<p>Peri and post-menopausal women help me out here. My hair has become increasingly brittle and dry and fly-away, and my usual shampoo and conditioner (head and shoulders / suave) aren’t helping any. Yes, definitely turning gray, and those hairs are even more wacky. What to do?</p>
<p>I saw a major difference when I switched to Pantene Restoratives Breakage Defense shampoo and conditioner. It was almost immediately apparent. Costs more, but I’m way happier with my hair these days.</p>
<p>Time for the big guns, go to a beauty supply and check out Redken’s Extreme line. A miracle in a bottle!</p>
<p>Well, let’s see - start off with vitamins; flax seed oil is good too, also biotin, but, careful don’t overdo the vitamins. Eat lots of fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, and drink lots and lots of water, and pomogrenate juice (the pure stuff, not the fake stuff). Get a minimum of 30 minutes exercise every day. Then, only get hair cuts during full moons. Never comb or brush under florescent lights. Soak hair in olive oil once a week until it livens up a bit, then, once a month, then once a quarter or so. Rinse with cool water; blow dry on the coolest setting. </p>
<p>As to products, mix them around a bit - I usually have five or six brands of stuff in use all at the same time; my favorite is the Feria conditioners, or, go to a beauty supply store and buy conditioners not sold elsewhere.</p>
<p>Oh - I almost forgot - a friend of mine with thick, long hair likes raw egg and mayonaise treatments, but, I cannot stand the smell or the consistency so have never tried it.</p>
<p>I use mostly Biolage and Paul Mitchell products and as I have gotten older (and more reliant on hair color), I’ve learned to try to minimize use of hair dryers and flat irons. Try to towel dry as much as possible before drying and always, always put a styling product in your hair before using a dryer or iron. The hair needs that barrier. I buy these products in bulk from Beauty Brands to make them more cost effective to use. </p>
<p>If you use a hair dryer to straighten the hair, make sure it has a nozzle. The worst thing you can do to your hair is let the hot metal parts of the dryer touch your hair…especially if you are also using a metal barrel drying brush.</p>
<p>Another tip… Paul Mitchell’s deep cleansing shampoo once a week. Sometimes a buildup of product on the hair causes it to feel rough, dry or gunky.</p>
<p>Andrew Lessman’s Hair, Skin, nails or just Complete Vitamins. Available through HSN “Latetoschool” had great tips as well. These things made a huge difference for me. Good luck & welcome to the fun years!</p>
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<p>lts, you’re kidding, right?</p>
<p>Nope, booklady, I’m completely serious. I have thick, nearly waist length hair. I take very, very good care of it.</p>
<p>I’m convinced though that you have to grow it correctly in the first place - that’s why I think diet, exercise, rest, and even a positive mental attitude + stress control is so important. If most of these things aren’t right, or at least some of them, then, it almost doesn’t matter what products you buy…</p>
<p>I’ve got very coarse wavy long hair and will swear by Garnier Nutriesse products. I especially love the leave-in conditioner. It not only makes my hair feel softer, but I can actually comb it without pulling out hair! Best of all, they are very inexpensive. I fell for the beauty salon conditioner once and swore I would never pay that much for a hair product again. I spent nearly $30 trying out a bunch of cheaper alternatives and found it with the Garnier.</p>
<p>If you use a hairdryer, always have a diffuser on it. You can pick one of those up for a couple of bucks at Walmart.</p>
<p>I’m the opposite…I cut my hair relatively often…every 8 weeks or so. It grows fast and the freqent cutting ensures I never have split ends. One other thing I thought of…never brush out wet hair…always use a pick or wide-toothed comb and be very, very gentle.</p>
<p>Mine is thick and has a wave that is easily dried out straight. But I usually let it air dry wavy a few times a week just to stay away from the evil dryer.</p>
<p>Pantene. Excellent product for drug store price.</p>
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<p>Oh, I wasn’t disputing the good nutrition, etc. I was simply wondering about the full moon and the lights. I’ve never heard of such a thing.</p>
<p>Herbal Essence Hello Hydration shampoo and conditioner. If you have any problem with tangles, they just melt away with this conditioner. Since I’ve been using it, my hair has been so much more manageable.</p>
<p>my hair is changing as well, what I do is put my hair up in a bun after showering, doing a once comb through to get out tangles, and leave it</p>
<p>it seems to get more “icky” if I leave it down to dry, getting mroe flyaway</p>
<p>also Pantene has some great spray in leave on conditioners I use…</p>
<p>First of all, the stuff you are using is very drying – too much Ammonium Laurel (Or Laureth) Sulfate…you might as well be using dish detergent. Try finding products where this is much farther down on the list or not there at all. A lot of the ‘organic’ type shampoos won’t contain it and some lines (like Jason’s) aren’t that expensive. My daughter has thick, coarse hair and likes the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner. This makes her hair manageable and quite shiny.</p>
<p>Anyone have any tips for those of us with thin, limp, poker straight hair? Conditioners only weigh it down and make it look oily, but not using conditioner leaves it dry and flyaway. </p>
<p>I envy you ladies with thick wavy hair, whether long OR short!</p>
<p>Re: the OP. I forgot to add that Head and Shoulders recently changed their formulation which may be why it is no longer working for you. If dandruff is a problem, try Nizoral. My dh started using it and his dandruff went away to the point he no longer has to use dandruff shampoo but once a week, if that. Your mileage may vary, of course, but it’s worth a try!</p>
<p>patsmom - I love the PM styling products…and use QuickSlip daily. But for extra body, you may want to try the PM Extra Body products. I’d use the shampoo, skip the conditioner and apply Thicken Up before styling.</p>
<p>Aveda has great products too…but I can’t stand the overpowering scents.</p>
<p>Or just go with a highly styled, blunt cut, thin straight look, it’s all the rage!</p>
<p>redken all soft
joico moisture therapy</p>
<p>two of my favorites…rusk also makes a product call smoother–it’s a leave-in conditioner…and it smells fantastic.</p>