Help me have awesome-looking hair
June 14, 2013 6:43 AM Subscribe
Need tips from the hivemind for fantastic-looking hair!
I have thick, dark hair that is about shoulder-length. It is quite heavy and gets oily fast, so it only ever looks really nice in the first couple of days after I have a blowdry...and when I wash it more than once a week I need to dry it myself and because of the volume, it turns into a real chore. Also, the ends don't always look tidy.
Can the gals from the hivemind give me some tips on how I can keep it looking shiny, tidy and looking nice when I don't have the chance to go to the hairdresser? Hydration/treatment/washing/drying methods would be super helpful.
In terms of products, I have been using Aussie's shampoo and conditioner, have tried Neutrogena, Vichy but it works in the first few times, then my hair goes back to looking really messy and full of build-up.
Since I am in South America and can't always get access to every imported product, some recommendations of certain generic, natural alternatives (like aloe vera, etc) or mainstream brands (like L'Oreal and so on) for creams, finishing products etc and all would help a lot. Thank you!!
I have thick, dark hair that is about shoulder-length. It is quite heavy and gets oily fast, so it only ever looks really nice in the first couple of days after I have a blowdry...and when I wash it more than once a week I need to dry it myself and because of the volume, it turns into a real chore. Also, the ends don't always look tidy.
Can the gals from the hivemind give me some tips on how I can keep it looking shiny, tidy and looking nice when I don't have the chance to go to the hairdresser? Hydration/treatment/washing/drying methods would be super helpful.
In terms of products, I have been using Aussie's shampoo and conditioner, have tried Neutrogena, Vichy but it works in the first few times, then my hair goes back to looking really messy and full of build-up.
Since I am in South America and can't always get access to every imported product, some recommendations of certain generic, natural alternatives (like aloe vera, etc) or mainstream brands (like L'Oreal and so on) for creams, finishing products etc and all would help a lot. Thank you!!
You could try using dry shampoo. Start using it the day before it would get oily, and use it daily. It should give you an extra 1-3 days of non-oily hair.
Dry shampoo is popular again now (at least in the US), so it's easy to find here, I don't have any idea about access in South America. I've tried a couple brands and my favorites thus far are Batiste and Pssssst. It looks like L'oreal does make one.
posted by insectosaurus at 6:55 AM on June 14, 2013
Dry shampoo is popular again now (at least in the US), so it's easy to find here, I don't have any idea about access in South America. I've tried a couple brands and my favorites thus far are Batiste and Pssssst. It looks like L'oreal does make one.
posted by insectosaurus at 6:55 AM on June 14, 2013
Is only the reason why you only wash your hair once a week because it takes a while to dry it? if your issue is that it looks oily quickly I'm thinking you may need to bite the bullet and wash your hair more often. I have long dark thick hair too and it has a natural curl that looks horrid if I let it dry on its own. I have to dry it myself for it to look good. It has taken some practice but I have learned how to dry my hair quickly and have it look nice. I got something like THIS, which is fabulous. I just dry it in layers/sections. The ends get nicely finished and curled under, and it doesn't take overly long.
Also, have you tried dry shampoo for the days in between washings? You can get some that are meant for dark hair.
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 6:55 AM on June 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
Also, have you tried dry shampoo for the days in between washings? You can get some that are meant for dark hair.
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 6:55 AM on June 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks for these great tips so far! Lyn, I hadn't really thought about the rollers, will try getting some to see if it makes drying easier.
I do use dry shampoo sometimes, we have the Batiste and Klorane brands here which are expensive but good, also some local alternatives.
PuppetMcSockerson - this ionic styler looks really cool! Will try finding one around here.
posted by heartofglass at 7:02 AM on June 14, 2013
I do use dry shampoo sometimes, we have the Batiste and Klorane brands here which are expensive but good, also some local alternatives.
PuppetMcSockerson - this ionic styler looks really cool! Will try finding one around here.
posted by heartofglass at 7:02 AM on June 14, 2013
Use a silicon-based shine product, usually a spray or serum, and gel. Put them in pretty damp hair, before blow drying. Get a stylist to show you how to blow dry your hair on your own. I have very thick, very wavy hair, and using shine & gel makes a huge difference. I generally put in a hairband or French braid it and let it dry on its own, and that helps keep it from being too bushy. I wash it every 3 days in winter, every 2 days when it's hot.
posted by theora55 at 7:02 AM on June 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 7:02 AM on June 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
Another tool you may enjoy is a Flat Iron. I bought this one cheap on Amazon. It works really well.
Shampoo your hair, then blow it relatively straight and finish with the flat iron. Then a bit of argon oil and you'll have straight, shiny, frizz-free hair.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 7:09 AM on June 14, 2013 [3 favorites]
Shampoo your hair, then blow it relatively straight and finish with the flat iron. Then a bit of argon oil and you'll have straight, shiny, frizz-free hair.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 7:09 AM on June 14, 2013 [3 favorites]
The hairdryer I linked is great. It actually makes drying hair nicely a lot easier because everything is sort of built in. You don't have to have one hand for the hair dryer and one hand for the round brush. You only need one hand for the dryer and the other can be used to sort of help. Way easier, and the result is pretty great (at least for me). I suggest doing it in sections, though. Do the under sections first. This dryer is actually a great finishing tool. I can do a fast mostly-dry job on my hairwith my normal hair drier and then use this to finish the job, again in sections. Smooths everything out, gives ends a nice flip.
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 7:32 AM on June 14, 2013
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 7:32 AM on June 14, 2013
Oil is the problem, and oil is the solution. There's plenty of oil-for-hair products now that are making the rounds these days (Moroccan Oil is maybe the most famous). I've used Caudalie Divine Oil, Davine's Oil, and Macadamia Natural Oil. (Shout out to BirchBox for the samples). They're all good, so long as you use them consistently. The Moroccan Oil was amazing from the get-go though!
Rub it into your damp hair, avoiding your scalp, and you won't get any extra oil buildup. Instead, you get lovely, soft, beautiful, less frizzy hair day-in day-out. It's a goddamned miracle.
FWIW, I have very fine hair that builds up oil crazy-fast, but this causes no extra oil buildup on my scalp. My thick-haired friends have had similar, amazing results from using this stuff too.
posted by Curiosity Delay at 8:45 AM on June 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
Rub it into your damp hair, avoiding your scalp, and you won't get any extra oil buildup. Instead, you get lovely, soft, beautiful, less frizzy hair day-in day-out. It's a goddamned miracle.
FWIW, I have very fine hair that builds up oil crazy-fast, but this causes no extra oil buildup on my scalp. My thick-haired friends have had similar, amazing results from using this stuff too.
posted by Curiosity Delay at 8:45 AM on June 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
For styling this Spin Brush Dryer or one that similar and available where you are. Dry your hair about 75% of the way using a regular dryer and then bring in the spin brush for the final styling. It makes doing your own blowout so much easier. The spin brush does the work of wrapping/pulling that make a professional blowout look professional.
posted by 26.2 at 8:55 AM on June 14, 2013
posted by 26.2 at 8:55 AM on June 14, 2013
I have a super oily scalp and I have to wash my hair every day. I have a Chi blowdryer which works really fast and makes my hair a lot shinier than regular dryers. I also have a Chi straightener which I like a lot better than previous cheaper models.
posted by radioamy at 9:26 AM on June 14, 2013
posted by radioamy at 9:26 AM on June 14, 2013
If you could solve the drying problem, could you wash it more often?
If so, maybe you could wash at night and let it dry while you sleep using the No Heat Curl headband method. I've tried it and once you get it down, the curls come out well.
If not, a flat iron would work wonders, just get one safe for wet/dry usage and put heat protection product in your hair beforehand.
posted by bookdragoness at 5:21 PM on June 14, 2013
If so, maybe you could wash at night and let it dry while you sleep using the No Heat Curl headband method. I've tried it and once you get it down, the curls come out well.
If not, a flat iron would work wonders, just get one safe for wet/dry usage and put heat protection product in your hair beforehand.
posted by bookdragoness at 5:21 PM on June 14, 2013
If so, maybe you could wash at night and let it dry while you sleep using the No Heat Curl headband method. I've tried it and once you get it down, the curls come out well.
I find that if I do this with damp hair overnight, when I wake up and unroll it, my hair is still damp. My hair is relatively thin and fine, so I imagine with thick hair it would be even slower to dry.
However the headband method is a terrific suggestion to do at night with dry or barely damp hair because not only do you wake up with gorgeous curls that last all day, it also keeps your ends looking fresh for much longer as well. Rag curls are also great for this. Each method gives slightly different kinds of curls, so try them both!
posted by platinum at 2:19 PM on June 16, 2013
I find that if I do this with damp hair overnight, when I wake up and unroll it, my hair is still damp. My hair is relatively thin and fine, so I imagine with thick hair it would be even slower to dry.
However the headband method is a terrific suggestion to do at night with dry or barely damp hair because not only do you wake up with gorgeous curls that last all day, it also keeps your ends looking fresh for much longer as well. Rag curls are also great for this. Each method gives slightly different kinds of curls, so try them both!
posted by platinum at 2:19 PM on June 16, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:53 AM on June 14, 2013