What’s flat and staticky and makes me crazy?
My hair!
I need your help. I’m at my wits end with my hair. Lately I’ve been seriously considering two options: shave it off or grow it out so I wear a ponytail thing every day. But before I do either of those, I thought I’d solicit your advice.
My hair used to have more volume. Actually, in high school I would wear a tight winter hat while it dried to help flatten it out. And even when I first cut my hair a year a half ago, it was more voluminous. Part of the problem is that I’m getting old and my hair is thinning – I can’t believe that I now buy shampoo that’s supposed to create volume when I used to do everything I could to reduce it.
Anyway look at what’s happening:
That BEFORE picture is horrible of me (I’m squinting against the sun), but you can see the difference right? See how in the AFTER (which is actually not flattering either! What was I thinking?) picture my hair is just flat and limp and ugly? How do I fix that?
The other problem is static. My hair is so staticky! I’m sure it’s partially because of the dry winter weather that won’t cease, but it’s bad. Really bad. When I comb my hair, it sounds like firecrackers. It’s not uncommon to see me licking my hand and smoothing my hair down. This is not okay with me. Help!
I know nothing about hair products, so I’m clueless here. Someone recently told me I should switch shampoos, and yes that helped, but not as much as I’d like. What should I do? What does one do for flat, staticky hair?
Is there a shampoo or conditioner that would help? Maybe a styling product? Some ancient remedy you know of?
For a little context, here’s what I do right now:
- wash and condition every other day with Garnier Fructis something-or-other (I just switched to this from giant economy size bottles of Dove)
- towel dry for a few seconds
- air dry for about 15 minutes
- use a clip to create a sort of half-up-do to encourage my hair to not dry flat
- let air dry that way for about 15-20 minutes
- apply small portion of gloss drops shine serum
- blow dry into as much of a poof ball as possible
- sleep on it
- apply a little more shine serum (in the morning)
- use flat iron to tame the waves (mostly the top layers, leaving the under layers as poofy as possible)
- fuss with it all day because it makes me crazy
- occasionally comb it upward to encourage lift
- often spit on fingers and smooth down static
It’s really just a pain in the ass and I need help. Or I’m gonna shave it off. Please help!
flat iron? shine serum?? sleep on it??? Umm hello!! Duh.
I have the big pouf for hair and these are all remedies I use successfully to get flat limp hair. A, you need mousse not shine serum. Mousse will give you some volume. B, blow dry with a round brush. NO flat iron. C, it’d be much better if you did your hair in the morning, although I am guilty of not doing this all the time so I understand. Any sleep helps.
Not sure about the static, since I get this from time to time…
Unfortunately, Sarah is right. I know you won’t switch, but my hair has SO MUCH MORE volume when I don’t sleep on it. If I wake up, shower, blow dry and go on my way, it definitely helps. But, I’m lazy like you so – I’ve heard about a Loreal shampoo that actually says something about reducing static on the label. And, I recently fell in love with Ulta – you should go there, they have so many choices. Other than that, I got nothing…because I’m sure you’ve noticed that my hair is always flat too.
i have incredibly baby fine hair with a tendancy towards static and i am here to tell you that the garnier fructis sucketh for my hair. tried it once and it was a disaster. unfortunately, i have tried them all, you name it and i’ve tried it and sadly, it is only the expensive salon shampoos and conditioners that i have any luck with. i air dry my hair, cuts down on the static and i don’t use any product other than a leave in conditioner when i am swimming a lot and only on the ends where the hair gets weak.
i have embraced the utter straigtness of my hair and i keep it long as i find it is completely unmanageable short, weird but true. the weight of it long helps i think to keep it smooth …
course that is my hair which is different than yours … so all i can offer is try stuff and when you find something that works keep it
good luck, xo
Well, hmmm, I know the reason that you flat iron your hair. I’ve witnessed it’s waviness. And I know that some people are seeing this as a cause to your issue, but I think there are other things that can be tried first before giving that up.
I would try a 100% silk pillowcase for starters to help with static.
I’ve always found shine serum to weight down my hair. I would probably try something different like a mousse for volume as suggested above.
They also have volumizing spray that you could spray on the roots (even dry hair), flip your head upside down and blow dry for a few seconds each day.
Depending on how oily your hair is, washing every other day could be a cause of the flattening. My neice washes every other day and uses baby powder to absorb the oil. Food for thought…
For static, I’d try a light, leave-in conditioner.I’ve also read (but never tried) that a dryer sheet works well for static on your hair. Just carry in your purse and run it over your strands when static appears. And, one last trick is when you put lotion on your hands, use the last little bit before it’s rubbed in all the way and run your fingers through the ends of your hair.
Other things to consider, try to not touch it so much. The oil from your hands will get on your hair and weight it down more, especially at the scalp. One last thing to think about, coloring hair always changes the texture. Even if you color it the same color as your natural color or add a few highlights, this will add texture and some volume.
Good luck!
I, too, have extremely fine hair that tends to fuzz if I let it be. Here are my thoughts on the matter:
*I wash my hair in the morning; I find it more manageable if I do.
*My stylist suggested Sap Moss Styling Spray, and I’ve found that it really helps add volume without getting stiff or sticky. I also use a bit of shine serum, but I have to keep it to a minimum, otherwise it tends to go flat.
If neither of these help, might I suggest a collection of sassy hats?
My mom just got me Tresemme moisturize curly hair – although I don’t have it… it’s like 4 bucks for a huge bottle and I find it makes my hair much more moisturized and gives it more volume. Also, like everyone else says, wash it in the morning, and blow dry upside down. I find the John Freida volumizing spritzer to work well too. Citre shine always helps with my static if I put it on the ends.
I have hair that sounds very similar & I don’t have time to do lots of stuff with it. If I let it air dry I get weirdo waves just at my ears but it’s flat. If I wash it the night before, I lightly spritz it with a water bottle, then spray some spray volumizer (preferred) or mousse on my fingertips to put it on the roots for dampening, and then I blow dry it upside down and use a medium round brush to straighten it out & for volume. Your hair is about the length of mine and it only takes me 10 mins to do all that. I use my flat iron to get any stubborn waves out but NOT at the roots since that gives the volume.
If I wash my hair in the morning it’s maybe 20 minutes max & looks much fuller but holds the volume for the next 2 days! Do not air dry after towel drying. Use separate spray volumizer spray on roots or a little mousse, and blow dry upside down just at the roots to make it almost dry but still damp. Then clip up the top layer and use a large round brush on the bottom layer to straighten it, then let the top layer down to round brush straighten it and it’ll give you some volume.
If you use shine serum for static, use a teeny, teeny, tiny bit to run through the top layer but not the roots or scalp area. I also second the almost absorbed lotion on the ends for fly-aways.
When you want to get all complicated and fancy, you can try to gently ‘rat’ the underside/roots and then smooth over the top sections. But even I can’t make that work right and get crazy hair I comb out later. LOL
As I read your posting, I had so many of the same thoughts as the people above. Here are my words of wisdom:
1.) Sleeping on hair mashes it down are creates all sorts of odd configurations (they don’t call it bed-head for nothing). Don’t try to fix what the night’s sleep has done — wash and style in the morning.
2.) Use good shampoo and conditioner. I know shampoo alone at a salon (or any hair cutting place for that matter) costs $12, but it is worth it! Slurge once, and by the time the contents of your shampoo and conditioner bottles are gone, you will have definitely noticed the difference. Stuff you buy on the shelves at Walmart or Meijer just don’t do the trick (at least for me). (Go for shampoos and conditioners that say “lite” or “lift” or “volume”.)
3.) No serum. Use mousse, if anything. (While your hair is still wet/damp, flip head upside-down and work in a small amount.)
4.) Nothing eliminates volume and creates static like flat irons (I bet you apply direct heat to your hair without applying a heat protectant first, don’t you?)! Do without the flat iron entirely (it may seem crazy at first, but you can/will learn to do without it). Blow dry instead (if anything). Also, I haven’t combed my hair in years. Use a big-toothed brush (less breakage).
5.) If you’d like, before you head out the door for work in the morning, flip your head upside-down and spray a couple times with a pump action hairspray (pump is better than aerosol for the environment). You could actually do this as many times as needed throughout the day.
That’s really all I have. Hope you find what works for you!
Lots of good advice here, but as a person (previously) with similar hair issues, I’ll add my two cents. First, I recommend Bumble & Bumble thickening shampoo and conditioner. It’s expensive but so worth it. It’s subtly volumizing, reduces static, and smells amazing. There are Aveda products that are nearly as good, but nothing works as well as B&B in my experience.
Also, I second the no serum recommendation in favor of a light mousse. My favorite is Jason volumizing mousse (http://www.jason-natural.com/products/natural_salon.php#volumizing). Surprisingly, it’s not expensive. And it also works well even when you don’t blow dry. Aveda’s Phomollient is my second choice, but it costs more and isn’t quite as good.
Good luck! And be sure to let us know what works for you.
P.S. The Jason shampoo and conditioner on the page at the link above don’t work very well, so don’t be tempted
By the way I have a volumizer someone gave me. I’m like, have you ever seen my hair. Somedays I only put in a hairthing, because my hair is so big it’s at least an inch or two off my head. Anyway, if you want it, I’d be more than happy to give it to you. Oh and I usually sleep on my hair after I straigten it to flatten it down. Because if I straighten my hair the same day as I plan to wear it straight, Kevin tells me it looks like a lions mane. Yeah, my loving husband is so nice.
By the way I read nothing anyone wrote.
I had a similar issue with thinning hair. My solution doesn’t involve hair products but taking prenatal vitamins. And my finger nails grow very quickly.
I’ve been having the same problem as of late. Here’s the thing. I don’t think Garnier’s shampoos and conditioners work well. I buy the Suave ones that are modeled after salon brands that are cheaper and seem to work a hundred times better. They have a decent volumizing one.
But, that being said, Garnier has a good line of styling products. Look into a creme or a wax or a paste.
And sleeping on it does do that as well. I can’t do that with my hair because it’ll be a rat’s nest in the morning.
Here’s what helps for me.
I towel dry my hair very minimally after washing it and then comb it out and spritz with Paul Mitchell Spray Wax. Only a few spritzes per section. Then I bend over so that my head (and hair) are upside down and blow-dry my hair that way, scrunching it to make it wavier and to add volume. I quit blow drying before the hair is completely dry and let it air dry the rest of the way. It works pretty well, I must say and I have very fine limp hair that has a real tendency to be flat otherwise. Also, really check out the spray wax–it’s the one hair product I’ve found that actually does add volume (and believe me, I’ve tried dozens).
I feel your pain!! My hair is ridiculously staticky.
I just got my bangs trimmed the other day and the stylist told me that my “fine hair” (aka THIN HAIR) is too long and therefore really dried out because it’s not getting enough moisture?
I’m impressed with the great lengths you go through daily to fix your hair though. I usually just throw mine back into a ponytail or bun.
Wow, everyone gave such wonderful recommendations. One last thing I would add is to look at the ingredients on your shampoo bottle. I have heard about Sodium Lauryl (Laureth?) Sulfate which cheaper shampoos use to increase the lather but are detrimental to hair. The benefits of the SLS is that it increases lather, but the downside is that it makes hair limp and flat/dull. I have heard that Aveda products are really good, and don’t use that ingredient.
Also, when I notice my hair getting dull or flat, I switch shampoos. Word on the street is that your hair can build up a tolerance to shampoos, or they can leave buildup in your hair. Now, I keep two shampoos in my shower all the time and switch them up every few days. I immediately noticed a difference after I did that.
And yea, big round brush and blow dry to increase body!!
Good luck!
Hey. I know I’m way behind, but I wanted to comment anyway.
I agree with those who said splurging on a high end shampoo/conditioner is very worth it. I consider myself a frugal person, but I’ve seen the difference good products can make. I like really high end stuff like Aquage or Bumble & Bumble, but also adore Redkin and Joico. (If you won’t go high end, try Neutrogena, John Frieda or even Aussie. Just steer clear of Pantene!) Ulta is great — lots of coupons and sales! Also, get yourself a clarifying shampoo to use 1x every week or so — Neutrogena’s is great.
As far as products, serums –> grease and flatness. I use John Frieda’s Satin Shine Creme on my ends after styling.
I also love-love-love my super expensive hair dryer. It dries faster than cheap ones I’ve had, and makes my hair feel much better.
And of course, whenever you can, shower and style in the morning. I’m sure sleeping in is more enjoyable, but I think the freshness will help your hair problems.
PS Let me know if you get anywhere on that static issue. Mine’s AWFUL this year!