My Hair Is A Mess, Help!

[suzywootoo]

I am having real problems with my hair wondered what do. I have shoulder length hair and I am trying to grow it longer, but I am struggling to maintain it. I blow dry and straighten every time I wash it, which is every other day or third day but and it looks lovely but by the end of the day it is a mess and by the next day it looks awful. I have dry, damaged hair which feels coarse and it used to be sleek and shiny. I am growing the layers out because my hair has wavy ends and this seems to make it worse but I'm not sure if I should keep them in. I use a shampoo and conditioner for dry/damaged hair and this doesn't seem to make any difference. I put lots of different things to try to help but nothing seems to help. If I leave it to dry that makes it worse. Can anybody shed any light on where I am going wrong. Am I using the wrong shampoo, should I have it cut off, which I don't really want to do as I have done that several times and regretted it. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks.

[anneasquith]

whether you are growing your hair or not, you should get the ends cut every 6 weeks. the blow drying and straighteners are the cause of the dryness.

[mallyh]

i use tresemme smoothmemory frizz control or heat defence it makes quite a difference to my brillo pad hair

[ummmm]

I would give up trying to grow it. I have dry hair and as soon as it gets to shoulder length the ends start going frizzy. I also don't blow dry or straighten on a daily basis so I'm not damaging it.

I don't agree with having your hair trimmed every 6 weeks. It'll never get any longer if you do that!

Do you protect your hair before you dry/straightening it?

[suzywootoo]

I don't know if I should let it dry naturally for a while but it looks worse when I don't as my hair has a wave in it and it's very frizzy else

[suzywootoo]

I do use heat defence sometimes but when I go to the hairdressers they don't seem to use any.

[Sharingan]

I usually rock a messy head but when I want it sleek and shiny I do the following.
I always use Elvive Hair Repair Shampoo, Conditioner and Hair Masque, followed ( when it's still wet) with the shine spray in conditioner. Then I dry it on a COLD setting on the hairdryer ( because cold air flattens the grain of the hair and leaves it looking sleeker and shinier). When it's bone dry I clomp some ghd's on it always with a heat protector. I don't trim every 6 weeks but do have a look every 3 months or so because if your hair starts to split then it'll get shorter and look a frizzy mess, how oftenj you cut it depends on how prone to splitting it is, you'll never grow long hair if it starts off damaged. My hair is reasonably straight naturally but I can curl it or straighten it as I wish without damaging it too much with this regime.

[suzywootoo]

My hair wasn't really damaged when I started growing it as I had really short hair, a pixie cut and would wash it and leave it. I even stopped colouring it even though it looked very grey, so I thought I was starting off well.

[Sharingan]

You might be. My Mum found that as soon as she started getting grey hair it was a coarser texture and far more difficult to stop splitting. She colours it and it's very long still, but she had problems with split ends for a while :(

[Brinjal]

Have you thought of having that Brazilian blow wave treatment. Its expensive but I believe gives good results and makes the hair nice and sleek.

[boxtops]

I started using Boots Argan Oil shampoo, it's done wonders, it adds shine and bulk to my hair. I just let mine dry naturally - blow drying isn't going to help you at all.

[tamborine]

Use this after conditioning, Its expensive but you only put two drops spread on hands and rub through hair AFTER drying. It smooths hair cuticle, gives shine, gorgeous smell & protects hair from further damage.

http://www.cheapsmells.com/productPaging.php?cm_mmc_o=7BBTkw*Vzbp%20mwzygt*dyzTyzEgwl%20&%20-ufwyltzMw*1%27Rywzk%20VyBuwllbBEzk%20C%204Yftbg%20Rbk&;gclid=CJeM2tLNn7gCFWXKtAodHVUA0w&productId=320305

Straitners do alter natural hair but are necessary for the desired style. Root growth remains natural. n.b. best to have split-ends trimmed 6weekly before they split further up hair and snap off.

[tamborine]

p.s. Split ends happen with brushing, combing & weather. Its a natural occurence of all hair.

[suzywootoo]

Lots of great advice everyone. I am using a dry ends serum, a frizz serum and it helps a bit but its the next day that it looks horrible, I can't seem to keep the style and it looking good. I think I will have to invest in some repair shampoo and conditioner and start to leave it to dry even though it looks more frizzy and my fringe has a mind of its own.

[tamborine]

Try blow drying your hair with you head bent over your knees, when roots are dry & lifted you can sit up & apply straiteners and product I recommended.

[suzywootoo]

Thanks Tambourine, I do that every now and again. I have very thick hair and hair that falls out all the time, have been told that it's nothing to worry about I have overactive scalp and also psorias so I have a dry scalp too. I blow dry by sectioning it off or scrunch drying and I wonder why I bother.

[tamborine]

Everyone has hair loss and its moulting season. Long hair is more noticeable in plug holes. Try a salt rinse before your final clear rinsing. Sea water (salt) helps my BILs psoriasis.

[suzywootoo]

Thanks Tamborine, do I buy sea salt rinse or make it myself

[tamborine]

mix a tablespoon of regular salt with 1litre tepid water & pour over scalp & hair, then rinse out with warm tap water.

[sara3]

I use the same hair products as Shar, and I think they're really good.

nothing will "mend" damaged hair (split ends?) but it doesn't have to be cut every 6 weeks. try to find sulphate free products (Boots do a range called Naked), and cut down on blow-frying your hair! use plenty of condition, and occasionally leave it on for 15 mins or so. if your hair wants to curl, look up how to care for curly hair, because it really is a whole other ball game!

[pizza]

Hi suzy since having my hair permed my hair has become very dry and knotted after washing, I just recently bought a Schwarzkopf Gliss liquid silk conditioner/ hair repair with liquid keratin for dry,brittle and it's brilliant.
After applying it just makes my hair so easy to comb and feels really silky.
It wasn't expensive from Bodycare.