HELP FOR LONG THIN HAIR

Dear Jellybean,

I have thin brown hair thats almost all the way down my back, and I don't know to take care of it! I comb it with water in the morning and everything, but by the end of school its a disaster! I was wondering what kind of products I should use to style it straight?
-Long, brown, and horrible!

Dear LB&H,

It's not clear to me whether you shampoo and condition your hair, or just comb some water through it in the mornings. You do need to be cleansing your hair properly, with products made for its texture. Since your hair is thin, choose a volumizing shampoo and conditioner (Neutrogena, Matrix and Aveda all make good ones) and use them every day if your hair is oily, or every 2 to 3 days if your hair tends to be on the dry side.

As for styling, the length of your hair may be working against you. Straightening long hair can take forever, especially if your hair is naturally wavy or curly. Plus, I suspect that your hair isn't in the greatest condition, since it's always "a disaster" (by which I suspect you mean "frizzy") by the end of the day. You may have split dead ends that are wrecking your hair look. This is more than likely, if you've been attacking your hair with heat-styling aids.

It sounds to me like it's time for a trim. You may not have to lose a lot of length, but you should get yourself to the hairdresser. Ask her to remove any dead or split ends, and neaten up your style. If you want to keep it as long as possible, let the stylist know that, but do allow her to snip away the old, damaged pieces, even if it means wearing a shorter style for a while. If you don't, those split ends could split further, causing frizz and damage to travel up your hair... until it's time for a super short cut to save it.

If your hair is thin and all one-length, that could also be part of your styling issue. Why not update your look with some long layers that add volume and movement to your locks, and flatter your features? Talk to the stylist about what would look good on you, and which products are necessary to maintain the style. For more tips on figuring out the best hair look for you, check out the article on this page.