QuoteReplyTopic: A straightener that works, please! Posted: March 13 2003 at 10:57pm
Just like you, i have tried many products on my hair over the past few years as i really became catious of my hair situation. Many of the products that claim to straighten your hair, without you doing anything, but applying it, are fakes. I have thick, very curly hair and i have found that the only way i can get my hair really straight is to dry it somewhat straight with a hair dryer and then go over it with a straightening iron.... that brings about another problem, some irons don't work too well. The one i have is a Helen Of Troy and it works really well, i get my hair to look almost perfectly straight using that and a hair dryer. The other one i kno of that works well is Hot Tools. Also when using all those products you have to be catious of build-up, for some reason build up seems to occur much quicker on thick and/or curly hair... and lastly... don't bother straightening ur hair all the time, curly hair can be beautiful if u kno how to handle it! wear ur hair curly and make ppl jealous!
I have the same problem you do. If the product is too heavy or creamy my hair looks horrible and it has a lost of residue left behind. I used Phytodefrizzant to calm my curls more than straightening, although I did try it the other day with my flat iron and the results were good but not great. I get great results with Alterna`s Hemp Seed Straightening Balm, it`s natural like the phyto and has the same feel and no buildup at all no matter how much you use. I used this the other day with my flat iron and got caught in a snowstorm 3 times and my hair never curled or waved at all. I have very curly, VERY frizzy hair. I love this stuff.
I tried almost all of the brands that you mentioned and they either didn`t do a thing or made my hair really frizzy.
If you want more info about Alterna go to their website at www.4alterna.com
Thanks for your advice Lyris and turquoise girl :) Nice to get some answers about silicone and the Pantene from people who know there stuff. I don`t use the P shampoo, but sometimes the conditioner :\, and i do notice that the silicone builds up and can be duddling....but for me i think it IS a frizz life saver.
turquoise_girl
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i can use silicone if it is pretty far down on the list of ingredients in a conditioner, but i used silicone serum daily for a couple of months once- before i knew that it could build up and my hair became so dull! i just stay away from it now because i tried using it again recently and it didn`t work as good as it did the first time. However, some people say its a life saver when it comes to their hair. it all depends on your hair type, etc. Like lyris said- just make sure to give your hair a clean sweep every so often.
I just saw Denise`s note about silicone. Personally I love the stuff--it gives me great shine and softness. Now I`m not a Pantene fan because almost all of their shampoos contain harsh surfactant detergents and I have dry hair, but I don`t think it`s the silicone derivatives in them that makes stylists loathe the "P" word. Virtually all shampoos and conditioners from the drugstore to the salon to the beauty supply have some form of silicone in them: popular products such as Redken All Soft and Biolage are the same. Silicone doesn`t damage your hair in any way, but it`s true: it does build up after time. The solution is evident, however: use a good (yet gentle) deep cleansing shampoo to get the gunk out.
Look for beauty, and you will find no intelligence. Look for intelligence and you will find both.Proud member of the Cult of All Soft
Wow, this is an old thread, but what the heck, I`m in the mood. I absolutely love Tresemme European Slick Gel. I have naturally wavy, thick thick THICK (did I mention it`s thick?) hair that I blow dry straight with this gel, silicone spray and a paddle brush. I get out-of-this-world results with this gel and I`ve tried `em all. I went to a wedding in Nebraska this summer where the humidity was somewhat above the unbearable mark and my hair remained completely frizz-free. If you want to see a pic of my results go here: http://www.michiganyaf.com/images/goodhairday.jpg However since my hair is naturally wavy, not curly, someone with curly hair might need a little more holding power.
Look for beauty, and you will find no intelligence. Look for intelligence and you will find both.Proud member of the Cult of All Soft
That is all you need! They have 3 different formulas. I have Lisa Bonet hair texture and #3 gets my hair straight. It is MUCH less damaging than a hair relaxer, but it is a hair texturizer. Use #1 for a little less curl, #2 for a more relaxed curl and #3 for straight. it will last for 3 weeks, then become more curly. But it will really change the texture of your hair, no matter what product you use.
FURTHERMORE, DO NOT USE ANY straightening balm that has silicone in it. Cymeth/Dymethicone. They suck!
RUSK ANTICURL has changed my life. I love my hair.
Why do you say that about cymethicone and dymethicone, and silicone in general? Did it not work for you? If you look at most hair products including conditoners, they all have silicone in them... just look for the ending `one`. We here in Australia have had a discussion about the good/evil of silicone at our vogue message board, concerning pantene...and how most (all) hairdress hate the stuff. I know that John Frieda`s frizz ease hair serum has those two silicone products in them, and other serums. The pack i bought said this product is the highest selling product for frizzy hair (in US and UK). Does anyone have any opinions about silicone?
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quote: CarrieM originally wrote: I have fine/medium thickness wavy hair that is more curly in the front. I have tried sooo many products over the past few years, looking for one that will actually straighten my hair like they all say. The products that did little to nothing were: ABBA Straightening Balm, Rusk Str8, KMS Flat-Out Straightening Balm, ARTec Textureline Smoothing Gel, Vavoom Smoothing Gel, John Frieda Relaxing Creme, and L'anza Strait Line. I have had decent results with Sebastian Get it Straitt and Phytodefrisant Straighening Balm. The biggest problems I have had with the unsuccessful products are they are either too heavy for my hair and cause it to look and feel dirty, or they just plain don't work. As you can see, I have tried many product lines, and am very frustrated with the results. Can anyone recommend something different that may work for my hair? Paul Mitchell Straight Works is a new one I might try, or TIGI Control Freak, Joico Straight Edge, or Back to Basics Be Straight gel. Any advice from those who have had successful experiences with any product, or just a suggestion would be a great help. Thanks!!
EP Smoothing Lotion REally Rocks. I got a tiny free sample when I ordered my H37 from HairBoutique.com. They have an unadvertised special with any H37 Starter or Super Special kits they send this cute little bag of 8 EP 1/2 ounce samples as a gift. Anyway, the EP Smoothing lotion was there and I used it. It really really worked. I have tried KMS and Vovomm and John Frieda but this stuff really works every single time. It is everything that they said it is. It is not too heavy or sticky and just a little goes a long way. I used up every drop of the free sample and then when I reordered my vitamins I asked them to substitute a couple of the shampoo samples for the Smoothing Lotion. I just ordered two of the large deals because my sister kept stealing my samples. Yes it is only temporary but it is the best striaghtener I have found to date and I have tried just about everything. I love the Phyto Defrisant but the cost is to much higher.
I know what you`re going through also. I have very long curly hair, and for the longest time I tried everything out there to striaghten my hair. I finally just dealt with the fact that my hair is curly. The reason nothing works is because we were cursed from birth. ;-) However, if you are willing to pay the $$$, get some Bed Head from you salon. It`s expensive stuff, But it works like a charm. Your stylist should know what will work best. But if you ask me - CURLY IS BEAUTIFUL! :-) love yourself.
P.S. You might want to try applying some leave-in conditioner before you blow-dry. That should give it some weight. Try John Frieda 5 Minute Manager Blow-Dry Lotion. Then put on some straightening serum and blow-dry hair as straight as possible. When applying any kind of styling product, make sure not to apply any on the roots of your hair to avoid it feeling limp.
As the others were saying, DO NOT use Back to Basics Be Straight balm. That stuff is crap, if anything it made my hair frizzier. Personally, I`ve had the best luck of my life with my incredibly thick, wavy hair with John Frieda Relaxing Creme and Secret Weapon. I know what you`re going through! I went through tons of products before I discovered how well the relaxing creme. Citre Shine Straightning Balm has worked really well for me, but that`s basically the only other straightening product that worked for me. I would go with Paul Mitchell or TIGI. Don`t ever use a regular gel to straighten your hair; it will not work. Hope I helped! :)
quote: CarrieM originally wrote: I have fine/medium thickness wavy hair that is more curly in the front. I have tried sooo many products over the past few years, looking for one that will actually straighten my hair like they all say. The products that did little to nothing were: ABBA Straightening Balm, Rusk Str8, KMS Flat-Out Straightening Balm, ARTec Textureline Smoothing Gel, Vavoom Smoothing Gel, John Frieda Relaxing Creme, and L'anza Strait Line. I have had decent results with Sebastian Get it Straitt and Phytodefrisant Straighening Balm. The biggest problems I have had with the unsuccessful products are they are either too heavy for my hair and cause it to look and feel dirty, or they just plain don't work. As you can see, I have tried many product lines, and am very frustrated with the results. Can anyone recommend something different that may work for my hair? Paul Mitchell Straight Works is a new one I might try, or TIGI Control Freak, Joico Straight Edge, or Back to Basics Be Straight gel. Any advice from those who have had successful experiences with any product, or just a suggestion would be a great help. Thanks!!
I have the same problem as you if you find anything that works i will be very grateful to know of it. Thanks Priti
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