Advice needed for dry and coarse hair

I am one week away from the appointment with my hairdresser unless something comes up and I need to cancel it again. I'm already beyond desperate.

I'm generally happy with my hair, except at times like this when it's overgrown and is a really high maintenance. I have very thick hair, there is a lot of it, it's dry (not from chemicals, just it's natural tendency) and - coarse. I cannot just wash and go, it needs a lot of styling and my arms hurt after holding hairdryer for ages as I try to tame it.

I don't speak hair styling at all and I'm lost in front of the the shelves with the hair product. Part of me is just annoyed by the fact the products change so often, that even if you find the one that works there's no guarantee they'll still make it next time you need to buy it again. Part of me remembers the bad experience when I had short hair and needed a lot of products to keep things in place, which led to dry scalp.

Please educate me. I think I need something to take care of the coarse feel, dryness is not that much of an issue. What type of product(s) are we talking about?

Any YLF-like websites that help you become friends with your hair?

14 years ago

catgirl

Veteran

I am addicted to the Moroccan hair oil line - it is expensive, but it goes a long way. I know there are slightly cheaper versions, and it works wonders with my hair. I put it on at night and it works like a leave-in conditioner. It is not greasy, but it does flatten my hair a bit so there's less texture. It gives fabulous shine!

http://www.amazon.com/Moroccan.....038;sr=8-1

Jonesy

I have somewhat dry, very copious and coarse hair. I never use a blow dryer, curling iron, flattener, etc. on it (always let it air dry with a little leave-in conditioner), wash it every 3-4 days, and use a deep conditioner on it each time I wash it. I also don't color it. I use Aveda products (the damage remedy line) and Sebastian Potion 9 leave-in conditioner.

Louise

Oooo una I love morrocan oil too. I agree it's expensive but I purchased my first bottle in April 2010 and I still a fifth of the bottle left! x

April

Ornela, do you have curly hair? If so, I highly recommend http://www.naturallycurly.com/ for tons of product ideas.

Also, I'm an advocate of the no-shampoo method for curly girls (your hair isn't dirty because you "wash" it with conditioner.) But if you're doing that, you have to avoid products that have a lot of silicones, which will build up on your hair if you're not shampooing. Unfortunately, that includes Moroccan oil -- any ingredient that ends in "cone" is a silicone.

Have you tried a hot oil treatment once a week? You can easily make your own -- there are lots of recipes on the web.

KristineK

Active Member

I'll second alaskagirl's Moroccanoil recommendation. I've tried the shampoo, conditioner and the treatment oil (that's the product alaskagirl linked to), and while I've had really great results with all of them, the treatment oil itself is the miracle product (in my opinion). I usually add a dime-size amount to my hair prior to blow-drying, and sometimes a little bit afterwards as well.

The other thing that has really helped for me is to reduce how often I wash my hair (like Jonesy, every 3-4 days works pretty well).

biscuitsmom

I absolutely swear by WEN Cleansing Conditioner in Fig (for dry hair)...http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp......onditioner. You use that in place of shampoo/conditioner and it has made SUCH a huge difference its incredible. I had thick, 'normal' texture for yrs, but age and meds made my hair so dry and coarse I could hardly comb it. I decided to give WEN a try after seeing the inventor (Chaz something- a LA haircutter/stylist) on QVC - they have a 30 Day money-back guarantee on everything.....They suggest leaving it on your hair overnight, but that bugged me so I left it on about 2 hrs and it honestly was like a new head of hair! Within 3 times it was really soft and silky, without being weighed-down or greasy at all....its not cheap, but a bottle lasts a really long time- appx 3 months or more, depending how often you shampoo and how much you use....I hope you give it a try!

Ornella

(website)

Thanks ladies.

Louise, where did you buy your oil, on-line or some store?

Jonesy, you have lovely wavy hair. I try to stay away from any heat when I can, but my hair must be styled with either hair dryer or iron - there's no avoiding it.

April, thanks for the link, I'll check it. Mine is not curly, only at some places - in another word I cannot rely on my 'natural' curls or waves to look anywhere near decent. I'll have a look at some home-made hit oil solutions, thanks.

biscuitsmom, will check that too Sounds very good.

Maya

I don't have dry or coarse hair, but I can tell you that any "special" products will not compare to the wonders of pure virgin coconut oil. It's cheap and extremely easy to obtain and use. Just "melt" a bit of it between the palms of your hands and coat your hair with it. Wrap it in a shower cap, and just go about your chores for a few hours. Then wash out.

The reason why it works is because it very closely mimics your hair's natural oils, and is therefore one of the few oils (I think the only other one is olive oil) that can actually penetrate the hair shaft. I have used plain coconut oil, olive oil, and a mix of both. All of them work wonders. My hair is no longer dry, although it definitely was at this time last year from all the blowdrying I was doing.

This is actual science, not marketing fluff! Give it a shot. You have nothing to lose. If you find it doesn't work well, it's a very healthy and tasty oil to cook with

Super Maya, thanks.

Scarlet

I think all of this is good advice. My hair is similar to the way you describe yours, and besides that I have a fussy scalp. If you are not into the no 'poo thing (I am not, and Wen hasn't hit Europe yet to my knowledge), I would just add that finding a nourishing shampoo and conditioner is critical. A hair masque (basically a rich conditioner that you leave in for 15 - 20 minutes) once a week makes a big difference for me. I also use a leave-in product similar to the Moroccan oil. I have had good luck with products from L'oreal, Kerastase, and Aveda.

Thanks Scarlet.

Ornela you can buy it online, Ebay, Amazon and the like but I've found it to be cheaper in the hair salon I use x

Kristine

I have dry fairly coarse hair. You could try glossing, which is like having clear color applied. My stylist recommend it last year for summer when my hair really starts to get dry and brittle.

modgrl

I second the Wen recommendation if you can get your hands on it. The stuff is great. It is pricey but I am not washing my hair very often these days. A little goes a long way.

Patty

Kristine--is what you suggest like the conditioner in colour treatment without the colour??
That stuff in colour treatments is incredible!!!!! What is it and/or is it sold separately LOL??!!

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