I'm fed up of my hair never looking shiny or groomed. What should I ask hairdresser to do - colour or conditioner?

[itsnotatoy]

I have very 'matt' hair apparently and it's slightly wavy / frizzy at the front.

I am starting to get a few grey hairs but I've held off getting any colour or highlights as I don't want to be tied into always having to have them (though I think it will be inevitable in about a year's time)

I'm going to the hairdresser on thurs and I'm just wondering whether I should go for it anyway as I think I never look as groomed as I'd like.

is there a magic conditioning thing they can do? Or will it have to be colour?

Also how much will it cost to get a semi-permanent colour? don't want to be in one of those embarassing sitting in the chair thinking 'how much??' moments

Have you tried a frizz serum? And/or a glosser thingy?

serum makes my hair go mad - obviously I have some kind of weirdy hair. I always have to use frizz ease or aussie shampoo and conditioner or the front bit looks frizzy but the rest is not frizzy, just not shiny. hmmm

GHDs? Hair mask? I think you can get somesort of glossing, I have a pricelist somewhere for T&G but have a feeling things like that are POA.

the herbal essences shampoo works for me. ok i have fairly fine straight hair, but my mate who has quite thick har was te one to reccomend it.

It's the (goes to look) rainforest Flowers one, seriously smooth with cinnamon. I wouldn't say it smells of cinnamon tho, cos i hate that smell, and would have noticed. I moisturising/gentle semi will help put a bit of shine to it too.

with proper haircare you can sort it out. do conditioning treatments (no colour for sure!), use a good curl product that you leave in (anti frizz really dries up hair in the long term, especially anything with silicon in it), use elvive shampoo and conditioner

get regular hair trims! every 6-8 weeks, just a trim

in a few months you will see your hair starts to get shiny

i use the pink elvive shampoo and conditioner

and serum

have you tried these?

I do have lovely shiny hair, it is one of my best pictures ( piccie on profile) I use redken shampoo and conditioner usually but am on a budget so bought some toni and guy model me shampoo and conditioner that was reduced to £1.50 and it is fab.

I also like Lee Stafford's treatment for hair that is subjected to hairstraighteners a lot. You start using it every day and then reduce gradually to once or twice a week.

I always use a heat protection spray, redken do one but again my budget option is the one from the toni and guy range as they were reduced. I always finish with a shine spray, again redken or John Freida.

I get my hair died in the salon and was having redken colour but find loreal as good.

If you can afford it the redken all soft range will sort you out.

thanks for all the replies - sorry I had to go out last night so just coming back on now. I'll search out some redken and T&G samples if I can - the reason I've been sticking with frizz ease is that everything else I try (except the Aussie stuff) makes my scalp really sore but you are all right it's probably time for a chage on that front.

the frizzease stuff is good, I use the serum, but redken is better.

Semi-permanent colours usually have a lovely glossy look - I have that done every 6 weeks or so. I dye my hair because I like it a bit darker than my natural colour but it also makes it look glossier too

Hope not to offend, but being taught how to do a proper blow dry made a huge diff to me.

I have v v thick hair, a double crown, a couple of cowslicks (mmm don't I sound fab) and slightly wavy hair. Blowdrying properly makes an enormous difference.

good point coolyourjets a hairdresser once took time to show me how to do a proper blow dry ( I so want to type [blow job] ) and it made a huge difference.

Agree re: blow drying. GHDs are well worth their weight in gold too!

If you are not thinking of colouring your hair, ask for a clear gloss, I've had that a few times and it's a the gloss without the colour and makes hair shine and lasts a few months, cant remember now how much, probably same as a colour as they apply it in the same way.

i have just forked out for KERASTASE shampoo and conditioner and

feck me I have lovely shiny smooth hair for once

lordy, I look away for a moment and tons more responses. Good idea on the blow job dry front, I'll ask for some tips on Thurs.

coolyourjets I too have cowslicks at the front that mean no fringes for me so instead it gets frizzy at ends - if only I could cut it short there then all would be magically resolved.

And thanks Samsonara I was wondering if such a wonder product exisited. maybe I'll see if I can get that done as I'm off to New York this weekend for 40th birthday treat would really like to feel a bit glam for once.

Anyone got any idea if any of this stuff will be cheaper in the US - i have fond memories of carting back about a gallon of some Paul Mitchell stuff many moons ago that was really great. I'll have to have a mooch in the drug store.

i reckon you should try a semi permanent hair colour that matches your usual colour - it can make hair look glossy especially after the summer can lighten it or the odd grey is poking through

get a sensitivity test done first though as it sounds like you got sensitive scalp

and get a deep conditioning treatment put on too while you there