Seriously dry and frizzy hair - any recommendations?

[KittenKong]

Peri menopausal (I think) and hair like cotton wool! Also quite fine and thin so anything ‘oily’ makes it looks lank and greasy.

My usual shampoo/conditioner is doing nothing - I don’t dry it, but where in the last it would fall into natural curls, not it’s just frizz.

has anyone found a really good shampoo/conditioner that actually works?

Having lived through this, whenever i see these threads i jump in! In my 40's my hair went from normal to dry, easily breakable, frizzy. I couldn't brush or comb it, couldn't style it. I shipped around and asked for recommendations and Spent some money experimenting. Brazilian blow dry didn't work for me. I used to happily get on with herbal essences, but i now use olaplex. It's expensive but it's highly concentrated and a bottle lasts me a year. I also quite like aveda dry remedy as a back up is not as concentrated so although it's cheaper you but it mire frequently. I just get a small set and use it from time to time. I also sometimes shampoo and then double condition. Anyway, my hair is back to being swishy. Good luck finding your solution!

Thank you! Yes I have tried Aveda (which is great for skin) but made my hair feel dryer. I’ll look up the olaplex!

I forgot, i also occasionally use Philip Kingsley elasticizer extreme but it's a faff. Someone here once said a hairdresser pointed out that the elasticizer and olaplex do different things so it's good to alternate them.

And again, with that i bought a big bottle before lockdown and it will wait see me through the rest of this year.

Wow - what do you use - shampoo, conditioner, treatment, serum…. Too much choice! I did the ‘diagnostic’ on their website - $180!

I tried the whole setbut i was lucky that i found a travel size set to sample, but i didn't think the 1 and 3 did much for me, and it's a faff. I still have some 3 and use it occasionally but only because i own it. 6 is heavy for me and leaves my hair feeling dirty within a couple of days, the oil is nice but you're not interested in that and i don't use it often. The shampoo and conditioner, 4 and 5, are what i really valued and recommend .

If its not curling nicely, then I think your product and styling is more of the issue than shampoo and conditioner.

I use cheapo alberto balsam shampoo on mine and use a Shea Moisture conditioner. Can't remember exactly what it's called, it's a sludgely brown colour. To get it to curl nice, I need to use gel on it when it's wet and diffuse it to set the curl. I could use the best shampoos and conditioners in the world but my hair still looks shit if I don't style it properly.

I’m doing the same as I have done for years - it it’s definitely drier and frizzier now than ever before. Oils and serums just make it look shiny and frizzy! And of course since it’s fine and thin, yeuch! Time for hats I think.

My hair is very dry, long, frizzy with a wave to it although I usually wear it straight. I randomly bought the Elvive Dream Lengths mask and it has worked wonders for my wear. Have now tried the blow dry cream and Wonder Water. My hair is now less dry overall.

It is cheap so could be worth a try?

Mid-40s and hair suddenly turned frizzy. After researching on this board, I went for Cantu shea butter conditioner. It’s been brilliant and the effects seem to last (I was abroad last week and didn’t take my conditioner - hair remained soft). It’s cheap and worth a shot. I think you need to use a few times to notice the effects.

My hair went like that during perimenopause. Despite trying every kind of topical treatment and shampoo and conditioner, it just got greasier and greasier until it was almost waxy. You may find that Nizoral 2.5% might help for a bit or Selsun Gold. (Both stink, but Nizoral isn’t quite as vile as selsun gold - you do have to follow the directions and leave it on your scalp for a while.) In my case, it was a symptom of hormonal imbalance and I ended up with female pattern baldness and telogen effluvium. If your scalp becomes greasier, get a referral to a dermatologist who specializes in scalp issues and get some tests done.

If you can afford it, a keratin blow dry (aka brazilian blow dry) will solve your problem completely for 3-6 months depending how often you wash your hair.

If that’s too expensive try Milkshake hair prodcuts especially the spray leave in conditioner.

As previous OP, I rate Olaplex, Aveda and Milkshake. To those I would add Kerastase, particularly www.amazon.co.uk/WATER-traitement-resurfa%C3%A7ant-lamallaire-400/dp/B01086FUKA/ref=sxts_rp_s_1_0?content-id=amzn1.sym.0dc4bcce-5716-4210-b6df-461ed879eb2a%3Aamzn1.sym.0dc4bcce-5716-4210-b6df-461ed879eb2a&crid=3C8V6NWTWPXOV&cv_ct_cx=kerastase+water&keywords=kerastase+water&pd_rd_i=B01086FUKA&pd_rd_r=6e4565d4-27da-41b6-b4db-4614e1eda2f0&pd_rd_w=VUWdp&pd_rd_wg=0Cxei&pf_rd_p=0dc4bcce-5716-4210-b6df-461ed879eb2a&pf_rd_r=BCQ7VV5S5HKRFC0VSQEF&psc=1&qid=1661337484&sprefix=kerastase+water%2Caps%2C89&sr=1-1-5ee58b93-78b0-4afa-82f4-4348ec6d11fa

I second Cantu Shea butter conditioner - along with gel applied while hair is still dripping wet. The cantu is supposed to be leave in but I find it too heavy like that so I use it just like a normal wash out conditioner and it's awesome. I also use a hair wrap towel (cheapo from decathlon) to avoid rubbing it dry and let it dry naturally without heat.

Olaplex killed my very curly dry post menopausal hair.
I used to be able to do no shampoo, wash with silicon-free conditioner, rinse, then use some of the same conditioner as leave in and let my hair dry naturally. Then it started getting dry and horrid around menopause. Tried olsplex at vast expense and it turned it into straw. Have tried all sorts of different conditioners ranging from the ok to horrors which made me break out horribly.

However, it has been vastly improved (to my surprise) by a cheap palmers coconut oil leave in conditioner that I picked up in my daughters bedroom one day in desperation. I think she uses a tiny bit as a Detangler. I squirted it 14 it times into my hands and then applied to wet hair after using normal conditioner to wash it - thinking that might act like a deep mask which I could wash out. In fact, I didn’t wash it out and it just made my hair really soft and back to its premenopausal state. Not oily either - I generally can’t stand oil in my hair, so I would never have bought it for myself. No break outs either, which is odd. Anyway I’ve been using it about a month and it is such a relief.

it’s this one www.superdrug.com/hair/hair-conditioners/leave-in-conditioner/palmers-coconut-oil-formula-leave-in-conditioner-250ml/p/422400

DM used this in the 1960s. It's still going strong because it works. Worth a try.

www.shavers.co.uk/review/product/list/id/7847/category/309/

Olaplex treatment nos 1 and 2 at a salon. Then use no 3 once a week. Good luck OP x x

I was told, by my hairdresser, to stop using olaplex. It was turning my hair into sraw and was limp and dull. He said it only for really damaged hair. He recommended KMS products and I use the shampoo alongside an aveda conditioner. I love aveda products and they always give you free samples.

My grandmother recommended that to me in 1983!!!!

I've tried quite a few shampoos and the best for me is noughty

Olaplex no 3, no 8. I don’t like the shampoo but the treatments are superb

If you don’t mind ordering from Australia, Sukin does great treatments for dry hair.
sukinnaturals.com.au/collections/natural-hair-treatments/products/hydrating-replenishing-masque-hair-treatment-200ml
Sans ceuticals a NZ company does some fantastic treatments, but more expensive.
shop.sansceuticals.com/products/nourishing-hair-hydratant-ultra
shop.sansceuticals.com/products/moisture-protein-infusion-20

Philip Kingsley Elasticiser is great. Even if you just leave it in for the length of a shower although if you can leave it longer then do.

THIS has worked really well for me. My hair is soft and silky. It’s often on offer. www.boots.com/pantene-hair-biology-menopause-shampoo-for-thinning-hair-250ml-10296677

Lots of choice! I’ll have a try and see what works - will report back!

thanks all!