Hair is *always* frizzy

[Witchy]

So for most of life, I've had really frizzy hair, and I'm totally unable to do anything about it.

Recently I started treating my hair better: water only, no more blow drying or hot ironing, and watching my nutrition, etc. My hair doesn't feel at all damaged, or even dry, and in fact since I started going WO my hair feels like and hydrated from root to tip. But still, its only frizzy toward the ends, near the scalp, so that tells me that frizz isn't the natural texture of my hair.

Piccies for reference:

http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/3538/ponytaily.jpg
http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/493/hair5.jpg
http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/3320/hair6.jpg

I don't want to cut it off and start over. If anyone has any good anti-frizz recommendations, I'd be enthusiastically grateful :)

[akevita2002]

I don't have any piece of advice unfortunately, but I'm sure people here will help you :) What I wanted to say is that your hair looks wonderful, it seems healthy in the pics, and it's thick!! I also have frizzy hair but I don't mind it that much, it gives my hair volume and makes it look thicker than it is, so there are good parts as well in having frizzy hair!

I hope you will find the answer :flowers:

[Quixii]

Do you brush your hair?

[sibiryachka]

Maybe a little light oiling on the ends*, or some Kimberlily's Defrizz Spray (or, as I like to call it, Magic Juice):
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=277

*I have no experience with WO, so oiling might not be a fit for you :shrug: That was my first thought on looking at your pix, though.

[Witchy]

Do you brush your hair?
Yes :)

Brushing routine is:

1) Wide tooth, plastic comb to detangle.
2) Wide tooth, paddle brush with nylon bristles for further detangling.
3) Once a week, I'll use a bristle brush (a vegan hair brush made with sisal fiber instead of animal hair) to move oil down to the ends. I don't think its as soft as an animal hair brush, but it doesn't feel like it tears up my hair either.

I *never* brush wet hair, I always let it air dry -- even if it means going to bed with wet hair once in a while. After it dries, I try cleaning up the mess with thorough brushing.

And for what its worth, I'm in the routine of washing twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays, so I don't think excess washing is causing it to dry out. It doesn't ever feel dry or crispy, so I don't think its dry hair.


*I have no experience with WO, so oiling might not be a fit for you :shrug: That was my first thought on looking at your pix, though.
When I wash my hair, little microbeads of water form on the ends, so I'm pretty sure its well oiled.

But I'll try oiling it -- worst case scenario, it'll be too oily and I'll have to wash it out, so I'm not really hurting my hair even if it doesn't work. Thanks for your suggestion :)

[Speckla]

It's the brushing that's taking the curly/wavy out of your hair and making it appear a bit frizzy. That's what mine looks like if I brush it. You can try spritzing it with a bit of water and maybe rub some oil on your comb and then comb it through. Itll smooth out your hair and get rid of tangles easier.

[melikai]

Have you done a strand test to see whether your hair needs either more moisture or more protein?

When you run your fingers down a strand, does the texture change at the point where it goes frizzy?

Thanks! :)

[Lunami]

I would recommend using a good conditioner and detangling with the conditioner applied. I used to have some frizz too but it diminished over time with CO and no brushing. I might finger comb my hair from time to time, but then prefer to do it in the shower with conditioner applied. I don't think your hair looks too bad, but i feel like a heavy conditioner might be good for it :) I know you do WO and i hope this doesen't offend you. I really wish you will find a good solution for your hair!

[manderly]

I agree with Speckla. Your hair looks like mine if I brush it out. Frizz. You are much wavier than you are giving your hair credit for.

I would stick with a wide tooth comb only (no more brushes!) and add more moisture and/or oil to your hair after washing to help your waves clump and form better.

I suggest you go check out the wurly and wavy thread and try some techniques there.

It's very common for people to fight with "frizz" when they just don't realize how much curl and wave their hair has :)

[Quixii]

As with Speckla and Manderly, I asked because your hair reminds me of my hair when I brush it. If I don't brush it, I get nice curls and waves. If I do... poof!

[girlcat36]

Gotta chime in and say I also think you are wavier than you realize, so the brushing could be the main problem.
My hair looks frizzy and dead if it is brushed, but shiny and moisturized if it is is left alone and a heavy cone-free condish is left in on the length.

[pennylane]

There are 3 ways to tame frizzy hair:

the natural way - as mentioned by everybody above (this also includes buns and rags and rollers ,etc...)

the other way - use anti frizz creams and serums available comercially

of course the third way is to use a round brush and an ionic hairdryer.

Good luck :)

[Witchy]

Ok, so trying to brush my hair straight for 2 hours a day is a *bad* thing ;)

Just a handful of questions here:

* I've heard that, in order to maintain WO routine, you *need* to brush on a regular basis to keep oil moving down the ends. Will I be able to maintain WO if I'm no long brushing so much?

* I've been brushing the waves out of my hair for years, have I seriously damaged it? If so, is there any way to fix it without cutting it off?

[Speckla]

Your hair does not look damaged at all just brushed out. :) You can use a widetooth comb to held distribute the oils. It's much better than a brush and will not break the waves/curls up as much. *hint* rub a bit of oil on your comb and then comb.

[princessp]

CO and no brushing that's what has worked for me.

[girlcat36]

I tried WO for 4 months and the ends of my hair really needed the extra moisture of conditioner. I liked WO for my scalp, but not my length.
I think WO is more successful on staighter hair types.
Could be wrong though. :confused:

[mira-chan]

My hair is generally frizzy no matter what too. I do not brush, I don't even comb other than finger combing occasionally. It's not curlier than 2b either, or curls that are about 2.5 to 3 inches in diameter actually. Plus it's coarse. It's the hair type I have in that waves don't align properly.

Wet bunning after putting in a lot of leave in conditioner helped a lot. Braiding wet and letting it dry that way helps too. Both of these things align the hairs thus lowering frizz.

Brushing is a definite frizz creator in the wavier/curlier hair types.

I couldn't do WO either, my scalp doesn't produce liquid sebum that moves down the hair shaft, it all stays solid at scalp level. When I oil I can use several palm fulls of coconut oil for scalp to ends. A couple of hours later it's all absorbed and hair is starting to frizz. Can't win. :shrug:

Silicones and oiling wet produces dull tangly hair, with some frizz. :rolleyes:

[HintOfMint]

What is the climate like where you live, in terms of humidity and dew points?

[May]

Ok, so trying to brush my hair straight for 2 hours a day is a *bad* thing ;)

Just a handful of questions here:

* I've heard that, in order to maintain WO routine, you *need* to brush on a regular basis to keep oil moving down the ends. Will I be able to maintain WO if I'm no long brushing so much?

* I've been brushing the waves out of my hair for years, have I seriously damaged it? If so, is there any way to fix it without cutting it off?

I'd say yes to the first question about brushing for 2 hours a day. It's not necessary. I think my advice would be to wash and condition with a moisturizing shampoo/conditioner and apply a nice leave in (oil, lotion, conditioner, gloss...whatever you like) and twist your hair in 1-2" sections and then allow to airdry. When dry fluff at the roots only to break up the sections. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how things turn out. :surprise: Good luck and post some pics!

[Debra83]

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=4366&pictureid=74354

This is my frizzy hair after working all day and going out tonight. It is a very humid day today and I didn't use the new leave in I got for frizzy hair. I did comb some coconut oil in before taking the picture.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=4366&pictureid=73878

this is my hair after using a frizz fighting leave in and air drying after working. The pic was taken 6 days ago.

Conclusion: leave-ins, air drying, and no brushing/combing after starting to air dry is the way to go.

[Athena's Owl]

I agree with everyone else who has wondered if you're not brushing out wave and curl definition. try air drying without disturbing it at all, no combing or brushing and then take a picture.

[SpeakingEZ]

Why not apply conditioner to just the length of your hair? Let your scalp enjoy a WO routine and the length a CO routine? You might not have to fight so hard to distribute oils with the brush if it's already well moisturized.

I had/have very "frizzy" hair, too. Before LHC, I used to straighten it 4 times a week to make the frizz go away. Then I started hydrating it better with lots of conditioner and olive/ coconut oil along with combing only (unless I'm about to shower, then I brush). The frizz is *almost* totally gone now. It will come back really quick if I stop oiling it 3-4 times a week, though.

[Yozhik]

Maybe you could try aloe rather than oils as a leave-in? This would enable your ends to clump together, but might wash out easier than conditioner/oils since you're on a WO routine.

[OperaTeacherMom]

I'm with the group that thinks brushing is the culprit! Definitely try conditioning the length with a -cone free conditioner, while still doing the WO thing on the scalp. Only comb when it is wet with conditioner in it, then rinse the conditioner, maybe flip your head over and scrunch a time or 2, and let it air dry!

[GRU]

This is my hair:

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/ImaHockeyMom/boards/hair/2010-June/duallighting-c-resized.jpg




This is my hair on brush:

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/ImaHockeyMom/boards/hair/b4-brushedout.jpg


Any questions?

[Debra83]

This is my hair:

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/ImaHockeyMom/boards/hair/2010-June/duallighting-c-resized.jpg




This is my hair on brush:

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/ImaHockeyMom/boards/hair/b4-brushedout.jpg


Any questions?







....er...you win!

[GRU]

....er...you win!



It kinda proves the point in a BIG way, doesn't it? :p

[urara12]

This is my hair:

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/ImaHockeyMom/boards/hair/2010-June/duallighting-c-resized.jpg




This is my hair on brush:

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/ImaHockeyMom/boards/hair/b4-brushedout.jpg


Any questions?






OMG!! I love your hair !!! wish I could do it:p

[Sammich]

....er...you win!

*Nod*
It's so versatile! I'd love that hair, it'd have sooo made my 'scary fairy' role in my school play much more better. ;)

Now, this thread is so useful for my sister in law who will refuse to not airdry and not comb her hair because it's 'weird', plus straighten her hair every day because she thinks frizzy/damaged hair is her 'hairtype'.
o_o
*Sigh* I've been trying to convince her the same thing as you guys to the thread maker! :p

But anywho, onto the point. I agree, try all above. ^

[GRU]

OMG!! I love your hair !!! wish I could do it:p
I'm guessing you love and want to do the first picture, not the second? ;)


*Nod*
It's so versatile!
Sadly, it's not versatile at all. Anything other than letting it air dry results in the second picture. Blowfrying, curling irons, gel, mousse, hairspray, etc., are all pointless -- it will do what it wants to do, regardless of what YOU want it to do. As a result, I've had the same hairstyle, other than growing out my bangs and layers, for almost 30 years.


I'd love that hair, it'd have sooo made my 'scary fairy' role in my school play much more better. ;)
I'll grant you that... I can get a "wicked witch" look going with with hardly any effort whatsoever!!! And the scary part is, I didn't TRY to poof it out in that second picture -- it's simply brushed. I imagine that if I actually tried, I could get my hair almost completely parallel to my shoulders. *shudder*


Now, this thread is so useful for my sister in law who will refuse to not airdry and not comb her hair because it's 'weird', plus straighten her hair every day because she thinks frizzy/damaged hair is her 'hairtype'.
o_o
*Sigh* I've been trying to convince her the same thing as you guys to the thread maker! :p

Feel free to use my pictures as proof positive of what air drying (and not brushing) can do.

The first picture was taken after a 9-hour workday. That morning I CO-washed and detangled with Suave Tropical Coconut, then after I rinsed I used the same conditioner as a leave in, lighter on top and full-strength from the chin down. No gel or other product, just the Suave used as a leave-in. And we have had outrageous humidity this week (alternating days of rain then hot then rain then hot = air you can drown in).

I never would have believed that I could leave full-strength conditioner on my hair without it looking all dull and greasy and sticky, but you can see in the pictures that it really can work! :cool:

[Dreams_in_Pink]

Frizz, i always have it! :D I need some kind of styling to keep my hair sleek, which goes against LHC rules. So i'm living with it and letting it grow, hoping that it won't look as bad after i get past waist length.

[OperaTeacherMom]

OP, did you stop brushing and douse liberally with conditioner yet? We want an update (with pics)!

[spidermom]

OP, did you stop brushing and douse liberally with conditioner yet? We want an update (with pics)!

What she said!

[GRU]

OP, did you stop brushing and douse liberally with conditioner yet? We want an update (with pics)!


What she said!

Ditto Ditto!!!!

[Witchy]

OP, did you stop brushing and douse liberally with conditioner yet? We want an update (with pics)!
No brushing for a few days, and it already looking a little better :)

http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/9666/1000428.jpg
http://img810.imageshack.us/img810/8955/1000429e.jpg

Still frizzful and a little dry in the tips, hopefully a little oil will fix that up :)

[Fractalsofhair]

You can also brush your hair right before rinsing it, if distributing the oils is a concern. Obviously, it doesn't matter what your hair looks like right before entering the shower, so that could help! It doesn't look that bad to me, my hair can look similar from the back if I don't oil it.(well, my hair is a bit puffier as well.)

[OperaTeacherMom]

You can also brush your hair right before rinsing it, if distributing the oils is a concern. Obviously, it doesn't matter what your hair looks like right before entering the shower, so that could help! It doesn't look that bad to me, my hair can look similar from the back if I don't oil it.(well, my hair is a bit puffier as well.)

Actually, the issue with brushing waves and curls while dry is that some hair types can get damaged from the brushing. So to be on the safe side, I would try only combing (or brushing with a good Denman brush) while wet and full of conditioner or oil.

OP, it looks better already! Can't wait to see what the oil does!

[RedHed]

Big difference!

Thanks for starting this thread because I have the same difficulties. ;)

[ifyouforget]

Looks great! Love the color on the underlayers, and the ends are really curling up nicely!

[Debra83]

Check out this thread I started today. I'm kicking myself I didn't try this stuff sooner after reading an ad for it in a magazine about a month ago. Oh well, better late than never!!!

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=50881

[MallyKat]

Is it a static frizz?? Perhaps looks at your bedding and clothing. If i wear a certain jacket, my hair goes crazy with static!
Also, i read that you used a straightener? May i ask for how long, and how often you did that?
If it was for a long time, you may have damage from the heat of the straightening iron. You said you don't brush it while it's wet; have you ever tried combing it while you're washing it? Throw a touch more conditioner in it and using a wider comb and comb it through starting at the ends and working your way up.
Try and find a leave in conditioner, or hair moisturiser also as it will replenish your hair regularly without needing to wash, and keep it smooth :) Best wishes.