PDA

View Full Version : Hair noob, Help with frizzy situation!



Mr.Buck
May 10th, 2010, 08:22 AM
Hello there everyone, I'm hoping to secure a little bit of advice about my hair.

My hairs short, it has a tendancy to curl at longer lengths, the follicles are very coarse and its very thick, so much so that I dont have to use and product to style it the way it is now (see attatched Pic)

I have a little bit of dandruff so I wash my hair almost everyday so It doesn't show on my dark blue scrubs at work. I've tried anti-dandruff shampoo's in the past but they do terrible things to my hair

I wash it with shampoo every morning making sure to make the water tepid when I wash my hair (I alternate between Paul Mitchell green tea, a shampoo from Gillette and a karma shampoo bar from "Lush") and use whatever conditioner I have in the shower making sure the conditioner sits in my hair for a minute or so before washing it out thoroughly.

I don't use product like mousse or gel, and I finger comb my hair. It looks fine wet, but when it dry's it loses its luster and becomes a little frizzy. Its soft and I don't have a lot of split ends, I get it trimmed regularly but once it drys its out of control.

However if I go a day or two without washing it, the oil from my scalp gets on it and it looks fantastic! it will lay flat and shines like an Pantine proV commercial, its not uncommon for me to get comments on how good it looks a day or two out of a shower.

My question is, what do I have to do to make it shine like that everyday? should I try a leave in conditioner or mousse or something like that?

http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/2015/101842.jpg (http://img571.imageshack.us/i/101842.jpg/)

GoddesJourney
May 10th, 2010, 08:40 AM
A leave in could help, but I wouldn't suggest it since you mentioned getting buildup (dandruff). Since your hair is fairly short, dandruff control should be a little easier because you can reach your scalp without tangling/pulling your hair. I find the best way to control dandruff is not with special shampoos but with the way you wash. If you really take the time to scrub with your fingertips every inch of your scalp and rinse very thoroughly, you can usually keep the flakes at bay. Added bonus, it feels wonderful to massage your head like this. Some people also find that oiling their scalp at night with something like olive oil or coconut oil helps treat things like dry scalp.

As for the dry, frizzy thing... a very light oiling can help you. Take less than a drop of olive, coconut or jojoba oil (if one doesn't work for you try another) and rub it between your palms until they are shiny. Rub your hands through your hair and scalp. This should be enough to make your hair look healthy and shiny but not greasy. Greasy means you used too much oil.

Another alternative would be to use a milder shampoo or to stop shampooing and use conditioner only. It sounds like you're just drying out your hair so it looks lifeless and it only looks healthy when the sebum from your scalp has had a chance to coat your hair again. If you have a Trader Joe's near your house, my personal recommendation would be their Nourish Spa shampoo and/or conditioner. I buy this for my husband and his hair is beautiful. The shampoo does not contain sodium laurel/laureth sulfate, which is a fairly harsh detergent. I typically do not shampoo anymore. I CO (conditioner only) and I was surprised that it really does get the grease out of my greasiest hair without drying it out and my scalp loves it. Apply conditioner to wet or dry scalp. Scrub a lot. Do all of your soap/shaving shower stuff. Rinse hair thoroughly. My hair has never looked so good/frizz free.

spidermom
May 10th, 2010, 08:47 AM
You might consider diluting your shampoo in some warm water before using it. I have an empty shampoo bottle in my shower area that I saved just for this purpose. It might help with shine since you won't be stripping your natural oils so much.

Mr.Buck
May 10th, 2010, 09:31 AM
thanks for the tips. I do have a trader Joe's nearby... the conditioner has been added to the grocery list. I'll try the CO thing for a while and see how that works, if not the oil trick is an option too

SpinDance
May 10th, 2010, 09:33 AM
I'll second the recommendation to dilute your shampoo. It's amazing how little you need to get your hair clean. I don't use a separate bottle, but just put a tiny bit of shampoo on my palm, add some water, rub my hands together, add a bit more water, rub together again, then start to apply to my wet hair. Add more water, and repeat until I've got the slight amount of suds spread through my scalp hair. It takes me years to go through a couple of bottles of shampoo using this method.

Rowanne
May 10th, 2010, 10:01 AM
Another tip here: if the anti-dandruff shampoos are too strong you could try something milder. Sebamed has a wonderful moisturizing shampoo that calms the scalp. I use it whenever I have dandruff, just one wash and it's gone :)

Here the brand is sold mainly at the pharmacist's, I don't know about the US.

kittensoupnrice
May 10th, 2010, 10:19 AM
Diluting shampoo is a great option.

What results do you get if you just massage with tepid water without shampoo? As in, you follow your normal routine with scrubbing your scalp, but with just water, and no shampoo?

I've found that since I've switched to softened water, my dandruff is much more controllable. You might want to invest in a filter for your shower and see if you can stretch out your washings that way.