Hair knackered….I need to completely change what I do and I need help!

[Lucie11]

My hair is fine and I have a lot of it, but it’s suddenly frizzy and broken. I wash it daily and condition and then dry on a cool setting just using my fingers to style it.
It is coloured every 6 weeks but hairdresser only does the roots.
My hairdresser has recommended I embrace the wave, she will stop using bleach at all and just tint my grey roots.
She said to stop washing it every day and don’t use the hairdryer. She has also recommended a curl cream and a serum.
It isn’t going to work washing my hair in the morning during the winter and going out with soaking hair so I need to change to an evening wash and let it dry naturally. But not daily.
I just don’t know how to style it in the morning when I’ve slept on it!
Am attaching a picture from recently.
Can anyone help?!!! I feel rubbish!

Is it at a length that you can tie it back or put it up instead of washing each day ? Have you tried using different shampoos and conditioners, they really can make a difference.

Mine went like this, I think just a combination of many years of bleach and peri. I went back to my natural dark and have never looked back, it’s so shiny and healthy now and looks a lot better on me. I think blonde blindness is definitely a thing.

@Neveranynamesleft yes, it’s past my shoulders but I hate wearing it up….mainly because I don’t know how to do it very well! I do swap out shampoos etc, but wondering whether to invest in a more high end range.

It’s the hair dye. It’s damaging your hair

@CoralPombear am mid 50’s, on hrt but not sure if still peri or through menopause yet. Yep, the blonde has to go now. Weird how it’s suddenly gone so bad!
I’ve been washing daily since my teens, time to change unless I want to look like a haystack!

Sleep with it in braids or in a cap and then just finger style in the morning

Try merwave. There is a black Friday event that starts either now or tomorrow cant remember.
I have very fine hair that I used to wash every day. Since using merwave I wash 2-3 times a week and have amazing wavy / curly hair now, which used to be kinky straight ish.

To start with, I used steps 1,2,4,5 every time I washed with the protein conditioner once a week. I now only need to do the whole process once a week and I use the curl cream and sometimes the foam on the other days.

There are so many easy hair up tutorials online, i’d really recommend having a play. Can also be fun to update your look. Your hair looks similar to mine. I wash every 2/3 days and on non-washing days do hair up with dry shampoo.

Also I’ve had keratin treatments / brazilian blow dries in the past which are expensive but do make your hair glossy and smooth.

Recently invested in the dyson styler which smooths without burning the hair

K18 and using a leave-in conditioner would both make a massive difference.

Thank you for all the tips! It’s going to be a bit of trial and error as I’ve been doing the same thing for 40 odd years.

@AnnaMagnani I actually have some K18 in my bathroom. Is there a leave in conditioner you recommend? Thanks

My hair is like this. I got the Dyson air straight for Xmas last year and my hair has never looked better.
I wash my hair every night and use my Dyson air straight before going to bed.
My hair is still perfect in the morning.
It takes me approx 8 minutes to dry my hair with it. My hair is fine but I have lots of it, hair is long, past shoulder. Highly recommend.

@PancakePatty that sounds amazing! I’d never heard of it before. I do feel I need to stay away from any sort of heat though!
Is/was your hair brittle or damaged?

You can change the heat settings on it, so can turn the heat down.
My hair has been dyed for many many years (not bleach though) I work outside in all weathers so lots of sun damage, wind damage etc.

My hais very similar OP.

K18 is ££ is it worth it?

I had a look in ebay lots of cheaper ones but wary they are fakes…and not the real deal.

I had similar issues but I cut it short, and took care of the newly growing hair properly. I cut down on how often I washed it and blew dry it, I used a decent hair mask once a week or fortnight, and made sure my diet was reasonable. The new hair is so much better, and is now long again, but healthy looking. I still only wash it every 4 days (it honestly doesn’t look greasy as it gets used to this fast, but on day 3/4, if it does, I just use a little dry shampoo at the roots). I do still dye the grey every 8 weeks but it isn’t causing visible damage any more.

A colleague used to swear by L'Occitane intensive repair shampoo.

I've used another of their shampoos and can highly recommend the brand.

I’m similar age and length of hair. It’s the blonde. I’ve gone back to something near my natural colour and almost instantly it’s in such better condition. I really recommend the Dyson Airwrap. It gives salon blow dry effect that lasts for days - no need to wash your hair every day. And twisting your hair into a big claw clip hides a multiple of sins if your hair is looking a bit dodgy in the morning!

My hair also went wavy in peri menopause, I stopped bleaching (still tinting though) and started using a Dyson diffuser and protein treatments, joined a few wavy girl hair face book groups and worked on the condition. Went from a straight frizzy mess to lovely soft curls if I spend time diffusing with product.

Dampen it slightly in the morning and give it a scrunch with your fingers - not soaking just enough to restyle

Your hair looks like mine was about a year ago op. I stopped using heat products and always let it dry naturally now, and only wash it every three days or so. I wash it on an evening, but not right before bed so it has a couple of hours to dry before I lie on it. I’ve tried various curl/wave products but don’t really get on with them, as I don’t generally like how they make my hair feel.

The one exception was Oway Nurturing Drops, which my hairdresser suggested. It’s very light and disappears into the hair. I don’t use it every day like you’re supposed to though; I don’t think that’s necessary.

My hair now is so much better! Less frizzy, and much more healthy looking. I also had some dark tones put through it last time I had the colour done, helped.

I think K18 is worth it - I have short hair and only need one pump. So even though it's expensive and a small bottle, it is going to last for ages. It looks like nothing but really works.

Leave in conditioner- I'm using ColourWow but I also have some cheap as chips Palmers Coconut. And they are both great! Wish I had known this years ago.

what products are you using at the moment? it looks like it needs a LOT of moisture. do you do a weekly hair mask or anything?

K18 is brilliant but is high protein so needs to be used sparingly, once every 3 weeks or so. I'd recommend a weekly deep conditioning treatment, this one is amazing I use it with a heated hat thing that you warm up in the microwave.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/COLOR-WOW-MOney-Masque-Conditioning/dp/B08RQDG6H6/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=17TMI0LY4OU6U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.pM0fKBRZnSnqefN9nCXjJPAjZJ0MOieMnQ7dOJHuG_aDGeCM8m1B0jmFU8qQ4RmE64q02ecmMRHnrOXn9hmw0UqEzcLbDmYl5wOIoy9V_v-NPDSDTqXPCvcvbRokqgHMTzFj8QZMKHkxPuatUDFEjoqvG5Prg8nxYh3FnHNqSJeDEvOX0iSOcylOEwDpOFIN9gxgTS_BvOn7ukZFEPCpi8hXRROwVZqfxQDVRsXDeTjOlQxYvvXyxFFDFBktCjrAujRlyqQSd98a6xOAMrRmDydpwDRKagy50YjemVP-72E.8qxrGhrTE-8SyhySAv0bxqd9FaB3HcTGE-K0zv0vtx4&dib_tag=se&keywords=money+hair+mask&qid=1763214786&sprefix=money+hair%2Caps%2C124&sr=8-1-spons&aref=0Wrpq3IzLX&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

can you drop to washing twice a week? why are you washing every single day? my hair would be fluffy too if I did that!

Personally I would only wash twice a week, and I would heat style to smooth the cuticle down and then it should stay smooth for a few days. I’ve got no heat damage or split ends because I only wash it twice per week , and use good products. I think it’s much worse leaving it to dry naturally in the winter, and never leave to dry naturally overnight as it roughs up the cuticle.
try kerastase Bain satin shampoo and conditioner, kerastase ultimate elixir oil after washing and leave in spray conditioner money mist by Colour Wow. All products super moisturising. I get them cheaper on Amazon and never had an issue with make products.

Your hair looks as if it wants moisture, and your hairdresser can test to see if it needs protein as well or instead.
I have mad curly hair and I thought I was moisturising it enough, but I wasn’t. I found a natural curl balm full of lots of oils which I started using in May and my hair is SO much happier now. Leafology’s Tea & Rice Bran Curl Butter. Anyway, I also cut a lot off the length and that also made it much happier: i lost the patch of frizz and regained my curl structure. I’m perimenopausal and my hair was affected by this and also earlier by my pregnancies, don’t underestimate the effect of hormones!

I also got a co-wash and reduced the washing to weekly. Maybe you could really try the curly methods, as curly hair tends to be very thirsty, and see if it helps?

Don’t embrace the wave. Use a heat protector and use ceramic straighteners, it’s doesn’t have to be stick straight but smooth and will reduce frizz.
Yes to just colouring the roots, avoid highlights.
Avoid daily washing.