Glossy weight vs. fine flyaway

[Boudicca]

Was wondering if any of you glossy haired ladies (or gentlemen!) had any advice.

For a good few months, I have been using cone free conditioners and regularly oiling my hair with coconut oil at the weekends. I usually braid and then bun my hair after washing to keep my curls controlled.

Last night, I decided to let my hair dry naturally, without the braid, to see what kind of condition it is in. The hair was soft, but very halo-y. It looked wild, but there was very little weight to it.

I was wondering, how can I add some weight and gloss to my hair? :confused:

This links to a pic of my hair:

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z136/Boudicca_01/Boards/COWash.jpg

I was doing CO washes when I took this, but had to stop. My scalp was really happy and healthy when I COd, but I started to shed like crazy.

[missy60]

I have the same problem with CO my scalp seemed really happy, but I would shed so bad. I now do CWC and the shedding isnt as bad for me.

I also do WO on scalp in between and condition the length. My scalp seems to like this also.

[longhair4jesus]

my wife likes serums and also the clear glazes

[alligatorbaby23]

Perhaps oil after/between washes?
I have your type hair, and this helps me immensely.
I detangle in the shower, blot dry , oil moderately, not above ear level, then damp bun for a while before air drying.
I oil *lightly*, then bun on top of my head (helps preserve curl pattern, as opposed to braiding) before bed.
In the mornings,if I must I will wet down the fly aways, and then if needed apply a touch more oil. It lasts about a week for me...
I would NOT recommend serums, unless you are into 'cones and every other chemical on your head. Which may exacerbate the problem.
Alas, my best hair days are 2-6, which is why I wash once a week. Experiment, and see. IMO, we have similar hair, CO did not work for me, supreme fly-a-wayos...Too soft.
Us curlies usually have dry hair, so you are doing the right thing by using moisture. By all means, do your DT a day before wash.. If I could, I would, I only have about an hour to DT before wash right now.
Oh, I use olive oil, wish I could get my hands on coconut oil in small quantities for cheaper. I have heard great things about it though. Hopefully Spidermom will check in here and give some great advice about it though!

[girlcat36]

I wish I had the answer to this. My hair is virtually weightless, fine, and flyaway.
ETA: just checked your pic, our hair is very similar.

[spidermom]

I use - GASP! - gel on mine. Otherwise it turns into a big fluffy cloud. I like aloe vera gel, also Giovanni styling gel. I oil lightly after washing, then apply the gel by rubbing it between my hands, then running my fingers/hands through my hair. I also oil every evening when I comb out my hair before braiding or bunning for bed. By the time I wash it again, it's got a pretty heavy application of oil on it, and I think that helps to tame the fluff, too.

P.S. - recently I clarified and let my hair dry with no product to see what it was like all on its own. The word "cobwebs" comes to mind; it was floating all over the place.

[tiny_teesha]

I have this same problem. I normally douse my hair with coconut oil...but even that doesn't really help. Even when i had thick ends i remmber my hiar never "moved" nicely...unless it was straightened, ah well. (which i did like 4-5 times in my life)

[hrimfaxi]

I have this problem too. Oh well.

[minkstole]

I let my hair airdry and then use a mixture of coconutoil and aloe-gel.

[Boudicca]

Well, it seems I'm not the only one with this problem. Even a two day oiling at the weekend still results in fluffy hair, and, because of the lightness of the hair, oiling when dry tends to look piecey/greasy.

missy60, Ill try to experiment with the frequency of CO-ing. I just panicked when the shedding started, which was frustrating because, like yourself, my scalp was so happy.

Thanks for the suggestion, longhair4jesus. What are glazes?

alligator23, like yourself, I'm not keen on serums. I know there's a temporary effect, but I always feel that they leave your hair brittle. You're much more discliplined than me with the washing - I find it hard not to wash my hair everyday.

spidermom - I sometimes use gel to tame my hair too. The only problems I have with gel is that my hair is deceptively fine, so gel can sometimes be too much.

girlcat36, hrimfaxi and tiny_teesha - I'll report back if I find a solution.

[Anje]

WO washing was the best thing I've ever done as far as preventing flyaways was concerned. Given that my hair hardly shed at all then, I find myself wondering why I quit... (dry ends) My hair is fluffy-floaty after getting washed with just about any method, including CO.

I think quite a few folks have luck with Kimberlily's Defrizz Spray (recipes section). Even straight aloe gel in wet hair reduces the frizzy flyaways.

[girlcat36]

I was WO for four months, and this tamed the frizzy flyaways to some extent, but left my hair looking very thin. So I went back to washing to add much-needed volume.

[magicatt]

I was having this problem. My hair is so fine that it becomes quite fluffy and then it tangles, which is why I spent almost a year trying to find a solution. I tried oils, gels, different shampoos, different conditioners, CO, WO, you name it I wound up with either greasy but not fly-away hair or fly-away hair that would tangle. The only solution I found was switching to 'cones. I found that they helped keep my hair from being extremely fly-away and completely weightless in a way that oils didn't. (Actually, my current conditioner has jojoba oil and 'cones.) My hair is just a lot more manageable all the way around now. I know 'cones are not for everyone, but it is something to consider.