Thick,Wavy,Course,Long Hair

I have thick, wavy, course hair and use a straight iron on it everyday, but it is summer now and I am going on like all these trips and don't have time for a straight iron. I leave in a week and was wondering if there were any "affordable" shampoo's and conditioners, chemical straightning, gels, or n e thing that would help my hair become straighter or thinner or smoother looking! I am also thinking of getting my hair thinned this week with the scissor "things" lol so what do you think about that? My hair is about 2 or 3 inches longer than my shoulders with a tiny bit of layer at the bottom. Thanks

Hi Beka, I've got hair similar to yours, thick, coarse and curly, so I think I can understand some of the problems you're having. For what it's worth, here's my advice.

Stop using straighteners. They're damaging your hair, and you don't need them to make it look nice. ( I don't use heat styling of any kind on my hair - and that includes a hairdryer - and it's in really good condition.)

You could chemically straighten your hair for the summer if you wanted to put up with the damage it does, and have the hassle of "touching up" the new growth as it comes through. I know someone who does this with hair that she tells me is very like mine, and it's quite flat with just a slight wave, but it's very weak (by my standards) and she loses hair every time she touches up.

You could try to blow dry it straight. Or you could try to tie it down and let it dry naturally. I've experimented with this before, and found my hair is softer and less frizzy after drying all bunched together. It takes a long time to dry, though.

Or you could do what I do. I wash my hair, condition with a rich conditioner, squeeze out the excess water with a towel, put more conditioner in, and leave it to dry naturally. The next day, I just shake out the curls with my fingers, where they've been flattened where I slept on them, and do the same for a couple more days. When it starts to look messy, I brush it, which leaves me with a nice wave, and carry on brushing it every day until I next wash it. I wash about once every two weeks, and by the time I wash it, the brushing (and occasional tying back) has made my hair virtually straight.

I use only Aveda products on my hair. A friend of mine tells me I'm stupid because it's so expensive, but she spends £10 a week on hair care and styling products, and I spend about £150 twice a year, so I wonder which of us is the stupid one! If you were to use Aveda on your hair, you'd probably want to go for the richer end of the product range, like Brilliant and Sap Moss. I also use Brilliant Emollient which tames frizz and adds shine, Light Elements Reviving Mist to freshen my scalp between washes, and a few other products now and then. The other good thing about Aveda is it smells wonderful!

Advertising section over ..... I don't work for them - honest!

I love my thick curly hair. Every day, I remind myself how lucky I am to have hair that most people can only dream of. As it gets longer and the weight starts to pull the curl out, I'll probably be putting it up on big rollers to dry so I can keep my curls. I get loads of compliments on my hair, and wouldn't have it any other way.

Hope you have a lovely summer whatever you decide to do.