QuoteReplyTopic: Thickness and Poof Posted: December 13 2006 at 10:00pm
I would like to wear my hair natural but it is so thick that as the day goes by it poofs out and even if it doesn't look that bad it feels like it is smothering me! Is their any good way to get rid of the poof?
I know there are products like Sunsilk Anti-Poof but are there any other ones? Sunsilk seems like it might have damaging ingredients.
I am using Redken Smooth Down Shampoo. Will this get rid of some of the poof? I havent really had the chance to use it and wear my hair natural yet.
Also, can anyone suggest any good hairstyles for a person with long hair and side bangs? Ponytails don't look very good and can be damaging. Also buns are out of the question because my hair is so heavy not matter what it slips out.
Lastly me and my friend who's hair is longer than mine have breakage problems. Pieces break off and as the day goes they stick up every where. She doesn't use heat and it still breaks. I think she uses Biolage. What is causing the breakage? I know she feels bad because the breakage gives her like a mini mohawk at the top of her head and no product will keep it down throughout the day.
March 2007:
Alisa06
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I have the same problem. My hair is very thick and poofy.When it was at my waist, the weight helped alot to keep it down. When it got cut, OH my goodness! It bounced up so high!! I felt like a clown! I got some jojoba oil, and it has helped alot. I put a few drops in the palm of my hands, rub them together, and then smooth over my hair. Jojoba oil will greatly help the health of your hair, and any future breakage. You really need to stay away from the heart, though, as this is most likely what is causing the breakage.
I also find that jojoba oil acts like a mild styling aid. I used to use friz ease, but it made my hair so dry. Jojoba oil kind of reminds me of the friz ease, but good for your hair.
Alisa06
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Pkj049
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We thick-haired girls need different care then most of the people who post on these sites. I feel your pain; I can hardly buy any hair accessories that will work in my hair due to the thickness.
Most people say to avoid 'cones in your hair products, but I have found that it really helps control my thick, puffy hair. I have also taken a step back to my old days. Now this will age me, but back in the day, I use to roll my hair in really big rollers to straighten and smooth my hair. I do it now as well, but I wait till my hair has air-dried about 80-90%. I then roll my hair with big velcor rollers.
I also use oil on my hair like the other person posted, but I have found that jojoba oil is too light for my hair. I use sweet almond oil. Some people have good response with coconut oil as well as olive oil.
Look for products that are a little heavier than normal. Most stuff out there is for fine, thin hair.
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PKj makes a good point. I am all in favor of using the "grade" of oil that suits your hair (and hair type) the best. Lighter oils work well for my fine hair, and I know people who use heavier oils on their coarse hair (between the volume of hair and the oil, it's quite heavy!).
Precious Girl, are you certain that the strands you see are the result of breakage, or is it fallout from the root (and shorter re-growth that "sticks up")? Your hair looks very pretty and I think you could grow it to whatever length you might want, and it would still be thick at that length (lucky you!).
Alisa06
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So, Is jojoba oil a thinner oil? I also have really thick, course hair that is pretty wavy/curl. I have to use alot of jojoba oil. I have read were it says to use a couple of drops, ya, right! I just got some emo oil, how would that work?
I have side bangs and I think any up-do looks fine with it. If you're having trouble with your hair sliding out of hair-do's, dampen it just a bit before arranging it. It'll give it some grip.
I like to wear my pony tail lower (like about level with the center of my ears) and kinda pulled back sloppy and somewhat loose. Not sloppy like slept-on, but more like careless. It's hard to explain... Also, if you use a scrunchy it's much safer for your hair. I also use fat covered rubber bands without the metal part. Not doing it too tight plays a big part in avoiding damage.
Up-do's with hairsticks or hairforks is one of my favorites. I can do 3 or 4 different styles using hairsticks. At your current length, it may be a little more difficult to get them to stay, and it takes practice getting it to stay without getting it too tight.
Claw clips are great! You can do almost anything with a handfull of little clips. Be creative! Having hair clipped in several different places also keeps the weight distributed.
Two braids also looks very cute with side bangs.
Can you french braid? To keep an up-do from sliding down, french braid your hair up the back (from your neck to your crown) and secure it with a band, then twist the loose ends into some sort of style. A braided bun, regular bun, curly looped something-or-other, or leave it in a ponytail..... It takes practice, but it's so worth it. It not only makes the 'do more secure, but also really dresses it up if you need it for a special occasion.
There are sooooo many possibilities! What to remember is 1. don't do it too tight, and 2. don't do it the same way all the time.
So, Is jojoba oil a thinner oil? I also have really thick, course hair that is pretty wavy/curl. I have to use alot of jojoba oil. I have read were it says to use a couple of drops, ya, right! I just got some emo oil, how would that work?
Alisa06
Alisa, jojoba oil is the closest oil to your own scalp-producing oil. If your hair is thick, prone to dryness, and poofy, it just figures that you probably need a heavier oil. It really takes a trial and error approach. If you are using that much jojoba oil, you could most likely use a heavier oil. I actually use sweet almond oil, not because it is so heavy, but because it doesn't leave my ends crunchy. I apply a drop of oil in my palm and rub my BBB in my palm. I then brush my hair in sections from the ear down to the end. Because of the thickness, I have to repeat the drop about half way depending on if it is right after a wash day. If my hair is feeling particularly dry, I will use a drop or two with my conditioner.
I have read a lot of posts about oiling, but the common factor seems to be that most of these people have thinner hair. I cannot imagine that one drop of any oil lightly rubbed in the hair like described could ever help a truly thick-headed person.
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I would like to wear my hair natural but it is so thick that as the day goes by it poofs out and even if it doesn't look that bad it feels like it is smothering me! Is their any good way to get rid of the poof?
I know there are products like Sunsilk Anti-Poof but are there any other ones? Sunsilk seems like it might have damaging ingredients.
I am using Redken Smooth Down Shampoo. Will this get rid of some of the poof? I havent really had the chance to use it and wear my hair natural yet.
Also, can anyone suggest any good hairstyles for a person with long hair and side bangs? Ponytails don't look very good and can be damaging. Also buns are out of the question because my hair is so heavy not matter what it slips out.
Lastly me and my friend who's hair is longer than mine have breakage problems. Pieces break off and as the day goes they stick up every where. She doesn't use heat and it still breaks. I think she uses Biolage. What is causing the breakage? I know she feels bad because the breakage gives her like a mini mohawk at the top of her head and no product will keep it down throughout the day.
Sorry, didn't mean to forget your last problem. If you are trying to put your hair up and if it is really thick, you could be causing tension. That tension can cause breakage. Unfortunately, I have learned that I will never be able to wear my hair in the updos that a lot of people advertise. These people twist their hair to make a bun and have a tiny, little bun to work with. If you have to wear it up in a bun-like updo, get it high on the crown so the weight is not pulling so much on the front.
That is a mechanical cause; another cause could be nutritional. An extreme diet can make the hair brittle, and a lack of certain vitamins can as well. It never hurts to take extra vitamin B complex. It is a water-soluble so overdosing is not likely. Also drink lots of noncarbonated, sugar-free, caffeine-free fluids.
Alisa06
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Thank you for the tip. I am pretty sure I need a heavier oil.
Precious girl
I know howe you feel. I just went to claires in the mall to get some things for my 6 yr old daughter for Christmas. they have all these really cute pins, clips, and other hair things. I gave up even buying any of them years ago because my hair is just to thick. I know how to french braid my own hair( it takes a while), and I can use hairsticks and japanese hair claws.I can only wear a french braid for a ahort time because it usually ends up giving me a headache.
A friend of mine gave me a set of hairsticks because her hair was to thin to stay in. Once I fiqured out how to use them, I feel in love w/ them. I can wear my hair like this for a pretty long time before it starts to bother me. The japanes hair claw is the same way.
Try something like that .
As far as the poof, I found that length helps alot. When it gets longer, it gets pulled down by weight. When it is shorter ( like around my shoulders) it gets so much poofier.
Conditioner will help alot. I believe it was hairbraider that said moisture,moisture, moisture. I absolutley agree with her. Thick course hair wil go straight to the sky without it. Try a 2&1 shampoo and condtioner and then a conditioner. This might help.
ALisa06
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babycheeks24
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have you tried camellia oil i find that to be pretty good like jojoba oil and a little lighter and it works well on my skin to before i use my mineral makeup.
Babycheeks
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I have only tried olive, jojoba, and emu oils. I love using oils though, so I know that I will be eperimenting with others.
Precious girl, I think you would really like what using an oil will do for your hair. Experiment with them, to find which one will work for you. Since I have benn using oils, my hair has gotten so much softr ans silkier. The flyaways have vertually disapeared, also.
I been wondering about the Sunsilk products. Did you air dry after using the leave-in or use a blow dryer? I prefer not using a blow dryer because it defeats any attempt at my decreasing poofiness.
Just a little FYI that I thought of while reading these posts.
Speaking of increasing moisture, there are some things that will prevent the conditioner, oil, or water from penetrating and doing any good.
1. If you use products that build up. These help for a while, but eventually block out everything because they coat and seal the hair shaft.
2. If you have hard water. The minerals will build up on your hair shaft causing it to be dry and brittle. This build-up forms layers on the outside of the hair shaft, coating and sealing it.
To keep this from happening, I do a clarifying wash with baking soda every 2-3 months and use an apple cider vinegar rinse after every regular wash. Apple cider vinegar is wonderful for preventing mineral build-up. (I don't know if it helps with product build-up) It also restores pH balance and smooths the shaft making the hair more shiny.
I noticed an amazing difference when I started doing these! I didn't even use conditioner before because it didn't seem to do any good and I felt I was wasting my money. You can condition and oil all day long, but if it's not penetrating, it's not helping.
Sarah, you make a very good point about the effect of silicones sealing the hair shaft, and how they block the infusion of moisture and oil. My tap water is quite hard, and diluted vinegar rinses (after rinsing out the conditioner) are a god-send.
Pkj049
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My tap water is also hard. I put a filtered shower head inline. It seem to help. Mostly it help decrease the amount of shampoo required so I was stripping less natural oil out of my hair.
I also use ACV rinses but only every other wash. I agree about the effect of silicone, but with thick, poof hair, that effect is somewhat desired. The leave-in conditioner I use has silicones, and without them, my ends are unmanagable. I still oil brush about every night, and I still see benefits from the oil even with the silicone.
Most people seem to hate silicones, but most of those people have finer, thinner hair.
You're right, alot of people are very against silicones, and some people love them. It all depends on how their hair responds to it. It's an individual choice, no one product for everyone, etc..... My hair is neither fine nor thin. It's moderately thick (4 3/4" ponytail circumference) and a bit on the coarse side. But it responds horribly to silicone in shampoo or conditioner. I can't use them more than 3 or 4 times without noticing negative effects. If my hair wasn't curly, I suppose it wouldn't be so bad. But it gets totally limp and flat and yucky feeling.
I can understand why it would effect curly hair that way. I have wavy hair but not managable, pretty wavy hair. I need the weight of the silicone effect to straighten my hair. In that way, I don't have to resort to using heating irons to get my hair to behave.
I love cones, but that is exactly what they do to my hair too. I
use a silicone conditioner 3 or 4 times (not every time I wash, more
like every 2 or 3 times), and I notice my hair feels limp. That's
the point at which I clarify them off and start over with fresh
hair.
Precious Girl, I think the reason your buns don't stay is because your
hair is not quite long enough yet. They will stay when it is
longer, if that's what you are going for. My hair won't stay in a
good bun until it is about an inch past bsl, and if your hair is very
thick, it may need to be almost waist length before it stays.
After that point, you will just be able to twist it into a bun, shove a
stick through it and go.
Making metal barettes/concord clips hair safe, long hair style how to: http://alonghair.wordpress.com
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I got some jojoba oil, and it has helped alot. I put a few drops in the palm of my hands, rub them together, and then smooth over my hair. Jojoba oil will greatly help the health of your hair, and any future breakage. You really need to stay away from the heart, though, as this is most likely what is causing the breakage.
I also find that jojoba oil acts like a mild styling aid. I used to use friz ease, but it made my hair so dry. Jojoba oil kind of reminds me of the friz ease, but good for your hair.
Alisa06 wrote:
