If you have thick, frizzy hair, how do you style it?

[Platoo]

I've always had very thick, frizzy/wavy hair which I've always struggled with. Not nice and curly, but big and messy. I've straightened it for years because I've never found a way of managing it otherwise.

I had some professional work photos tsken recently and just felt really down about how it looks. I haven't had it cut for a while which doesn’t help, but I feel like I can't really style it nicely with layers etc as if it was straight, but it also doesn't curl. It just kind of hangs there.

If you have similar hair, how do you have it cut and how do you style it? Please inspire me!

What have you tried to make it curl? Lots swear by the curly girl method (not me, I hate it!). It might not be curly but maybe wavy. Do you brush it dry? If you do, that will contribute to frizz. I have hair just like this only I've managed to tame it, lots of mousse, never brush it, pineapple pony tail on my head at night and I also have an undercut which made a massive difference to the bulk and in turn how easy it is to look after (you don't see it when my hair is down and it's only just long enough to tie back so I rarely do).

A good cut every 6 weeks. Straighten or diffuser. Good quality hair products and Philip Kingsley Shampoo.

Still has its moment but is much easier to handle. I feel your pain though... hard work and expensive.

Unfortunately curly girl method doesn't work for me either - it's not actually curly, much as I'd love curly hair! Just very thick and frizzy. I haven't tried mousse for years - maybe I'll give that another go. I need to get it cut too!

Do get some layers cut into it, unless you want triangle hair.

I need to get mine wet every morning to avoid frizz. I use shampoo twice a week and conditioner daily, with curl cream left in. And hair gel to hold the curl. And extra coconut oil on any dry bits (front, ends). Basically far far more product than you think you need.

My hair has spiral curls, but if I brush or comb it and pull the curls out it is just frizz. So once I’ve washed and combed product through it, I twist sections with my fingers to encourage the curl, then don’t touch it again unless I absolutely have to.

What does it look like dripping wet? Any waves?

I do. Regular cuts and keratin treatments. Moroccan oil too.

Frizz reduced enormously.

Two expensive options: 1) dyson air wrap or 2) smoothing treatment at the hairdressers

Honestly - if it’s frizzy, unless it’s very very damaged it means there’s a curl pattern there.

My hair doesn’t like curly girl because it’s wavy and moisture drags it down, but, I can get spiral curls from my frizzy waves if I use the right drying methods and styling products.

I just experimented with curly techniques of styling it and things like mousse over gel etc, knowing if it was bad, I could quickly rewash and straighten it if I needed to.

Yes when it's wet it actually looks quite good because it's wavy without the frizz!

Keratin hair straightening treatment at home every 3 months. Salt and sulphate free shampoo and conditioner to maintain it in between.

Agree with previous posters that frizz means some kind of curl pattern and also that a good way to observe it it to see what happens when your hair is drenched wet. Finding products that hold your own particular pattern is where people usually need to experiment a bit but once you've found a basic routine that works for you you will do it without thinking.

My hair looks frizzy and straight if I brush it dry. But I don't do that. I wash and condition, then wrap it in an old muslin. When I take that off I can see a curl pattern. I then use about two 50ps worth of oil, smoothed through, then curl cream then a small squirt of gel. I brush that through and diffuse dry. I don't wash it every day though, probably twice a week, depends. In between I spritz it with water and conditioner to get it wet then use my products and diffuse for a bit.

It sounds complicated but it doesn't feel it. I literally use one product straight after the other then just stand still and diffuse. it takes a lot less time and effort than trying to blow dry it straight.

But that is my routine. You can find what works for you. What you want is a combination of products that will smooth and define and then hold your curl pattern, the way that your hair does itself when it's wet.

I also have a hairdresser who understands my hair. That makes a big difference.

What happens if you leave it to dry naturally with conditioner in? No comb and no hair dryer.

For me personally, that's not enough. It starts off ok but ends up going too fluffy and loses definition. People with a different eg more defined curl pattern might find it ok.

Rather than straightening, which is damaging to your hair and will make frizziness worse in the long run, you could try wrapping it around your head? Look for 'Dominican Doobie Wrap' on YouTube. It leaves my hair really soft but still with some body.

Find a hairdresser that specialises in curly hair - this a salon near me. A good hair dresser will be able to advise on products which suit your hair, treat any damage and will also show you what is possible. Not surprisingly there is a waiting list for this salon. I have added the link so you can see how well they do curly hair. 99% of the people I know would kill for a hairdresser that can properly cut and style curly hair.

V12 Hair Topiary

Can you get keratin at home treatment? Are they good ?

Haha @roses2 just realised you were addressing OP. 😳 Sorry OP. Do come back and answer!

I've never tried leaving conditioner in actually - something to try!

Thanks for all the tips - I'm going to try some of these and see if anything helps tame it 🙂

Having it very, very short.... I don't know if it's still on the market but when my hair was a bit longer a very good hairdresser suggested the Paul Mitchell super skinny range and it made a big difference. Also, having lived in both hard and soft water areas, my hair is a bit more manageable in soft water areas so you could try softening the water maybe?

When very wet, comb. Put through a good amount of curl creme (Boots) then a glob of gel. Comb through. Spray some wax hairspray. Do not touch.

ive battled with similar hair for years and the above is the winning formula. Plus lots of heavy conditioner when washing.

day 2, thoroughly wet, tiny bit of all products and same method as above.

Do you put any product in it at all? If not, that is your problem. I would look like this if there was nothing on my hair.

Bit late to the party, @Platoo but for me a real game-changer was lockdown.
My hair grew longer and I didn't keep torturing it with heat and loads of products.
I have grown out the layers [each layer used to go its own frizzy fluffy way] and I have it trimmed regularly to just past my shoulders with good straight blunt ends.
Its own weight has tamed it down a lot.
For work it is always 'up', a simple twist with a claw-clip is quick and easy. There are loads of videos online for easy up-dos.
I simply wash it, go through it with a Tangle-Teaser brush and leave it to dry.
You can keep a fringe, and any stray bits, neat with travel size straighteners.

I think what's good about curly girl method is that it encourages you to find out what your specific hair needs and also that it aims for healthy hair. Because of this, I think all hair types can benefit from it in some form or other, but it does require patience, trial and error, and lots of reading the info. It also can require letting go of the desire for glossy smooth hair if that's not your natural texture.

You say it is thick, do you mean dense - lots of follicles - and/or course, where the individual hairs are wider?

Mine has always been like this, turns out it's wavy and was fighting.
Shampoo and condition
Leave dripping wet, boots curl creme, quick brush through and upside down
Wrap in a t-shirt and leave for 10-30 mins
Cover my hands in gel and glaze hair, then a little scrunch- should still sound a little squelchy wet
Diffuse your hair from several different angles, but crucially, don't waff with the hair dryer- pick an area, cup it in the diffuser, and leave it in til almost dry. Waffing causes frizz. I tip my hair to the front and do it, left, right then back to give volume, and check my roots are dry.
If your hair feels crunchy, then when it's completely dry scrunch it lightly with your tshirt