Frizzy hair

[Nik2879]

Im well aware this is first world problems but it gets me so down. I hate my hair, its so frizzy and straw like. Used lots of different products over the years nothing seems to help. As its so frizzy I have to use lots of hairspray and hair mousse to tame it and keep it down. Which in turn makes my hair look shiny and greasy which I hate but if I didnt do that it would look like a birds nest and be wild. I see so make women and nobody's hair looks like mine they all look like they have no hairspray in at all and still stay nice in a pony. The only time my hair looks even half way normal and not as frizzy is when I go the hairdressers and have a blow dry which I cant afford to do very often. Anyone got hair like mine and have any tips? I hate every photo of me cos my hair looks like its stuck to my head with all the product in. Help a frizzy haired girl out please any advice ok what I can do to make it look better.

Use soft\ salt water, don't wash with SLS (sodium lareth sulphate products) you have to read the labels because even some of the most expensive products are full of the frizz making stuff. It was designed to remove oil from garage floors!!!!! I use mildest shampoo in the world which is called Soap Nut. I don't even need a conditioner with it. My frizz has calmed right down now I'm older esp since doing all the above.

Yes use silk pillow cases. Embrace your curls

I have super frizzy hair and I've found Bumble and Bumble Invisible oil hair primer to be a godsend. I spray it in and then style with my Babyliss hot air styler . I have never had such non frizzy hair.

We seem to have the same type of hair. Every few months I have a Brazilian /keratin blow dry. I wouldn't be without it now.

I live in a hard water area but used to be fine with ordinary cheap shampoos. With age my hair became straw like. Since that change I've alternated between aveda dry remedy and olaplex 4 and 5, and then the olaplex hair oil. That helps a lot, leaves my hair soft and flexible, but still a bit frizzy. I also sometimes use either olaplex 3 or philip kingsley extreme elasticizer. They're helpful, but I think they're a bit tedious.

However, my current favourite new thing is a cheap tub of "hair food", the coconut one. After washing and applying the hair oil to towel dried hair, I then added this as a leave in. Did a quick blow dry (20 seconds) once nearly dry, and then did a quick go with the curling tongs (5 seconds on nearly the lowest setting). I did this before bed, I always do as my hair usually calms down a bit over night after a wash, whereas immediately after a wash I could compete with Dolly Parton for who has the most body. I woke up the next morning to bizarrely frizz free hair. I honestly didn't look myself. Half the body I normally have was gone. Hair was smooth. Even my OH noticed! I haven't got used to it yet. It didn't seem like me! This was 3 days ago and effects remain, so it will be my new favourite thing.

I have a bob but have fine hair which develops a halo of frizz and an unflattering 'triangle' shape as soon as I step outside....I've been managing it for a few years now by getting a brazilian treatment every three to four months, washing and drying it at night and sleeping on a silk pillowcase. I find that sleeping on it really helps set the hair straighter and the silk pillowcase smooths it down without static. Brazilian treatments are really expensive (in London, at least) so I've got an arrangement with my hairdresser that they charge me less per treatment as I'm a regular customer. As for silk pillowcases, Marks and Spencer sell great quality ones for 25 pounds. Just wash them on the delicate or wool cycle at 30 degrees and they last a long time. I'm in my fifties so they are great for your skin, too as you don't wake up with creases on your face! A first-world problem, yes but a good hair day makes such a difference...

I have very straight hair that frizzes. My hairdresser suggested it was because I was using a lot of protein rich "repair" products, which I'd been using thinking my hair was damaged. I switched to the Mane and Tail intensive moisturising stuff instead and it's made a world of difference.

I also make sure I brush it gently through with conditioner in the shower so it's easy to brush afterwards. I dry it gently and thoroughly with heat protection and sleep on a silk pillowcase.

It's gone from a unmanageable ball of knotty frizz that matted easily to sleek and smooth.

I am a lifetime frizzy, tried so many things over the years but eventually learned to work with it, and I am not inclined to spend £££ on salons or keratin treatments just to be able to cope with it.

I have found though that if a product works well for one person, then like skin care it generally won't suit the next person. Not all frizzies are the same, so asking advice rarely helps, sadly.

However, I am aware that finding out whether your hair needs more protein or more moisture is more helpful. It also helps to know if your hair has high or low porosity. I would strongly recommend googling to research these two things and going from there.

Currently I can't tell whether my hair needs protein or moisture. To look at it, after brushing, it would seem fuzzy and 'looks' dry at the ends, but often that just means that the hair traps then loses moisture too quickly.

There are some fantastic articles and discussions about porosity on Reddit's curly pages. Def have a look at those!

A few tips:

High porosity hair dries very quickly, usually (but not always). I have also heard that if you put a strand of hair into a glass of room temp water, if the strand sinks it is porous. If it floats it is low porosity.

If you style your hair and then it inflates and frizzes when you go outside or into a humid environment, then it is high porosity.

If you have heavy curls hair that takes ages to dry and tends not to frizz (could look course instead) then it is low porosity.

When you pull on a strand of hair, does it stretch out for a while before snapping?
Or does it snap immediately?
This can reveal if you need more protein (worth a further google)

If you add protein to hair that has too much already, it can make the hair very brittle. If you add moisture to already over-moist hair it can become lank.

And all of this is to say that if you investigate the exact porosity and moisture levels of your natural hair, you are then better placed to find the right product.

Just asking 'what worked for you?' isn't going to help much as all curlies/frizzies are so different.

/end of novella

Fantastic ideas here.. especially the porosity
Thx

Another vote for keratin blow dry, completely changes my hair texture.

OK I am confused now!

I said my hair was highly porous, as did a stylist I saw many years ago.

So I did the strand in water test and the bugger floated! WTF?

Don't take my advice guys, I don't appear to be able to differentiate between my arse and my elbow.

Hi OP. Are you using products which contain oils or serums? My naturally curly / frizzy hair gets coated with these and looks greasy and lank but somehow frizzy at the same time. Currently I use really cheap sulfate free shampoo, stick my products in when it’s soaking wet and wrap in a t-shirt for a minute or so. I use Aveda curl creme, a swipe of pink stuff from boots and a tiny bit of hairspray when it’s dry and get two days out of it. Oh and never, ever brush it. It takes weeks to recover from that.

@bellaiceberg

OK I am confused now!

I said my hair was highly porous, as did a stylist I saw many years ago.

So I did the strand in water test and the bugger floated! WTF?

Don't take my advice guys, I don't appear to be able to differentiate between my arse and my elbow.

I have read that the strand test isn't accurate. I can't remember why it isn't, but I know my porous hair floats too. Possibly because it's coarse and the strands are flat in shape.

Better tests are how quickly it gets wet and how quickly it dries with no product in.

Sorry bella I see you'd already said about wet /dry time!

I have seriously frizz prone hair
Here is what I do to control the frizz

Wash it with shampoo and conditioner every three days, on the other days I just wash with conditioner no shampoo.
Only comb/ brush it when when damp every few days, other days I just run my fingers through it. I never brush when dry.
Twice a week I cover it in warm almond oil and leave it overnight, shampoo in morning.
I never use heat on my hair, it does look great if I straighten it but I end up with more damage and frizz in the long run.
I sleep on a satin pillowcase.
When it's dry I scrunch a small amount of almond oil into the ends and it brings out a nice wave.
I use lots of intensive hair masques and deep conditioning treatments.

I have to really look after my hair as it is long and bleached but it's worth it because it's starting to look good again after years of struggling with frizz.
Hope some of this is helpful.

That’s really helpful thank you. Sounds like a full time job though lol.

We're all different ! Ha who'd a thought it!

I have very similar hair to you. It’s improved massively since I started using sulphate free shampoo (garnier hair food - v cheap) and their conditioner. Like @dudsville I condition with the big tub of hair food, comb my hair & put in a micro fibre towel. Then put a tiny bit (a pea size blob) through my hair as a leave in conditioner. Then leave to air dry till about 80% dry and tong. LEAVE hair alone after tonging- don’t touch with hands. Leave hair to go cold. Pretty frizz free and texture is much better than it was

If you do use sulphate free shampoo/conditioner then use a clarifying shampoo first to get rid of product build up on your hair

Oh another thing I forgot. defintely don't use a brush BUT use a good quality comb. Just pay more in Boots or wherever it's worth it!

And if you colour use the best product, low peroxide\amonia type you can. I'm in Fr. and the one I use is fabulous for texture. It may be possible to get in Eng. on line The name is Beliflor.

Cocochoco keratin blow dry has revolutionised my life. I've just had my second treatment (had my first in Nov). My hair looks shiny and frizz-free all the time and it's super quick to dry and style. Proper game-changer! Cost me £160 for my bra-strap length hair in a salon in the Home Counties.