I have what I call Cocker Spaniel hair. Very long, thick, and dense. It is naturally curly/wavy, but not really the good kind. If I sleep on it wet (which I normally do, as I hate drying my hair so I'll shower at night) I wake up to a bunch of ringlet curls. They don't always look half bad...until I touch them. And if I don't touch them, they frizz. Letting my hair air dry during the day results in semi-loose frizzy waves. Blow drying my hair? Poofy, thick, frizzy mess. Really, think of the ear hair on a Cocker Spaniel and that describes my hair. LOL I normally straighten my hair if I'm doing anything with it because otherwise it looks like crap. Even then, most people can straighten their hair and have it last a few days...mine may last the day, then I have to re-straighten it the next day. And even straight, I still have to fight frizz. If it is going to be humid/wet outside at all, I just don't even want to mess with it and I just pull it back because nothing I can do will make it look good.
What it looks like air dried IF it dries just right - it may do this one time out of ten:
When it is straight:
I need to buy more hair products (running out), need to purchase a new flat iron, and am also due for a hair cut, so I thought this would be a good time to get opinions on what I should be getting.
I currently am using Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship shampoo/conditioner. I've had tried various other brands/types and really haven't been happy with any of them. Either they didn't condition my hair properly so it was dry/frizzy, it conditioned it too much so it became oily and heavy after only a day (I wash my hair every other day), my hair didn't feel clean, I had lots of breakage, etc., etc. I'm fairly happy with the shampoo I have now, but didn't know if I should look into something different. I know that sulfate-free shampoos are supposed to AWESOME...but I hate that they don't lather and I can never get my hair to feel clean using a sulfate free shampoo. So, none of those. Also, I can't break the bank on shampoo...something low-cost is a must.
Now, as for hair products. I hate doing anything with my hair, and I hate putting a ton of products in it mainly because a.) it takes forever to do anything with it and b.) when I put products in that means I have to wash my hair that night, which means the next day I'll have to start over from square one instead of having it at least most of the way straight or what not, so it will take forever once again to do anything with it.
For when it is curly: Is there a product that I can just put directly into my hair when it is either air drying or already dry, but curly from sleeping on it wet at night? Typically, the curls look good at first, but then as the day goes on frizz and other things set in and it just looks bad. Mike really likes my hair when it is curly, but I can never figure out how to just get the curls to stay how they are (and I hate actually curling my hair).
For when it is straight: I've been using a CHI flat iron since forever. However, both of them have died on me. The first one was my fault and I screwed up the cord. This second had one of the heating elements die, so only one of the plates heats up. Luckily it is still under warranty so I can get a replacement, but I may have my mom buy me a different brand and give my replacement to my sister. Should I stick with a CHI, or is there another brand I should look in to? As I said earlier, the CHI works well, but even then my hair does NOT stay straight past a day. And it still takes me a good 30 minutes to get it entirely straight.
For frizz, I typically either apply some Dove Intense Frizz Control Cream or Morrocan Oil. Works fairly well for the most part, but I didn't know if there was something better. Course, it looks like the Dove product is no longer made...figures as much, because I really liked it.
Annnnd, last thing. Should I get it styled any differently, or no? I normally just get it trimmed up and have layers put in. Short bangs annoy the bejesus out of me and I like my hair the length it is (hate short hair). I'm thinking I'll just ask for a more intensive layered look, since I think what she does now is more to just thin it out and make it not so thick and heavy...I just want something basic and casual. And however I get it cut, it HAS to be able to go up into a ponytail. I hate having my hair down at work.
What it looks like air dried IF it dries just right - it may do this one time out of ten:
When it is straight:
I need to buy more hair products (running out), need to purchase a new flat iron, and am also due for a hair cut, so I thought this would be a good time to get opinions on what I should be getting.
I currently am using Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship shampoo/conditioner. I've had tried various other brands/types and really haven't been happy with any of them. Either they didn't condition my hair properly so it was dry/frizzy, it conditioned it too much so it became oily and heavy after only a day (I wash my hair every other day), my hair didn't feel clean, I had lots of breakage, etc., etc. I'm fairly happy with the shampoo I have now, but didn't know if I should look into something different. I know that sulfate-free shampoos are supposed to AWESOME...but I hate that they don't lather and I can never get my hair to feel clean using a sulfate free shampoo. So, none of those. Also, I can't break the bank on shampoo...something low-cost is a must.
Now, as for hair products. I hate doing anything with my hair, and I hate putting a ton of products in it mainly because a.) it takes forever to do anything with it and b.) when I put products in that means I have to wash my hair that night, which means the next day I'll have to start over from square one instead of having it at least most of the way straight or what not, so it will take forever once again to do anything with it.
For when it is curly: Is there a product that I can just put directly into my hair when it is either air drying or already dry, but curly from sleeping on it wet at night? Typically, the curls look good at first, but then as the day goes on frizz and other things set in and it just looks bad. Mike really likes my hair when it is curly, but I can never figure out how to just get the curls to stay how they are (and I hate actually curling my hair).
For when it is straight: I've been using a CHI flat iron since forever. However, both of them have died on me. The first one was my fault and I screwed up the cord. This second had one of the heating elements die, so only one of the plates heats up. Luckily it is still under warranty so I can get a replacement, but I may have my mom buy me a different brand and give my replacement to my sister. Should I stick with a CHI, or is there another brand I should look in to? As I said earlier, the CHI works well, but even then my hair does NOT stay straight past a day. And it still takes me a good 30 minutes to get it entirely straight.
For frizz, I typically either apply some Dove Intense Frizz Control Cream or Morrocan Oil. Works fairly well for the most part, but I didn't know if there was something better. Course, it looks like the Dove product is no longer made...figures as much, because I really liked it.
Annnnd, last thing. Should I get it styled any differently, or no? I normally just get it trimmed up and have layers put in. Short bangs annoy the bejesus out of me and I like my hair the length it is (hate short hair). I'm thinking I'll just ask for a more intensive layered look, since I think what she does now is more to just thin it out and make it not so thick and heavy...I just want something basic and casual. And however I get it cut, it HAS to be able to go up into a ponytail. I hate having my hair down at work.