novice with many questions

Yes, I agree, beautiful siggy pic Anais! Love those curls on the ends....

I would wait on trying the oil... Before you go out and buy a bottle of jojoba, do some experimenting with your conditioner. I've found that using two conditioners in a row, or conditioning twice, is more helpful than oil had ever been.

Hi again!  You may want to consider oiling to reduce frizz...I just typed a bunch about that somewhere else, let me paste it here:
Oiling is when you put a small amount of oil in your hair after its washed and dried to moisturize it.  Usually jojoba or coconut is used, though some use olive oil.  You only use a little, for shoulderlength hair you may only need 1 or 2 drops, rubbed on the hair and brushed through to distribute - only from the ears down.  It should not make hair look greasy (if it does you used too much).  It will reduce frizz and increase shine.  Jojoba has been known to make the ends feel a little dry, even though it makes them look better, so if you're going to get a trim, you may not want to trim it until after you've washed again and haven't oiled, or you may be fooled into cutting too much off (this is the only negative thing about oiling - despite that it can make the ends feel dry, it is very good for hair and helps it tangle less). 

Oiling it won't make it stay in place though, so if you're using gel for hold, you will still have to use a sticky product.

If oiling doesn't give it enough shine, you may need a clarifying to remove buildup from hair products, or a diluted vinegar rinse after you condition if your water is hard.

Straightening may damage your hair over time, though I admit I'm not familiar with the new irons they make these days that are supposed to be less bad for hair. 

Edited to add the forgotten words


Edited by Susan W - October 19 2006 at 9:38am