel her pain OP, my hair is as thick as anyone's I've ever seen and at 45 I am still struggling with it!!

Thinning it really doesn't work for me, I find it looks great for a couple of weeks and then I goes really fuzzy/bushy. I have considered an undercut but I just can't visualise what it would be like on me. @alphaechokiwi I would LOVE to see a pic of your undercut if at all possible!

Couldn't survive without getting my hair thinned at the hair dressers every 5-6 weeks. I only wash it twice a week but took a long time to get it down to that. Coil hair bobbles are a lifesaver.

I've got thick wavy hair verges on frizzy /untidy. All my life straightened it to try to control and washed daily.

With baby 2 and extreme knackered ness I started washing it less and less and found it was much nicer. Stumbled online on 'curly girl method' and omg , changed my life! Nice to find an outlet to gush about this! !
Basically no heat, use only natural products, no towel (use something soft like a tshirt) and most oddly wash with conditioner. They recommend using a light gel - I tried just pure aloe vera gel and this is good (further moisturises the hair) but by no means essential.

My hair is now lovely and soft and properly nicely curly - best it has been ever. Ever :)

I'd Google it there are tons of utube type converts - which would no doubt help ypur teen.
I've been using a v basic 2l conditioner bought on amazon something aromatics. But recent experiments with conditioner bar (faith in nature ) also going very well.

Lots of great ideas to try thanks.
I do have straighteners but I’m not keen on her straightening it herself as she has a medical condition which makes her very uncoordinated.
She seems very keen on the idea of an undercut, something like this but not quite as short. Last night I sectioned off the bit they would take out and it was the same thickness as her sister’s whole ponytail!
She also likes the idea of having it up for the wedding and getting a design in it.

I have really thick hair that sounds a lot like your daughter’s. Kerastase discipline is definitely the best shampoo I’ve used to manage it. Could you try some kind of keratin treatment as well? I did one a home one that I found on amazon and it was amazing, completely transformed my hair but I don’t think they sell it anymore!

Get a scalp brush for when you shampoo. Mines really thick and coarse and i cant get to my scalp properly so have used a scalp shampoo brush before

Really thick hair here too. When I wash mine it up my head upside down over the side of the bath and use the shower that way you can get right in about it all. If I wash it standing in the shower I can never wash it properly or rinse it properly as it’s so thick,can’t get in about it all. Then it ends up sticky. I use herbal essences shampoo and conditioner, the golden raspberry and mint daily detox one. Hair feels super clean afterwards

Thanks Itwontrain!

Definitely an undercut! Mine has been a total life-changer. I also had it cut a lot shorter and you can see mine but my work aren’t bothered. If your DD doesn’t want to/can’t have it for school then get one anyway. When my hair was longer a Brazilian blow dry was a huge help, they can be expensive though.

*I mean get one with her hair still long so it can’t be seen.

Undercut.

I'm 49 and I got an undercut about a year ago. Wish I'd done it forty years ago. It's still wavy but I can dry it straight in half the time, it doesn't go out in such an obvious triangle when it's down, it looks edgy in a pony tail, but not ridiculously so i hope!

I still use serums though.