Help shake up my dry coarse frizzy thick hair

[frizzo9]

Wondering if anyone has any tips or ideas. I'd be grateful if anyone has hair like mine.

My hair is naturally very thick, frizzy, coarse and dry. It's massive. Lots of people say they've got this hair type but some of my friends with very thick curlyish hair actually have hair that can feel smooth and drop nicely into shape, mine is like a frizzy lampshade if I brush it.

It is quite nicely curly if I treat it well (loads of leave in, curl cream and gel, diffuse, crunch out etc)...and I can get a decent impressive curly look for a day before it frizzes again - tried everything, curly girl, using and not using stuff etc.

For years I used large curling tongues to kind of smooth the frizz into better curls, sort of following my curl pattern. Got great curls but frazzled hair.

I've stopped any bleach highlights over the last couple Of years which has helped the condition. Tried to go grey but didn't like it so am now using a full head of dye, but darker so no bleach. Condition is probably as good as it's been as an adult - but still naturally straw like. Use loads of super conditioner, olaplex and leave in.

The few times in my life it's been straightened it looks pretty awful even if done by a professional- it's just so thick and dry- sorts of sticks out like cardboard . So I'm not looking to do that at all. I am embracing my curls but I also fancy it wavy with a bit more of a style at times.

So, I can manage the curls. But I'm wondering if anyone manages to get a bit of a smoother wavy look sometimes without damaging their hair. Ive had it cut short recently to cut the bleach out and am now growing it long I think. It's now probably 3/4 inches long all over and huge. I quite fancy growing it into a Wavy short bob and almost fancy a blunt fringe too. I don't want to use heat etc (so brushing it into style with a hot dryer might not work) so had an idea of using loads of conditioner and then maybe using large curlers?! Is this possible. Is there even such a thing as unheated curlers anymore? Or if I used heated ones on a low setting would this be worse than a cool diffuse??

There's pictures of me as a child when my hair is super thick and wavy but it kind of shines! I started dying it at probably 13 so suspect most of my life it's been constantly knackered due to highlights!!!

God sorry this is mammoth but thought I'd set it all out instead of drip feed in case of any Input. Thank you

I've not got curly hair but have struggled with mine being very dry and hard to do anything with especially after it's highlighted.

I've been using pureplex from knight & Wilson. My hair is now so much easier to tame. It has made more of a difference than olaplex to get my hair where it can be straightened

Similar hair here, no answer on the magic potions I’m afraid but all I can say is do not have a fringe!
I’ve done it twice (god knows why) unless you are prepared to be surgically attached to hair straighteners at all times just don’t do it!

@Chocrock

My hair is exactly as you describe but more frizzy. The only thing that has worked for me is Brazilian keratin blow dry. Very expensive but it has completely transformed my hair.

I hear this. It is intriguing to me but I guess once done it's done and I do like my curls sometimes?

@nancy75

Similar hair here, no answer on the magic potions I’m afraid but all I can say is do not have a fringe! I’ve done it twice (god knows why) unless you are prepared to be surgically attached to hair straighteners at all times just don’t do it!

When I was a teenager a long time ago I had a"straight perm" on my fringe before I went on a school trip to France. By day 3 it was frazzled and at a 90 degree horror angle. Awful.

I do sort of have a side swept fringe now and some days it does sit nicely - albeit curly with the rest of my hair.
Was wondering if I could go a bit blunt yet and fuller fringed if using curlers or whatever? The drying brush sounds promising.

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor

L'Oreal Extradinory Oil is pretty miraculous.

Redken Frizz Dismiss cream is really heavy duty and what my hairdresser uses on me.

I've had a look at the redken frizz dismiss and it's a whole range. Looks interesting. Do you mean the rebel tame leave in?

Yes, worth googling for the best price ,I got it for £12 last time and it's a huge tube.

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor

L'Oreal Extradinory Oil is pretty miraculous.

Redken Frizz Dismiss cream is really heavy duty and what my hairdresser uses on me.

So I've ordered three things off this thread already. Used the oil for two applications - on dry hair so far, and it feels amazing! I'm used to oils but this is certainly making it very silky! Impressed so far. Do you use it on wet or dry hair?!

Could your hair have too much protein or moisture in? I can't remember how you tell but it's a curly girl thing, your hair either loves protein or moisture and the other will make it look a bit crap.

I have wavy hair, and only ever liked day 1. I saw a video saying on day 2, don't use a spritz spray to refreh, but use a mixture of really wet hands and a blob of gel, rub together, then praying hands down your hair. It's really helped day 2 frizz here, and I managed to day 4 the otherweek.

Here m.youtube.com/watch?v=msJR0zG9qHM

My hair is wavy rather than curly but it can be extremely coarse and dry. Over the long term, getting it moisturised is the best option. I used the Innolux Elixir a few years ago and it transformed my hair (but not instantly - took a few weeks).

Good cuts that are layered and thinned also made a huge difference. I've b been doing it for so long now that people don't even realise how thick my hair is. A few years ago I grew out all the layers just to make the point!

So I've ordered three things off this thread already. Used the oil for two applications - on dry hair so far, and it feels amazing! I'm used to oils but this is certainly making it very silky! Impressed so far. Do you use it on wet or dry hair?!

I use it on wet hair then blow dry

@KnobJockey

Could your hair have too much protein or moisture in? I can't remember how you tell but it's a curly girl thing, your hair either loves protein or moisture and the other will make it look a bit crap.

I have wavy hair, and only ever liked day 1. I saw a video saying on day 2, don't use a spritz spray to refreh, but use a mixture of really wet hands and a blob of gel, rub together, then praying hands down your hair. It's really helped day 2 frizz here, and I managed to day 4 the otherweek.

I have been trying to work this out for a while. I don't think so... I can never find hair that looks anything like mine even on the thousands of videos and curly sites. When I had mine cut at the curly place she said my hair was most like someone's she cuts who is big on Instagram... I'll try to find her name as I don't really use Instagram. She's a hair blogger! Her hair doesn't look like mine at moment but apparently she's got exactly the same natural texture (but has done a great job of taking it!)

@Fearless9286

If using the brush I use a heat spray, have teoed expensive and supermarket brands and bot noticed much difference, currently using a tresemme one. Mine is like a hair dryer and brush in one. Section it off, I do 3/4 layers and run the brush through, keep the brush moving no matter what to reduce risk of frazzled your hair. Quick run through with straighteners or tongs in 3 layers and try not to touch at all for at least 15mins. Then run fingers through if tonged or just go if straightened. Typically get 2 full days with a touch up of straightner or tong on day 2.

If going with natural curl, I use boots curl creme in soaking wet hair, bit of gel (umberto Giannini is current fave), if I have time style with denman brush (only started doing this recently, look on Instagram for inspo but good results for my hair), and then dry with diffuser on medium heat, low speed. It takes agggeeessss though, maybe 40 mins for hair to be dry. Quick scrunch and then go. I sleep with a satin bonnet that was a few quid if I go curly and can get about 3 days out if it.

So very excitingly I refound the brush thing someone gave me ages ago. I've tried it with the oil someone recommended on here - that's fab. I've also bought some of the silk serum someone mentioned (not used serum for years as made my hair worse), and I think that's added to the softness. So my (shortish) hair feels really soft - can run my fingers through it. The sides and back look sort of super thick, wavy and soft. The front (sort of a longish side sweep) looks awful. Still fluffy and as if there's not enough to hold it together. Always have this issue. I guess this is where heat would help but I don't want to use a straightener/tongues. My hair has tended in the past to like things like wax and Heavy products post drying to give it some kind of weight (despite it being naturally thick and coarse)... not sure if that makes sense. Anyway, first attempt. But parts of my hair do feel great. I can see this would work when it's much longer. It's only about 3-4 inches at the moment. Not even chin length.