help needed severely stretched crimped britle frizzy damaged hair

[pumpa]

what should i do?? help! its like brush ing frizzy hay! ive tried hot oils, intensive masks, ive just bought a trevor sorbie professional one but my hair always looks so stretched and wide when i dry it, like a huge frizzy triangle..i wish there was a leave in product that worked like my friends black hair relaxing stuff but i think i would just break it all off if i used a chemical...does anything actually penetrate the hair shaft instead of coat? thanks

[zincoxide]

I'd try this if I were you:

http://www.timetospa.com/UK/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=TimeToSpaCatalog&category%5Fname=Hair+and+Scalp+Treatments&product%5Fid=99042&ParentOid=Steiner

Fair enough it is £20, but it does last a while and you'll notice an instant difference.

[zzzLazyDaisy]

If its any help, I never use a brush on my hair. I comb a good conditioner through and leave it on as long as possible, then rinse off. Comb through John Freida frizz ease while still soaking wet using a wide toothed comb (don't towel dry) then rub a SMALL pea sized blob of conditioner between my hands and smooth that over my hair.

Comb through and then finger dry, scrunching with fists if curls are wanted, or just let dry and then use straighteners if straight hair is wanted.

Also, try not using shampoo everytime you wash your hair. Often I just wet it, condition and style, without actually using shampoo. A hairstylist told me that trick.

Hope some of this helps

[pumpa]

have you used it?

[pumpa]

my problem is if i dont put loads of heat on it i end up with a bush i have so much hair the hairdresser (toni and guy) always gets shocked when she sees it, its impossible to straighten, yesterday i overdried it so much out of frustration (it would NOT flatten down) i think ive wrecked it

[zincoxide]

I haven't (being a bloke with short hair) but my other half has, she swears by this and using Bed Head Manipulator shampoo (cheap at lookfantastic.co.uk).

She has coloured hair which is very thick and straight.

[pumpa]

umm the elemis product doesnt exist any more according to that link you sent me

[littld]

Frizz Ease is ace

[pumpa]

i have the whole frizz ease range. it does nothing..i cannot emphasise how crap my hair is, even the hairdressers never seen hair like it

[grownup1]

zzzLazyDaisy sounds like she has a system working! I'll try her conditioner tricks. What works for me is to use loads of conditioner, and serum, wash hair at night and let dry naturally as I sleep (takes all night) -and NEVER to comb or brush except when wet. This way my natural curls survive and save me from having to 'style'.

[pumpa]

i tried that and it looked ok when i woke up but within half an hr the ends started to frizz and i had an afro, i wish i could flatten it or compress it somehow, im after some sort of wonder product that gets into the hair shaft i spose

[Symbeaux1]

You could try sleeping with henna wax all over, just wash it , put the henna on (plenty) wrap in clingfilm and try getting some sleep, wash out in the morning. I've tried this and it really made a difference, but that was after a particularly 'gone wrong' perm. The new range from elvive nutri-gloss combined with drying with a babyliss or similar (hand held brush/hairdryer ) together is brilliant, but you have to patient it can take a lot longer than brush and hairdryer seperate because it dosnt have such a fierce airflow. You can beat the nutri-gloss pot of conditioner , but comb your hair as you are rinsing it off and that saves all the stress (on the hair and your nerves) when you come to dry it. Using the brush/dryer combi is much better because your hair dosnt get a chance to blow all over the place and gets really sleek. Wish I knew Jayne26's secret, shes got lovely hair.

[zincoxide]

Goto Timetospa.co.uk and click Europe, then Our Brands, select Steiner Hair Products, select Hair & scalp treatments and then the: Restructurising Treatment Programme - Intensive Treatment for Damaged Hair

BTW: Don't go to Toni & Guy, that'll be half the reason your hair isn't going too great - two close friends of ours are very highly respected hairdressers, one works in Harrods and the other servicing high class clients at home. They both dismiss Toni & Guy as being overpriced and the people that work within have little to no experience of handling any type of hair unless it is near perfect from a model they have trained on.

My OH is constantly using GHD hair straighteners & a salon hairdryer to do her hair and it takes around an hour at a time, without this her hair becomes completely unmanageable, frizzy etc (I don't notice but it must be a woman thing!)

[pumpa]

i cant praise toni and guy enough i was 22 years old and for the first time in my life i went there and i had poker straight hair, i nearly cried, i have been to so many salons and nowhere else can get my hair as straight as toni and guy..

[Alltheloginsaretakenappar]

BTW: Don't go to Toni & Guy, that'll be half the reason your hair isn't going too great - two close friends of ours are very highly respected hairdressers, one works in Harrods and the other servicing high class clients at home. They both dismiss Toni & Guy as being overpriced and the people that work within have little to no experience of handling any type of hair unless it is near perfect from a model they have trained on.
That is absolute rubbish! :mad: You'll get good and bad hairdressers in any company, just as you'll find good and bad solicitors, plumbers, teachers, doctors etc. Within the hairdressing industry, renowned for !!!!!iness anyway, there is a lot of snobbery against any salon chain that is doing well, particularly against T&G. So I wouldn't take much notice of a non T&G hairdresser criticising T&G.

Anyway, to help with the problem:
L'Oreal power dose is absolutely amazing. It is an intensive treatment that you spray on and wash out. I have never seen a product work even half as well as this and highly recommend it. Many salons will charge approx £15 per treatment. It's for salon use and so can be hard to get hold of, but I see there are loads on ebay at the moment for £2ish. A couple of years ago I saw a retail version, a spray can with about 4-5 doses, in a salon for £10 but haven't seen this since. Use this for a week or two and I'm certain you'll see an improvement.

The main thing is not to expect an overnight fix, your hair is going to take time and care to recover. Get a good trim. Use a deep conditioner once a week (more often until your hair improves). Don't stress it by too much blow drying/straightening irons/brushing. And eat a healthy diet.

Grownup1's suggestion is very good too - leaving conditioner in overnight is a great way to deep condition if you're short on time. Another tip - always gently towel dry your hair before applying the conditioner, so it's not diluted by excess water (and you'll use less and save money ;) )

[brindles01]

Put Olive Oil BP, very cheap at Wilko and Savers, on your hair when its dry just before it needs washing, leave as long as possible, even overnight, dont worry about it looking a bit strange, then shampoo it out as normal and conditioner. Also leave your hair to dry as long as possible by itself before styling, I hardly use my hairdryer now because, if you are using straigteners, they do all the styling work so you are exposing your hair to only one heat source when its required, not frazzling it with excess heat. Hope you have success

[pumpa]

that sounds good but i have a real problem with loreal in that they use false advertising- ie beyonce straightening her hair when its a weave and showing mascara on models with false eyelashes, you know what i mean! is this loreal thing different to a normal repair conditioner..if another couple of people say its great too (noticeably different from other salon things as ive tried them all) i will buy it and post when ive used it, as i know for a fact noone else has hair like mine..i can be the testing benchmark!!

[pumpa]

i know i should let it dry naturally but honestly when i do its huge and i cant get a brush through it, it gets so knotted i have to wash it again next evening, it expands so much and its like trying to brush a brillo pad

[Alltheloginsaretakenappar]

pumpa - I sent you a pm, but I've just found the can!! £8.07 + P&P for 100ml
http://www.lookfantastic.com/cgi-bin/lf.storefront/43f76ea2017f95ca2743c0a8011406d9/Product/View/3221

I thought I'd imagined it, I've been looking for the can version with no luck for ages!

I know what you mean about the false advertising, but sometimes we haven't much choice if they are all at it!

[Scarlett1]

pumpa is your hair naturally curly, or straight and thick, long or short ?? :confused:

If you have curly hair you shouldnt brush it when its dry or you will indeed get a mass ball of frizz :o

I have curly hair and what I do is wash and condition it and comb it through with a wide toothed comb, then rinse the condioner out, then comb through again whilst wet, then rub a little serum into the end and leave it to dry naturally.

Even if you have curly or straight hair, I would still recommend the above anyway. Do you tie your hair back when it gets unruly, it might be an idea too, although it does seem that all is need is a good cut and tips on how to manage your hair :beer:

[pumpa]

hope nobody minds me bumping this thread..i still havent found anything that works, ive now gone through all the professional products, all the products meant for black peoples hair..nothing works, even tried that protein pack from ion which is meant to penetrate the hair shaft-did nothing. my hair has always had the consistency of soggy cotton wool, i know leaving in conditioners all night helps people with a bit of frizz but i have tried this so many times and it hasnt helped at all. i havent been able to wear my hair down in 8 years. to put it in perspective, my hair is exactly like that womans off big brother, the older one with the grey in her long brown hair...see wht i have to cope with now :(

[Justie]

what are you currently using - shampoo, conditioner etc.

and how often do you wash your hair - you may well be over washing it.

and if all else fails you may need to think about a different style and maybe having it cut shorter or having it plaited or other things... It sounds as though you'd be better off with a shorter style if you can only ever wear it up anyway.

If you want to keep it long then never brush it only even use an afro comb and preferably only when it's wet and has conditioner in it. I would also find a local (or even travel) hairdresser who specialises in 'afro' hair as you're more likely to get both a cut and aftercare instructions that will suit your hair.

[pumpa]

i wash it once a week any more than that and i just cant cope. i use the strongest conditioners available i have tried just about every one on the market including protein packs, cholestrol etc, frizz ease is useless. I'm too old to have plaited hair (besides the plait is so thick it looks like a horses tail!) i just want lovely poker straight hair :( i only comb it when wet and i do use a great hairdresser but i dont want short hair as it doesnt suit me at all. Do you know the lady i am talking about on bb? i feel her pain lol!!!!

[brix]

Put Olive Oil BP, very cheap at Wilko and Savers, on your hair when its dry just before it needs washing, leave as long as possible, even overnight, dont worry about it looking a bit strange, then shampoo it out as normal and conditioner. Also leave your hair to dry as long as possible by itself before styling, I hardly use my hairdryer now because, if you are using straigteners, they do all the styling work so you are exposing your hair to only one heat source when its required, not frazzling it with excess heat. Hope you have success

this is really good advice, i've found that it works for me when i can be bothered. sometimes i use normal extra virgin olive oil and wrap my head in clingfilm and a hat for a few hours.

GHD straighteners are amazing for frizzy hair, too. if i spend an hour straightening my damp hair with them, i have smooth hair for at least 2 days afterwards, which is something of a miracle for me!

[elle45]

Hi, I,m a hairstylist, so I will give you advise that I would give in a salon. First you need to do is go to a good hairdresser recommended by someone. It sounds ,that you need a little bit of layering to take away the triangle effect!! Then let your hairdresser prescribe the best products to use. Secondly, I would suggest is lay off any heated appliances as this is definately adding to the damage to your hair. I would use velcro rollers when the hair is just damp. If your hair is naturally curly, no amount of straightening is going to happen I,m afraid!! Go with the curls, not against it. When your hair is dry then take out the velcro rollers and don,t brush it just put your fingers through it. Then just get a little of conditioner, rub it in your hands and apply to your dry hair. I hope this will be some help to you, let me know how you get on!!!:D

[msmiller]

Honey, I'm so sorry to hear you are still having problems with your hair :(

I think the best thing to do is go to a really good hairdresser and have a consultation. Tell the stylist just how difficult it is and hopefully they will give you a more managable cut and some useful advice.

[JennyW]

Hi. Can I ask, is your hair naturally this way or has it been damaged (chemically)?

If it's naturally this unruly then you will probably need a different cut and some good styling and professional products (I've tried Kerastase (sp?) in the past and currently use Aveda. All these help but of course you'll need to find a good stylist and one you can trust. Eaiser said than done. You could always have a few consultations in various salons and see which one you feel most confident with.

If it's chemically damaged then I personally would have a very good hair cut (I'm sure there is a short style which would suit you :) and start again instead of trying to battle on, probably causing more damage.

Thing is, once hair is damaged, there is little you can do apart from coating it with products in the hope this will calm and soothe it. Hair is a dead product so once it's damaged, it's damaged. It's like split ends, it's crap all these products which claim to repair them - you cant repair split ends - the only thing to do is cut them off. Sorry I'm going on here but I have 2 brothers who are hairdressers so I've learnt quite a lot over the years.

I know who you mean in BB - although I'm sure if she had a make-over they'd be able to do something with her hair. That's the thing you see, you just need to find someone who is knowledgable and experienced. I know Nicky Clarke has a salon and he does hair for the public as well as celebs but I know the waiting list is very long.

[pumpa]

thanks for all your replies. my hair just went like this at puberty, but it is overdried due to straightening, but if i dont straighten i would not leave the house it looks that awful, to me it looks dirty and trampy because its not curly or straight, its just like that womans off bb only wider! (no offence to her btw!) i really really dont want short hair. toni and guy who are the only people i will let near my hair say not to have short layers as it will make my hair look wider as the weight is helping to pull it down...they get it so straight there though, but then you wash it and its diana ross! its so depressing!
re the rollers, i would need about 4 packs of them, and my hair would end up as a huge bouffant, so i would still have to tie it back. t&g say i have an immense amount of hair (you cant really see any partings at all) so rollers would take hours. ive trie the oil thing all night to but like you say all it does is coat. the only one thing i havent tried is loreal power repair which is meant to be the best thing you can get, so i am going to try that and then go to t&g and ask them to somehow thin it out (which i always do, they hack loads out but it stays massive!!!) i do have layers but not short ones, it doesnt really make any difference, i dont know how they can thin my hair without putting really short bits in it cos i really dont want that. its the top layer of hair thats the worst too!:(

[larmy16]

Pumpa, I have very dry thick coarse hair and am too old to wear it long. It is neither really curly, nor straight, just annoying. I bought some gel type conditioning stuff from Sallys which was for black hair. It comes in a huge pot with a green lid (sorry dont remember the name) and it was v. cheap. I put it through my hair when it is wet and it seems to tame the madness somewhat!

It sounds though as if you have tried everything going. I find my hair just seems to drink any product put on it, especially those frizz serums.

I never brush it. After washing it (only once a week), I tend to wet it and place some conditioner in my hands, say a 50p piece amount and then spread that through my hair and leave to dry naturally.

I also use that Vitapointe dry hair creme. That seems to help a little. Also Schwarzkopf(?) do a spray shine that tames the hair a bit too.

Bags of sympathy coming your way!!!:D

[julesgr]

Layers needn't be short, I look like Crystal tipps if i don't have layers cut in to my hair!
Get a hairdresser to put your hair into a decent style while curly, the problem with hairdressers like T& G is they don't like to displease and so go with the clients wishes even if it's not entirely suitable (unfortunately experience has proved this to me).

You can get chemical straighteners for european hair now so that might be worth a try (available in Boots for a home kit) but i would seriously suggest no heat treatments as well for a while as you will do further damage.

[sylvester3103]

Feel for you - I've had problems for years. If you really don't want to cut your hair you could try what I've done and found really, really helped. I have cut out shampoo almost entirely, and only use conditioners without silicones in them - which usually means cheap stuff e.g. Boots own brand, not expensive! Silicones coat your hair, but many argue that in the long run they dry it out.

You wet your hair, apply a good amount of (non silicone) conditioner, rub it in as if it's shampoo, rinse, then condition maybe another couple of times as normal. Conditioners contain a small amount of shampoo. It sounds disgusting but, give it time and it really works. You can use a small amount of the conditioner on your wet hair as a leave in or smoothing balm DON'T BRUSH WHEN WET! If I'm going out and want even more softness I use Clynol smoothing lotion which isn't as greasy as FrizzEase. Hope this helps