How do I get smooth and silky hair?

[mrsr]

Gidget, I've got fine, wavy hair and an oily scalp. Being an ex-hairdresser and having been fortunate enough to experience some of the best products on the market, I've seen some great ones and some lousy ones. My favourite of all time is the Kerastase range from L'Oreal, followed closely by Joico products.

As we're on a tight budget, I color my hair with a permanent supermarket color (Clairol Loving Care -Black) and swear by the Pantene Smooth and Sleek range, shampoo, conditioner and the leave in conditioner (of which I use a minimal amount). I have found Pantene brilliant for protecting my hair as I wash every day (due to having a rotten oily scalp) and blowdry and straighten almost every day as well as using hot rollers and tongs to create differnent looks. The silicone coating only serves to protect from the heated tools and also keeps my hair shiny (also being dark, light is reflected much better than on lighter colored hair giving the appearance of shinier, healthier hair).

Firstly, as your hair is fine, you don't want something that is going to weigh your hair down. So perhaps changing from the Smooth and Sleek range is the way to go and try a volumizing shampoo and conditioner as someone else has suggested or else a shampoo for an oily SCALP and conditioner to suit your HAIR type. If you can afford Kerastase...try it!!!

As I stated earlier, darker colors exude more shine as opposed to lighter colors. The reason some colors don't take is because of the prior condition of the hair - ie being too damaged and porous and the colors go in and out very quickly as the cuticle of the hair shaft is open. Good preparation prior to coloring is the way to go.

With regard to treatements, if your hair is very coarse...you will require a treatment that is 2 parts moisture to 1 part protein. If your hair is fine or normal virgin (untreated by chemicals), you want half moisture and half protein. If your hair is bleached, you require 2 parts protein and 1 part moisture. Be aware though, that if you use a treatment labelled as a protein treatment and leave it on longer than recommended by the manufacturer, it will cause damage.

When I'm finishinng off a style I generally get a shine product (usually in a spray) and spray it lightly onto my fingers, rub them together to heat the product and gently rake them through my hair so I get a light coating of the shine product so my hair isn't weighed down. The serums can be too heavy and I find the spray works a hell of a lot better for me and my flyaways are controlled. PS...I give my scalp a break for a few days from washing and throw my hair into a ponytail for a couple of days - and MUST add a ribbon to it!!

Phew....I think this must be my longest post.