How to Care For Unmanageable Hair

Steps

1. Remember that hair is a fiber and must be treated like a favorite sweater: No wringing, tugging or brushing when wet. Squeeze moisture from hair after shampooing with an absorbent towel and comb.
2. Keep your hair trimmed regularly! Even 1/4 inch a month or every six weeks makes all the difference in the health of your hair. If you are trying to let your hair grow out, nip the ends for health just the same. You will still gain length! Hair that is allowed to grow untrimmed will eventually start to break at the ends from wear and you will lose hair as fast as it can grow.
3. Naturally curly hair screams for moisture. Layer light products at every stage in your grooming process rather than using one heavy product at a time.
4. If you have very curly hair and want curl definition, try Redken Ringlet or ArTex Texture Spray. Both of these are excellent products and won't make your hair feel sticky. It is best to air-dry to minimize frizz; if you must, use a diffuser attachment on your blow dryer at a medium to low setting.
5. Finish with a moisture lock-out spray, such as Matrix Sleek Water Free Lockout Spray. This will help protect your hair from humidity and make your style last longer. You may also try a smoothing product, such as Redken Glass (for coarse hair only, too much oil for finer hair), Matrix Glow Trix, or TiGi SpoilMe.
6. Do not use a flat iron on a daily basis. Ironing causes a circular problem- your hair is curly/frizzy so you straighten it but the heat causes even more frizz, so you straighten in more or use more heat. Round and round you go. Please, if you must flat iron, try to follow these guidelines:
   
   
   • Buy a good ceramic flat iron! If you have spent less than on your iron there's a good chance that it will not be of a good quality and may cause damage to your hair.
   • Make sure your flat iron has a thermostat. Start with your iron on medium (thermostat to halfway) and adjust until you are using minimum heat necessary to straighten the hair.
   • Always use a heat-absorbing product between your hair and the iron! Use ArTex Cream or, for hair that is more coarse, Redken Heat Glide. Never put an iron on hair that is unprotected!
   • Straighten minimally. That is, if one section of your hair is more curly than the rest, such as at the hairline, try to straighten only the "problem" areas and use a good ceramic round brush to straighten the rest to minimize heat exposure.
   • Never straighten bleached (chemically lightened) hair or hair that has been lifted more than 3 levels with color! It will melt.
   • Once a week, or every three shampoos use a heavy treatment, such as Redken Butter Treat or Deep Fuel to help minimize breakage and encourage healthy growth.

Tips

• Invest in good tools. Ceramic brushes, available at any beauty supply store are wonderful allies for fighting frizz and adding volume.
• Always comb, rather than brush, hair that tends to frizz , and never brush wet hair. It's at its most vulnerable when wet!
• Talk to a professional about which products are best for your hair type. Don't fall for the hard sell! If you feel that they're just trying to reach their sales goal for the week, walk away. Any real professional will spend as much time with you as you need without making you feel obligated to buy.
• Love the hair you have! Everyone has some problem with her hair. Don't make your hair the barometer for your day.

Things You'll Need

• Moisturizing shampoo and conditioner, OR a shampoo/conditioner containing Dimethicone/Silicone for smoothness
• A good leave-in treatment, such as Biosilk
• A a finishing product to lock out humidity and add shine
• A heavy weekly "treat" for extra moisture
• Ceramic tools