OK, fess up - product for updos? how much? how to use?

[Katze]

Hi there,

As many of you may know, I have some of the world's most unmanageable hair. Not only does it have natural taper and many different lengths (involuntary) but I have about three different hairtypes on my head, and it gets frizzy like mad, when it's not lying like bacon strips. Hard to make it look good at all - VERY hard to get updos that stay, especially at my length - and for all I know, APL-BSL is my terminal length, so I am trying to learn to work with it.

Thus, I am a friend of PRODUCT. Gel or mousse, the former mixed with leave-in. Leave-in conditioners, Fox's shea butter conditioning cream. Oils not at all - they are too heavy.

How many of you have similar tendencies or hair needs? I know there are more of you out there, though many of us non-blessed-with-smooth-or-naturally-pretty-hair often can believe that you blessed ones just throw your hair up into an updo and go (as my sister does...).

I just braided my hair before my nightly shower because my wash (with a Mud and Clay shampoo bar, not sure how I like that) yesterday left it kinda greasy, so I figured I would wear it in braids for sleep, pin them up tomorrow, and have one less thing to deal with in the morning (and vary my look).

I SLATHERED my hair with conditioner in order to be able to have the braids stay. On clean hair, I do have to put quite a bit of gel into it to make it look good and stay this way. If I want a smooth updo, I wait until dirty day (day 3) and put both gel and conditioner into it in order to keep it smooth. This also makes my hair look several shades darker, which can kind of be fun.

So this is a shout out to all of you who also are 'challenged' and rely on (non damaging) product to keep your hair looking presentable! Fess up! Support each other!

[melusine963]

Hi there,

So this is a shout out to all of you who also are 'challenged' and rely on (non damaging) product to keep your hair looking presentable! Fess up! Support each other!

I don't have any recommendations for you, since I haven't got around to trying the first styling product I've bought in years (I only got it two days ago), but I'll be keeping a close watch on this thread. I'm also on the lookout for products that will tame my frizz without drying my hair out too badly.

[lapushka]

I need some styling stuff, like a leave-in, gel, and some serum or a few oil drops, but I only use all of that when it's been freshly washed, otherwise my hair gets way too heavy and sticky (and it tangles like crazy because of product overload).

[spidermom]

Product and I are friends. I have thousands of curly sticky-up hairs that give me a seriously grizzled look without product. Lately I've been using Burts Bees styling gel for men because I like the piney/evergreen scent of it. It works pretty well. I've also used aloe vera gel the same way. If I really want a polished look, I use something like styling wax, pomade, or putty. Tiny dabs of it go a long way; I use it to stick down anything that defies the gel. I really like Natures Gate styling putty but haven't been able to find it since I ran out.

I don't use much product on my ends because they're usually tucked under my bun. Braids work best for me if I bun them, otherwise they're very messy within an hour - like those tools people use to wash baby bottles.

[Hollyfire3]

I use mousse, lots of mousse (well used to be about 9 palmfulls, no kiding, now about 3-4) of my damp hair to give it more volume and curl (it might be thick, but these days for unknown reasons it refuses to be bouncy like it use to be...stupid hair) and i'm not so sure its non-damaging but i figure it is better than the heat styling i used to do, so it is fine in my book. The mousse can cause quite a bit of tangles and since my hair is so fincky already (can't decide if it wants protein or moisture), i might end up using so much product just to have barely wavy, heavy hair that looks unwashed, but when it turns out great, its amazing, too bad it doesnt happen often...I almost never go mousse free, i'm addicted its bad i know. The last time i did this, my hair poofed and had no curl, i just don't understand where my nearly 3b curls went...must be heat damage, oh well, until i have healthy hair, mousse it is.

[Katze]

good to see others use stuff too!

Arctic once gave me the tip that a lot of curlies and wavies do use product on wet hair, but I can only use styling product if I am going to wear it slick...otherwise, I am stuck with the weird kink or bend my hair gets formed into.

Best, for me, is to sleep on damp hair then style it in the morning when it is dry. Putting gel on it wet might be good for fake-marcel waves, on me, or for keeping braids in place (braids without gel don't work for me).

Conditioner I can put on either wet or dry hair, depends on if I CO washed or not, whether I use a leave-in every day or not, but I do tend to use more on dirtier hair and also almost exclusively on the length/ends.

[Long_hair_bear]

I use redkens water wax for flyaways and baby hairs. You only use a very small amount though, just enough to make your index finger shine. Also, nightbloomings panacea makes braiding easier.

[spidermom]

Oh, and rubbing gel between wet palms before applying to my hair gives much better results than starting with dry hands.

By the way, have you tried head-banging a few times after applying gel to damp hair? That's what I do to get good clump separation, which is a necessity since I have curly areas and straight areas, and it's not pretty if they're all stuck together.

[heidi w.]

A lot of people like how Aloe Vera Gel works as a "fixer" for frizzy hair bits popping out of an updo or a braid.

heidi w.

[Diamond.Eyes]

On occasion I will run a small bit of Bed Head's Manipulator through my hair before braiding. When I am trying to do a nicer updo that I plan on wearing for a formal evening, I will use that and half a dime sized amount of Giovanni's Volumizing Styling gel. But, like I said, I only use these on rare occasions :D.

[XcaliburGirl]

I've been using hairspray occasionally on my stray pieces that fall out of my ponytails, since my hair isn't quite long enough.

I've used aloe vera gel for wispy strands in the past. It doesn't hold super firm, but at least it's good for the hair.

When leaving my hair down, I sometimes use Paul Mitchell spray wax. I haven't tried it with updos yet.

[jacqueline101]

I like to use oil and my hair doesn't need stiffening agents and I have a taper too. I do loose up dos.

[Kristin]

Giovanni hairspray on my bangs, but that's usually it. Unless I'm oiling it.

[Cirafly24]

I use Garnier Fructis hairspray to tame flyaways and minimize scalp cleavage in updos...I spray a bit on my hand, then run my hand over the canopy. I use just enough to keep it looking neat. I tried using gel, but it didn't work as well, and often left my hair stiff and sometimes flaky. AVG will smooth everything very briefly, but as soon as it dries, all the flyaways pop up again.

[BlazingHeart]

If my hair needs to be perfect, my preference is for a waxy pomade. The soft hold means no damage or crunch, and hair that stays in place but still moves enough to look natural.

[kidari]

If I want to make a perfect sock bun I will use mousse on it before rolling it up so that all the layers stay and behave. Sometimes if I do a fancier updo that requires a lot of pins I will hairspray it once I'm done but this is only if I need it to look nice and have staying power. I will sometimes spray my bangs in place with hairspray and if I have loose pieces I need touching up I will use the tiniest dab of pomade.

[GlennaGirl]

Shhh, I spray my bangs into submission. ;)

[Dars]

I use my normal conditioner, pure aloe vera gel and skin moisturisers without silicones (they can make hair very soft)!

[HintOfMint]

I've been using hairspray occasionally on my stray pieces that fall out of my ponytails, since my hair isn't quite long enough.

I've used aloe vera gel for wispy strands in the past. It doesn't hold super firm, but at least it's good for the hair.

When leaving my hair down, I sometimes use Paul Mitchell spray wax. I haven't tried it with updos yet.

How do you use the spray wax? Is it throughout or only at the ends? Can you use it on your roots for lift?

I've been missing some texture and I was considering a spray wax and I thought I'd get some input before I do.

[SoulOfTheSea]

I put AVG on dampened roots then I slick it back with my BBB. I then put coconut oil on my length to make it sleek. Makes great updos (and braids!). :)

[XcaliburGirl]

How do you use the spray wax? Is it throughout or only at the ends? Can you use it on your roots for lift?

I've been missing some texture and I was considering a spray wax and I thought I'd get some input before I do.
I didn't discover spray wax until after I chopped my hair, so I don't know about root lift. At this length my hair does that on its own. It's supposed to be used on dry hair, but what I do is comb my wet hair back with a part and then spray lightly all over. It cuts down on frizz and keeps my bangs generally in place. My hair gets puffy and frizzy by default, so that's why I use it with my hair slicked back like that. Just make sure to use it sparingly. If you use too much, it looks a bit greasy and waxy and it takes about 3 shampoos to get completely out. I sulfate-free shampoo daily, so as long as I don't overdo it, I don't have build-up problems. It's never crunchy, which is why I like it. My hair still feels like hair.

[Pinkster8]

I use an Ion brand leave-in for colored hair after I shower, and a little bit of coconut oil on the ends. Before I braid or do anything, I lightly spray my hair with a mixture of Yes to Carrots conditioner and water to make my hair more manageable. When I put it in a bun in a wrap-up foam apparatus (I don't know if there's a technical name) I put some extra water and coconut oil on the ends to keep them from falling out of the bun.

[danceri110]

For my updos with hairsticks/forks on dry hair:
1)- I oil my ends with EVOO
2)- I use a spray bottle to wet the top of my hair, and then use my favorite drugstore gel - La Bella - Wet Shine (all the variations work the same for me, it's the brand that I love)

Then I slick back my hair with a boar bristle brush and put my hair up. It's super-neat and when the gel dries it's uber-shiny!
A great thing about the La Bella gel is that it's easy to comb out - When I take my hair out I just comb through with my horn-comb or the boar-bristle brush again and my hair still feels good(:

[|Xei]

I use a moderate amount of L'oreal Elnett hairspray when I put my hair up to glue the wispy bits down (especially at the nape of my neck and side burn area). I also use it to hold my fringe in place when I need it to look and stay nice for an outing/event/whatever. Sometimes, before braiding my hair for braid waves, I'd spray on some diluted AVG so that I get sleeker looking results and extra hold. For heat-styling, I'll use the CHI Silk Infusion serum as a heat protectant. I have a small collection of clays, waxes...etc that I like to use to hold my curls, or for texture (Sebastian Crude Clay and Shiseido UNO are a couple of my favourites).

[Arctic]

My hair is short now, but when it was longer, I used usually at least leave-in conditioner. Well actually normal conditioner as a leave-in. I put it in wet hair and also sometimes smooth any frizz down from the canopy on dry hair.

If I made braids I wanted to last I used silicone loaded smoothing serum (Got2B brand) which I smoothed over the finished braid. I still use this with short hair.

I also used Matrix Biolage moulding souffle which I also still use. It gives nice soft hold, no crunchiness or stiffness. On special occasions (if I wore an updo) I used hair spray.

I also have had few different brands of aloe vera gel over the years, and while it is a lovely product for hair care, it never gave any styling benefits for me. Same with oils, though I had to stop using them (because of acne).

I'm still learning to use products, before my hairtype change I never needed them. Anyway, best canopy frizz tamer for me is regular protein and silicone free conditioner, but I can warmly recommend the Got2B smoothing lotion too!

[lostchyld]

I'm one of the blessed. I think my hair naturally goes towards the back of my head from all the years that I was in ballet, but I even have trouble keeping my bangs that are too short for the rest of the style down.

I use a curl cream on my bangs or a heat protectant and straighten them. The rest does as it will and I don't even brush until the second day and then only because my scalp demands it.

I have tangle free hair unless it's splitting and it does smooth or curly hairstyles without a lot of fuss.

Yep, you can hate me now. :eyebrows: