Myjellybean.com

Dear Jellybean,

I have really wavy hair, but i never like how it looks natural anymore. I always straighten it and i'm getting bored of that, for once i just want to go natural. Right now i have my hair so damaged, which is another reason why i want to stop straightening it. I'm getting my hair cut soon, and i was wondering if you have any advice for my type of hair. It goes down to half my back, so it's longish, and i want to keep it that long, and only cut the tips, but i'm willing to get my layers cut shorter; with whatever you think would suit me (i have an oval face).

I was also wondering if you have any hairdo's for my hair after the hair cut, and how my waves can stay cute and not too frizzy or 'deformed'. My hair also tends to be flat on top, and when it dries, even if i put an anti-frizz lotion, it looks kind of dry and out of control!, do you recommend mousse, another anti-frizz lotion, or what?...i'm open for anything that's not too espensive. One more thing, school's almost over, i'm moving this summer, and i'm going to be out to the beach and with friends a lot, are there any hair lotions that i need for humid/warm places? I'd be great if there was one product that could do all this, but if there isn't then it doesn't matter, just please help me stop my horrible habit, before my hair looks like a scarecrow's!

-Hair Damaged

Dear Hair Damaged,

With an oval face, you can pull off just about any hairstyle, whether long and blunt, or shorter and multi-layered. Before you go for your cut, flip through a ton of hair magazines at your local bookstore or magazine stand, and look for styles online too. Since you're getting your hair cut anyway, this could be a great opportunity to try out a new style, or even just a subtle change.

It sounds like your hair has gotten pretty fried, so the first thing you need to focus on is repairing that damage. Cutting off the split ends is a good start, but the rest of your hair needs some major TLC, so it doesn't become a big ball of frizz.

Start by exchanging your usual shampoo/conditioner (if you haven't already) for ones that are made specifically for damaged hair. Aveda's "Damage Remedy" shampoo and conditioner are absolutely fantastic, and I can recommend them from personal experience. The Ojon products sold at Sephora (in stores and online) are also wickedly effective. And I hear that Pantene shampoo/conditioning products (available at most large drugstores) are very good too.

Besides using a good quality daily shampoo and conditioner, you will need to add a weekly deep conditioning treatment to nourish your frazzled strands. You won't be able to bring them back to life entirely, but deep conditioning can help to smooth the hair cuticle, so damaged hair doesn't look as bad. Try Wella Kolesterol Intensive Conditioner or KMS Replace Conditioner, both of which are packed with proteins and have been known to revive even the frizziest strands. Getting a trim every 4 to 6 weeks (just a little one) will also keep the ends of hair fresh and prevent split ends from becoming bigger breakage.

For everyday anti-frizz fighting, you might want to try an "anti-humectant" product. These seal the hair cuticle and help to prevent more moisture from getting in. (Moisture is what swells up your hair when the weather is humid, making your strands frizz out). Aveda makes an incredible one called "Brilliant" - it costs a fair bit, but you use a teensy little amount (like a pea size at most) at a time, so a jar will last you ten times longer than those cheaper products. I highly recommend it. You just rub it between palms, then smooth it over your hair. It won't prevent all frizz, but it goes a long way towards keeping it under control.

Another tip for humid summer weather is, leave some conditioner in your hair after your shower - rinse hair after conditioning, but lightly, leaving a little bit of product in. This will weigh down your hair a bit, which loosens the waves, and it will also keep your hair moist, so it doesn't need to draw any more (frizz-creating) water from the air.

Really, the best thing you can do in the summer is lay off the heat tools, like blow dryers and flattening irons, and give your hair a break. Especially if you're going to be at the beach, it's just not realistic to expect your hair to stay straight all day, even if you do torture it into shape in the morning. Plus, who wants to be the lame girl sitting on her towel alone, while all her friends are goofing around in the water?

For cute beach hair, here's my tip (stolen from a hair pro friend). After gently towel-drying hair in the morning, liberally apply leave-in conditioner (or just leave some in from your shower, as suggested above), and then put hair into pigtail braids. You'll look cute all day, and when you take out your braids later, your hair will be in defined, beachey waves. So cute for evening!

Or, for a more polished look, do a shiny ponytail bun. Apply lots of leave-in conditioner and then apply a shine product like Redken Glass or Aveda's Shine. Pull your hair back into a ponytail that is either high or at the middle of the head, depending on where you want the bun on your head. Wrap the ponytail into a bun. You have a choice of wearing the bun at its natural height and thickness and adding clips, pins or chopsticks or pinning the bun tightly to your head. The key with the slicked back bun is to give the hair a really shiny, wet look. Perfect for the beach, or a night out.

Do try to stick to your TLC routine, at least for the summer. If you take good care of your hair now, you might just be able to attack it with heat tools again by fall, without worrying about major damage. And if you must do that in the future, do invest in a hair appliance that won't fry and singe your locks. Buy one of the newer ceramic irons that are available now. These are less damaging because they distribute heat evenly andquickly. Ask your local hairdressing salon or beauty supply store if they carry ceramic flat irons for sale. Again, these are not cheap, but they could save you the cost - and embarrassment - of having to chop off all your hair when it gets fried, and growing it out all over again.

Also, from now on, never blow-dry or flat iron without first applying a heat-protective product that shields the hair cuticle from damage. Try TIGI Protein Protective Spray, Paul Mitchell Heat Seal, or PhytoStyle Heat-Protective Spray.