Reader question: How to deal with limp hair
Hi Ms. Liz! I'd just like to ask what hair products you use on yourself (if any). Perhaps a mousse or volumizing spray? I have long, straight, and limp hair and I'm looking for a product that can give it a little lift. Thanks in advance! -Rapunzel
Hi "Rapunzel"! Love the name you picked for this question haha. I happen to have very thin hair that goes limp at the slightest provocation, so I'm careful about the products I use on it. I'm a big believer in the adage "less is more" - for hair at least. Lighter products and less stuff overall keeps hair looking bouncy, shiny, and volumized. Here are a few tips to revive your hair, and later on you'll see the products I love to use.
Use conditioner only once or twice a week and never let it get to your scalp. Conditioner helps hair become shinier and softer, but since it's heavy with rich oils it tends to deflate your hair. It drags down the roots so hair looks flat. Also, conditioner does absolutely nothing for our scalp so it makes no sense to let it go that far! Just apply it at most 3 inches away from your scalp. Concentrate on the tips of your hair instead since that's where you need the conditioning the most.
Use a shampoo that's not too oily. Same concept as using conditioner. You need a shampoo that can remove the oil and product build up in your hair without drying it up. This involves trial and error as it really depends on your skin and scalp condition.
Dry your hair right. Blast your roots with a hair blower to get that volume, but if you don't want to bother with that you can bend over in front of an electric fan. Just brush your hair downwards over your face until it's dry. Use a wide-toothed brush to prevent prematurely pulling out hair strands.
To get maximum volume, use mousse or hair spray at the roots of your hair before blow drying it.
Don't tie up your hair, wear a hat, or use headbands unless it's completely dry. This is more of a common sense tip but I see a lot of girls still doing it. If you must tie your wet hair, put it up in the highest pony tail you can muster. When you remove the tie you'll see that the roots are up.
Get a hair cut! This is probably the most fool-proof advice I can give to girls who suffer from limp hair. The longer your hair is, the heavier it becomes, so naturally it will look flat on your head. Let go of the old hair and say hello to a lighter, bouncier you! :P A layered bob is good to start with if you want short hair, but layered shoulder length hair also works.
Product recommendations
I currently use five products for my hair, but actually I just use two on a daily basis (shampoo and serum). :) The conditioner is just for once a week while the root lifter is only for days when I really want to fix my hair.
My daily shampoo is the Head & Shoulders Smooth & Silky. It's cheap, it doesn't dry my hair, and keeps my dandruff and pimples away. :) Instead of conditioner I use a super light hair serum called the Kerastase Elixir Ultime. Best hair serum ever!
When I'm sensing that I have a lot of product buildup on my hair, I use the Hair Heroes Invisible Wonder Cleansing Oil. It works much like makeup cleansing oils - it's lifts away the gunk off your hair with natural oils. I use this once or twice a week, along with the Hair Heroes Super Fresh Conditioner to keep my hair soft.
Aside from the Kerastase serum, my main styling product is the Kiehl's Super Thick Volumizer. It's a root lifter that you spray directly on the scalp. I did a tutorial before showing how it works. ;) I like that it also has some hold without the stiffness of hair spray.
And that's it! Good luck on your limp hair, Rapunzel! Guys if you ave more tips, do share them in the comments.
