Frustrated with flyaways

[quintanion]

My hair is wavy, thin and a little below BSL when wet (~30"). I generally wear it in a braid or bun when I'm at work, but by early afternoon I look like a mess with a halo of flyaways and a braid that looks like a fuzzy caterpillar from all the shorter hairs sticking out. I'll frequently re-braid it or smooth the top with a BBB during my lunch break, which helps a little but it still looks pretty ragged by the end of the day. Does anyone have advice on how to keep my hair looking decent/professional throughout the day? Oil doesn't seem to help unless there's so much of it that my hair is visibly greasy, and even then manages to get a little frizzy. I also have issues with my hair getting badly tangled even while braided (not sure how that's possible, but it happens...). I'm at the point where a chop back to shoulder length is starting to sound appealing.

My care, in case it affects recommendations, is pretty simple. Wash with SLS-free shampoo and condition 2-3 times per week with the occasional CO-wash in between, occasionally apply coconut oil to the ends. No heat styling and rarely use products. I use a wide tooth comb when my hair is soaked with conditioner, then air dry. I love how my hair looks worn down (for a while...after a few hours it gets pretty frizzy), but rarely wear it that way because I'm trying to preserve the length and need it out of the way when I work.

Thanks for any advice you have!

[prettyinpink]

before you make the braid coat the hair with conditioner and comb through as you go : D Dont cut your hair, its very pretty the way it is

[Leeloo]

My hair is wavy, thin and a little below BSL when wet (~30"). I generally wear it in a braid or bun when I'm at work, but by early afternoon I look like a mess with a halo of flyaways and a braid that looks like a fuzzy caterpillar from all the shorter hairs sticking out. I'll frequently re-braid it or smooth the top with a BBB during my lunch break, which helps a little but it still looks pretty ragged by the end of the day. Does anyone have advice on how to keep my hair looking decent/professional throughout the day? Oil doesn't seem to help unless there's so much of it that my hair is visibly greasy, and even then manages to get a little frizzy. I also have issues with my hair getting badly tangled even while braided (not sure how that's possible, but it happens...). I'm at the point where a chop back to shoulder length is starting to sound appealing.

My care, in case it affects recommendations, is pretty simple. Wash with SLS-free shampoo and condition 2-3 times per week with the occasional CO-wash in between, occasionally apply coconut oil to the ends. No heat styling and rarely use products. I use a wide tooth comb when my hair is soaked with conditioner, then air dry. I love how my hair looks worn down (for a while...after a few hours it gets pretty frizzy), but rarely wear it that way because I'm trying to preserve the length and need it out of the way when I work.

Thanks for any advice you have!

Have you tried putting a tiny bit (I mean tiny) of coconut oil on dry hair at night (where you get the most frizz), then brush it with BBB. By morning coconut oil should be mostly absorbed. It helps hair tangle less and controls flyaways. If that works you'll have to do that every evening because coconut oil looses it's anti frizz function after a while. Hope that helps.

[AspenSong]

For me, pure aloe vera gel is AWESOME for flyaways with buns/styles/braids. :)

[jacqueline101]

You could try some sort of leave in conditioner. I used it on my fly aways or you could use natural home made hair spray. That recipe is table spoon of sugar in an 8ounce spray bottle with warm water screw the lid on shake to mix. You can use more or less sugar if needed. I have used it on my halo of fly aways it works well too.

[Firefox7275]

My hair is wavy, thin and a little below BSL when wet (~30"). I generally wear it in a braid or bun when I'm at work, but by early afternoon I look like a mess with a halo of flyaways and a braid that looks like a fuzzy caterpillar from all the shorter hairs sticking out. I'll frequently re-braid it or smooth the top with a BBB during my lunch break, which helps a little but it still looks pretty ragged by the end of the day. Does anyone have advice on how to keep my hair looking decent/professional throughout the day? Oil doesn't seem to help unless there's so much of it that my hair is visibly greasy, and even then manages to get a little frizzy. I also have issues with my hair getting badly tangled even while braided (not sure how that's possible, but it happens...). I'm at the point where a chop back to shoulder length is starting to sound appealing.

My care, in case it affects recommendations, is pretty simple. Wash with SLS-free shampoo and condition 2-3 times per week with the occasional CO-wash in between, occasionally apply coconut oil to the ends. No heat styling and rarely use products. I use a wide tooth comb when my hair is soaked with conditioner, then air dry. I love how my hair looks worn down (for a while...after a few hours it gets pretty frizzy), but rarely wear it that way because I'm trying to preserve the length and need it out of the way when I work.

Thanks for any advice you have!

Your hair is wavy so the flyaways will tend to look like frizz if you brush/ comb them and they cannot join up with other hairs to make a clump/ defined curl and/ or pulling your hair back relatively tight. I have 2a to 2c waves and can get the neatest/ straightest hair from conditioner only washing, applying leave in conditioner, THEN towel turban, tie back wet, NO brushing - brushing tames temporarily but seems to make hair pouf way more afterwards. YMMV of course.

There is a book called 'Strictly Curls' which is up dos for wavy and curly hair. Gentle stylers to tame flyaways include flaxseed gel, okra gel or aloe vera gel - these are all film formers, AV is a more potent humectant tho so won't suit all dews/ humidities. Oils can be of use, if you use them as a minor ingredient of a leave in conditioner or styling product you should not get the greasies.

[spidermom]

The very last thing after styling, wet your hands, then rub aloe vera gel or styling gel between your hands (start with a small dab, no bigger than a dime). Then lightly rub your palms over the surface of your hair. Then don't touch it again! It doesn't prevent all fly-aways, but it helps a lot.

My hair tangles like crazy while braided! It seems to be that all the hairs that come out of the braid tangle up with each other. It helps to bun the braid. I've tried braiding with gel and smoothing gel down the surface of the braid to tame the fly-aways, but it only works if I then bun the braid. Otherwise it's swinging around across my clothing and becomes a fuzzy, tangled mess.

[Priska]

You could try some sort of leave in conditioner. I used it on my fly aways or you could use natural home made hair spray. That recipe is table spoon of sugar in an 8ounce spray bottle with warm water screw the lid on shake to mix. You can use more or less sugar if needed. I have used it on my halo of fly aways it works well too.

My situation is very same with OP. I tried sugarwater today for my flyaways and it worked 🙂 and i guess it's better for hair than hair sprays. I want to try all other advices in this thread too...especially okra gel makes me interested because that one i have not tried yet. Shame that it's so hard to find it here... Understood that it's moisturizing gel too.

[spidermom]

I'm now using a product by Kevin.Murphy called Easy.Rider. The ingredients list is in much too small of print for me to read but it does wonders for those annoying fly-aways. I rub about a kidney bean size amount between my palms, then down the surface of my hair, comb well, then bun or braid. It doesn't look greasy. For thinner hair, you'd probably use less, maybe a pea size amount.

[Priska]

My situation is very same with OP. I tried sugarwater today for my flyaways and it worked 🙂 and i guess it's better for hair than hair sprays. I want to try all other advices in this thread too...especially okra gel makes me interested because that one i have not tried yet. Shame that it's so hard to find it here... Understood that it's moisturizing gel too.
But i see you shouldn't apply it too much 😶
Not so protective anymore, rather tangled... 😬😂

[cadaverinna]

Since you wash your hair often, try a smoothing mousse(you can apply it to dry hair) or a dry smoothing paste. I know ppl w long hair or in the journey don't like styling products, but it's your way out of flyaways w/o weighing it down. Gels will weigh it down and setting sprays will make it crunchy.

If your hair tangles easily, remove the styling products by applying a light conditioner to wet hair and letting it melt it away. After about 2min you can brush it out and follow through with your sulfate-free shampoo.

I see other members pointed out natural gels, but I don't like to reccomend gels in general for thin and straighter hair types because it might make it seem like you have less hair than you do. I had a consultation w a client whose hair is super thin and not-so-full, so she was afraid of styling products bc it always made it stick to her head. She was using the wrong kind for her hair, though. Try the mousse first and, if you're not into it, try the dry smoothing paste. If you don't hit it off with either, try a light gel, like a store-bought from your favourite brand or aloe gel(but remove the aloin beforehand).

[lapushka]

I have so many flyaways, now, since cutting back to bra strap. I can't figure out why, except maybe that it's new growth after the breakage that I suffered. Oh! (penny drops). Sometimes I can tame them and all it needs is slicking back and a damp hand. Other times they are just *there*. LOL

[floridaorchid]

I'm now using a product by Kevin.Murphy called Easy.Rider. The ingredients list is in much too small of print for me to read but it does wonders for those annoying fly-aways. I rub about a kidney bean size amount between my palms, then down the surface of my hair, comb well, then bun or braid. It doesn't look greasy. For thinner hair, you'd probably use less, maybe a pea size amount.

Kevin Murphy has a smoothing lotion I use! I use a pea size amount and it helps some. There's still some fly aways but not as many o'natural.

[DeRodeRuiter]

One thing that’s really worked for me is the Herbal Essences hair repair oil mist. I usually spray it on my hair after showering and it makes it really smooth too. If I really need to keep it down (for a ponytail or something) Garnier Fructis has a pretty nice hair gel, but I forgot the name of the exact product so I’ll have to check.