View Full Version : Frizzy hair woes
I guess this isthe right place to post this...
Does anybody have frizzy hair, and how do you manage it frugally?
Here's my situation. I have thick, curly hair that frizzes like crazy in the humidity. I manage it fairly well most of the time, but it means going to an expensive hair stylist and using those anti-frizz hair products that I really don't like. It never really looks great, and in the summer it's a real fight.
I don't really like spending this much time or money on my hair, and I'm very tempted to just forget the whole thing, let it grow out into a wild mess, and yank it back into a pony tail. :)
Thank you for letting me vent. The humidity down here in the southern US is really kicking in. :~)
Yuck! I have frizzy hair! In fact I was just looking at it and after all the rain we've had in the NE, I look like I stuck my finger in a socket. I'm like you, I don't like spending a lot of time on my hair either.
I've learned to manage with gels and glosses when I really have to have it under control. Velcro rollers work really well, too. I guess the rollers are the most frugal option because they're a one-time investment. Daily hair products can be pricey, but my SIL sells Melaleuca products and I'm always looking for a way to support her so I buy their hair care stuff.
ApatheticNoMore
5-19-11, 1:23pm
Thick and curly hair here too, but luckily the humidity is quite low here most of the time. I shudder to think what my hair would like in a constantly humid climate. As it is I swear by leave in conditioners and only comb my hair when it's wet and with a wide tooth comb (never brush it). It also helps to get split ends regularly trimmed (but I get lazy about that sometimes ...). I also wash it almost daily just to keep it under control.
I can relate! My hair is totally crazy and out of control right now! Leave-in conditioner helps me. I make my own by mixing some conditioner and water in a spray bottle and then spraying my hair when it's wet. A bit of gel or mousse helps, too, if I put it in when my hair is wet. I find it best not to fight with the natural texture of my hair in the summer months. It is very pretty when straightened, but it wants to be wavy/curly. So in the summer I just go with it.
treehugger
5-19-11, 2:46pm
Potentially frizzy hair, checking in. I live in a low-humidity place, but even when I traveled to East Texas last June (and, whoa, that was a humid place!), I still have nice-looking, fairly smooth curls by doing the following:
- Only wash it every 3 or 4 days.
- Only comb (with wide-toothed comb) when wet. Never brush or comb when dry.
- Use Aveda's Be Curly line of shampoo, conditioner, and 2 styling products (one when hair is wet; one when it's mostly dry).
- Let my hair almost completely air dry with product on, then blow dry on low and warm setting for 1-2 minutes, with a diffuser.
- In between wash days, spritz hair with water and add a tiny bit of one of the curl control products. Finger-style and go.
I know it seems complicated and unfrugal when looking at that list, but because I only need to wash it 2x a week, and I air dry it, I save a lot of time, water, and product. I buy the giant bottles of shampoo and condition for cost and environmental (packaging) savings and they last me at least a year. The curl control products also last me a loooong time because I use such tiny amounts.
Good luck!
Kara
Frizzy here too - bad in the dry winter air and far worse in the humid summer air. There is a brief period in both spring and fall when my hair behaves nicely. I found it far easier to manage in the desert southwest. I've tried various things, but usually pull it back on the worst days and forget about it. As noted on the other thread, I'm into low maintenance.
Mine is frizzy, but only curly in places - so the usual curly-hair tricks don't really work. Most of my hair looks TERRIBLE if I don't brush it. Just the sides curl. :(
Today I just spritzed it with some water, put on a toque to walk the dogs, when when I came back, brushed it, pinned it, and put a few drops of grapseed oil in my hands and ran it over top as a glosser. The frizz is sort of, well, reduced....
Fructis Sleek & Shine leave-in conditioner works well for me. My hair isn't real curly but gets really frizzy and when it's humid I look like I was raised by wolves. I used the Fructis stuff after washing, and only wash it every five days or so. I'm not that picky and don't mind if it's frizzy, kind of Yoko Ono-ish.
Well, I just cut my formally long frizzly-curly red hair really short (which I now slightly regret) and it requires way more fussing in the morning (I got it cut out of frustration of having several really bad hair days in a row). One book that saved me years ago while I was doing the latest growing out is called "Curly Girl-The Handbook", by Lorraine Massey. When long I only washed my hair every 5 -7 days, but used conditioner every morning in the shower to comb out the tangles, otherwise I would have ended up with dreadlocks! Then towel dry just gently squeezing, never rubbing, because that would ruin the curl structure. Then some kind of curl-creme in the winter when there is a lack of humidity. I actually really liked my hair in the summer when it got humid because it would get so big in volume and corkscrew curls it was kind of hilarious, but very distinctive...why, o, why did I cut it all off!!!!!!! It's been a week and half and I still have people commenting on the change!
I am going to start growing it again because i don't feel like me at all!
I have not tried this yet, but want to....
http://www.wikihow.com/Follow-the-Curly-Girl-Method-for-Curly-Hair
- Stop Shampooing (I pretty much do this already)
- Use Sulfate free shampoo when you do shampoo
- wide tooth comb vs. brush
- rinse w. cold water (I do, do that)
- use a t-shirt instead of terry towel to dry
- use product
I do find that my hair looks best about 3 days after I shampoo. Occasionally I will blow out my hair and it can last 4 days as full and silky, not frizzy.
^ I second the Curly Girl/"no 'poo" routines and any variation/modification thereof! I have been following these hair care principles for about 4 years now and I find my curly hair much easier to handle (my hair poofing out on a humid day is a thing of the past!). It's a very frugal-friendly method if you let it be.
I have found the community/forum at NaturallyCurly.com to be hugely informative and helpful, not to mention 'inspiring' - have a look at some of the before & after photos (http://www.naturallycurly.com/curltalk/general-discussion-about-curly-hair/47609-post-your-before-after-cg-pics.html)!
Although they are VAST and a little overwhelming at times, I highly recommend you read through some of the information at the NaturallyCurly forums (http://www.naturallycurly.com/curltalk/). Go to the "Newbies info/introductions" forum and start from there. Also, if you use the search facility, you're likely to find the answer to any question you have. Or feel free to ask me!
It may all seem a bit complex, but really it's not. The general concept is that you should treat your hair gently, get to know what it 'likes and dislikes' and avoid stripping it completely of its natural oils (ie by cutting out harsh shampoos). Many of the people who post on those forums are product crazy and are constantly looking for the 'holy grail' of products that will give them 'perfect' curls.... BUT it's much easier to simplify by realising that perfection just isn't possible and that you can probably get results you are happy with by using stuff you have in your kitchen or only one or two hair products...
Let's just say my hair no longer looks like it did when I was 10! HAHA!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/miralaluna/june029036-1-2.jpg
Well, I've already considered the "Curly Girl" method of no-poo. I actually looked into that a year or two ago, and it sounds like so many people get such good results. But dang it, I cannot wrap my brain around NOT shampooing! :) I live out in the country, I get dirty a lot because I like to - gardening, horses, hiking - and I also exercise and get all sweaty every day. Can the no-poo method actually keep your scalp clean with all that?
I don't brush, but instead just use my fingers to "comb" it after a shower, and I have a diffuser on my hair dryer. I don't rub my hair with a towel, but instead carefully blot it. I also use a Paul Mitchel anti-frizz cream - can't remember which one. But if I use too much of it, it makes my hair all gunky, which of course requires a good, thorough shampoo!
Blah. Right now it's sort of a medium-short, loose style. I guess I should either buzz it off or let it grow long enough to pull back in a ponytail forever and ever. :~) Or I could move to Wyoming. I spent a summer in Yellowstone when I was in college, and my hair actually went almost straight up there - no humidity! It was fantastic.
Gardenarian
5-23-11, 5:27pm
What SRP said. I'm going to get the Curly Girl book from the library - my hair thanks you!
1) Mira, you were adorable at 10!!
2) I also tried the Curly Girl/no 'poo routine, after one particular "au naturale" haircut a couple of years ago. I liked it, but I'm not sure if I'm young enough to pull it off. I think I need a little more control, so I'm doing the Velcro roller thing for 20 minutes a day, which works great for me.
Not shampooing doesn't necessarily mean you don't wash your hair! You just do it more gently :) You can modify the routine by using alternatives to shampoo like shikakai powder, baking soda, sulfate-free shampoo/bars, a couple drops of shampoo mixed in with a blob of conditioner, etc.
shadowmoss
5-24-11, 6:03pm
I have started braiding my waist length frizzy hair. I figure I'm on track to be the crazy cat lady, and this is a good next step. :) Here in Honduras it is 106* today, and a braid is keeping me cooler as well.
I find that using just a tiny bit of olive oil works for frizz. I turn the bottle over on my left palm so there's only a coin-size oily spot, use like handcream, and run my oiled fingers through my hair.
The Wikihow article was really useful as I'm sure my shampoos have some kind of sulfate in them, and my hair gets most disagreeable right after I wash it. Using a cider vinegar rinse, a wide-toothed comb to "style", and then letting it air-dry is the best, non-frizzing method I've found so far.
In addition to having wavy hair, I've got two cowlicks that grow in different directions, so using a blow-dryer or a stylist who isn't experienced with curly hair is usually disastrous. Right now I have a stylist who knows what she's doing, but I'm going to get the Curly Girl book and keep it handy for when Katie moves on. I'd love to be able to cut my own hair. So far I'm pretty good with bangs, but cutting the rest intimidates me.
Mira - Your post got my interest! I'm going to Google baking soda as a shampoo. But can you tell me how the shampoo mixed with conditioner works? I guess it's sort of like the 2-in-1 products you see on the shelves?
Jemima - Do you put the olive oil on your hair after it's dry? I wonder what would happen if I blow dried mine and then used the oil. I simply don't have time to let it air dry before work.
I've almost decided to stick to all natural products, but that means doing away with my anti-frizz stuff (cream? goo? Whatever). I have to say, that stuff really does work, but reading the ingredients can give you nightmares. >8)
One of the things that works best for me is Beauty without Cruelty leave-in conditioner. I spread a small amount on my hands and then put it on my hair after towel-drying and combing - then leave my hair to dry without touching it at all. It doesn't give hair the plastic feeling that gels do.
I have tried the no-shampoo and the baking soda. Neither worked for me. Baking soda left my hair so incredibly dry that it was worse than regular shampoo, and the no-shampoo routine was oily and dandruffy. I like Aubrey Organics chamomile shampoo. It doesn't make many suds, but cleans well. I try to get it mostly right on my scalp, leaving the longer portions of my hair without shampoo to avoid drying.
Vitacost.com has good prices on many natural hair-care products.
Jemima - Do you put the olive oil on your hair after it's dry? I wonder what would happen if I blow dried mine and then used the oil. I simply don't have time to let it air dry before work.
No, I put it on when it's damp but not dry. I think that helps to spread the oil more thinly so my hair doesn't feel or look oily. I shampoo at night or on weekends and at this point, only once a week. The more I wash the more dried-out and frizzy it gets.
The baking soda routine didn't work for me, either. My hair looked filthy afterward even though I took great pains to rinse it all out. No shine at all.
One other thing I've found that works as a hairdressing on wet or dry hair is Avon's Moisture Therapy hand cream. I used it once in a pinch while staying at a hotel and was surprised at how well it works. Now I use it for those bad hair days when I wake up looking like a misshapen tumbleweed.
I've been shampooing with baking soda instead of commercial shampoo for several years now. Works great, very inexpensive, and no plastic bottles involved. I rinse with 1/2 water 1/2 apple cider vinegar, and this has stopped the awful tangling my long wavy hair used to get.
poetry_writer
5-26-11, 2:27pm
My hair is fine and curly..and oily. I try to apply the shampoo only to scalp area but the ends are still prone to frizzy. (I live in Texas, the humidity capital of the world!).....
For more info on "no 'poo" routines, this livejournal community is a great resource: http://no-poo.livejournal.com/
There are topic tags on the right and lots of information under the "user info" link (top of the page).
As for mixing a little shampoo with conditioner, the shampoo basically just adds a cleansing element to the conditioner, which doesn't act as harshly as shampoo on its own.
THeCohoons
6-5-11, 10:28am
Homemade flax seed gel works great. Look up how to make it. Cheap and natural.
Last week, after the first hot and humid day of the season, I had my hair trimmed and got it substantially thinned. That has made a huge difference.
poetry_writer
6-7-11, 6:51pm
I like my hair to smell good though....living in a high humidity hotter n hell climate, I dont know if anything but shampoo would accomplish keeping me smelling like a rose...or whatever.
I'm finally getting used to the new short do, and on a day like today, I am definitely cooler! I don't have to worry about the frizzies either, but it is already growing out of shape and it's only been three weeks!
I like my hair to smell good though....living in a high humidity hotter n hell climate, I dont know if anything but shampoo would accomplish keeping me smelling like a rose...or whatever.
A friend of mine IRL raised that issue. Personally I'm sensitive to all types of synthetic fragrance, but is seems like one could walk under a spritz of perfume or cologne and get a similar effect as scented shampoo?
As to another aspect of smelling in the heat, I also use baking soda as a deodorant: 1/4 tsp and enough water to make a thin paste; pat don't rub. It even works after I already stink!
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