Help - hair turning wiry (middle age woes)

[RubaiyatOfAnyone]

I’m 46 and my hair has always tended towards frizz (red, long, curly/wavy) but previously could be made nice with products and time when i could be bothered.

but increasingly it feels more “wiry” and nothing seems to be turning it sleek.

i’ve tried:

frizz ease
curly girl shampoo/conditioners
coconut oil
aldi knock-off olaplaex products.

things i haven’t tried, and would be grateful for info on/ experiences of:

styling implements (eg revlon one-step)
Actual expensive hairdresser olaplaex
anything else?

Or is this just another delightful peri-menopause thing we have to put up with?

Philip Kingsley products are helping me with this.

@Towerofsong thank you so much!

i also tried the Percy and reed wonder balm after watching late night qvc! It was ok but not great.

@RubaiyatOfAnyone Is the difference between the two revlons the size of the barrel?
I was looking at this one. It says reckon one step

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B072VH43KL/ref=sspa_mw_detail_1?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B072VH43KL&pd_rd_w=Q2NaS&content-id=amzn1.sym.6f97c645-9c32-4d95-b018-5c984ab095bb&pf_rd_p=6f97c645-9c32-4d95-b018-5c984ab095bb&pf_rd_r=PSP0W74NHS060SNNR6DP&pd_rd_wg=moNHj&pd_rd_r=03399aeb-c5b0-4ea8-aacf-a8aafecf857b&s=beauty&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9kZXRhaWxfdGhlbWF0aWM

I guess it can be a bit static-y when just finished styling, but it seems to calm down quickly if I run my hands through it and is smoother than if I'd only used the hairdryer (I use the hairdryer from wet to damp, then finish off with the BBH.) Also - don't know if this makes a difference - I rarely style it till it's bone dry as I'm too impatient, that might help with the static a bit I guess. But - everyone's hair and products they use are different, so much is down to trial and error!

Totally agree with @Darklane : decent quality eg Aveda shampoo, conditioner, then leave in conditioner. Add colour wow dreamcoat ( I also use their volumising foam but you said your hair is big enough). Then I rough dry with a hairdryer ( or just leave to air dry while I do makeup etc) before using the Revlon one step round brush. The heat and tension activate the products- this is vital knowledge!

Afterwards it's smooth and swishy and I can leave it, or curl or straighten it as I fancy. Unfortunately I have found nice hair now requires time and money!

I also find that when I get highlights the whole texture of hair much better-

my hair naturally curly and can go to frizz/wiry but found that it was getting much harder to handle and now is always better after highlights

This thread has made me buy the Revlon One Step. Found one for £29. I already have a hairdryer, a Babyliss Big Hair, GHD straighteners, and a GHD Glide brush and I rarely use any of them so I definitely do not need another hot hair tool! I live in hope that this will be the thing that changes me from scarecrow to sleek swishy haired goddess.

Mine is similar (dyed back to original colour). Sometimes I embrace the curl and dry naturally, encouraged by curl cream, then plait overnight so it doesn't look a mess the next day. However my hairdresser went over it with straighteners at my last appointment and it was a revelation! Dead straight and frizz-free and lasted till my next wash. Got some for Christmas but haven't tried them yet.

This was recommended in the Times last week. I bought some as it was half price in Boots and it’s fantastic for smoothing my wild and not-so-wonderful meno hair down.

https://www.boots.com/loreal-elvive-hydra-hyaluronic-acid-8-second-wonder-water-200ml-10322975

Hello. I’m nearly 49 and I used to have thick, bouncy, healthy, curly hair. Since peri-menopause, it’s become scraggly, very dry and the curls just fall out. I’ve tried everything from cutting it shorter to restore definition and expensive products but nothing really works.

I also have thick curly hair and tons of grey (that I dye) so the texture is very wiry. Plus, I’m post menopause so hair is drier etc.

I find this helps: using paraben free shampoo and conditioner (plus once a week leaving Philip Kingsley Elasticiser in for about an hour before rinsing).

Then use a fair bit of this: https://flawlessbody.co.uk/products/kerastase-curl-manifesto-creme-de-jour-fondamentale-150ml?utmsource=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=%7Bcampaign.name%7D&utm_content=&utm_term=&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrZi40aW4gwMVA5NQBh2JYQ8WEAQYASABEgJ-UPD_BwE

and then this for curling (but not too much)

https://uk.davines.com/products/love-curls-set

i leave it to dry naturally. It will look good for a day, two if lucky, then I need to use Wella oil or Hersheson’s Everything cream on the top to defrizz the frizzy bit.

it’s a maintenance job!

The other thing that helps is getting a Deva hair cut - a hair cut specifically for curly hair

I got a dyson airwrap for Christmas. I was initially unsure about whether it could smooth my wirey hair down but it's made such a difference. See if you can borrow one to try first though!

I have used real Olaplaex but only my eyebrows are wiry. I think Olaplaex only works supposedly if chemical bonds in the hair are damaged. It didn't contol my mild tendency to frizz or do anything at all that I could see. John Frieda do a whole line of antifrizz shampoos and conditioners etc which tend to be too heavy for my very fine hair but might be just the thing for you.

I’m confused!

Do you want straight hair or do you want curls? Because I can see advice for both! Pick one.

Curly - I would ask for a curly cut which defines curls and a decent hair dresser won’t blow dry them.

Tak the sulfates out of your shampoo and use better products than frizz ease!!

leave in conditioners will ease the wireyness of your hair -

My very fine hair is greying and frizzing just at the bit next to my ears. Grizzled, I think the word is. 😑

I recently had a bad hair frying experience admittedly highlights with a new hairdresser. I cant recommend System professional pre reconstructive exilir L4 enough .. so lucky to receive it from my mum in law for Xmas .. the hair gods must have been watching over me 😅

Same here!

Thanks for the recommendations everyone, my hair is fine, dry and resembles straw or candy floss, especially at the back.

I use Color WOW Dream Coat, my hair is frizzy/curly but not good curly so I straighten it and this product makes my hair super straight and super smooth and lasts for three days.
They also do one for curly hair.
Tbh this is the only product that works on my hair.
You can get it on Amazon but if you go on the WOW website there's 30% off at the mo.
It's around £30 for 200ml

Was just about to say the same thing. A whole range of shampoos and conditioners, find the one that suits you. Plus their Elasticizer. And their leave in conditioner.

I also have Crystal Tips hair. And it varies depending on whether it is a damp and eet day outside or a sunny day. It is such a pain! So I am now also using WOW once a week, frizz ease and/or this Aveda spray in an orange bottle for extra help o the days where the humidity is too high to keep my hair looking sleek.

It has taken a while to find the right mix of products for me, but my hair feels better than it has ever done.

Is this a gradual and significant change? if so, get your thyroid checked. It's very normal in peri menopause for thyroid to go out of whack and sudden dry, breaking or wiry hair is a sign of that. Do you also get tired more quickly? feel cold often? have put on weight? - if so, definitely get it checked

I literally tried everything to help tame my very fine but very frizzy hair! Only thing that made a difference is the Kerasilk keratin treatment. It's pricey but actually saves me £££ compared to all the products I would buy to try to tame it. Also the amount of time it saves me is incredible. I just wash and blast dry now rather than spending ages trying to style/dry with a hair brush etc

I have this done regularly- makes my hair so sleek and smooth and also, it makes it super strong. Its expensive but so worth it