September 2008  

I recently cut my hair short and am finding that my short hair is less manageable than my long hair. I am currently using an extra-control gel, but it isn't heavy enough to keep the frizziness and the "wandering" layers under control. I have been given numerous recommendations by friends and hope you will be able to help me to make a good, informed decision. The products recommended are: Aveda Purefume Brilliant Anti-Humectant Pomade, Kiehl's Creme with Silk Groom, Phythotherathrie Phytodefrisant, and John Frieda's Frizz Ease. My main concern is that the product should control frizz, moisturize, and hold. Price isn't a concern. Thanks for your time, and continued wishes for your never-ending success.

Marietta, via e-mail

 

Dear Marietta,

It's possible that product choice isn't the issue, but rather the styling tools you are using. For example, using styling agents without the right blow dryer and brushes will only make your hair’s stubborn nature more apparent. If you use a blow dryer with a high wattage (over 1,700), it can be too strong and will blow the life out of your hair. If the wattage is too weak (less than 1,200), it won't become hot enough to reshape your hair. However, if your hair can take it, using a blow dryer with higher heat (meaning watts) offers better control for those with coarse, curly hair. Both Revlon and Vidal Sassoon have introduced higher-wattage blow dryers (both are 1,875 watts) to help women create the ultra-straight do's that have taken over hair fashion in the past several years. Both are worth checking out, and they are both about $30.

When styling, always use the highest heat setting (high heat isn’t the best for keeping hair healthy, but it will make the hair go in the direction you want it to), and use a round bristle brush with a metal base. The bristles should be soft, but not so soft that they don't grab the hair, and not so hard that they hurt the scalp. The metal base helps heat up the hair closest to the scalp, so the part away from the direct heat can get reshaped. Do not use a vent brush or a wide-toothed brush or comb. Using them won’t help re-form the hair shaft; it will only blow air through the hair, which can help it dry faster but won’t help with control.

All of the products you mentioned have different benefits and can work for different hair types. Aveda Purefume Brilliant Anti-Humectant Pomade is best for coarse, dry, damaged hair, but it won't hold hair in place very well. It can also quickly make hair look greasy. Kiehl's Creme with Silk Groom is best for dry, damaged hair, but it also won't hold stubborn hair in place and is best used sparingly. Phythotherathrie Phytodefrisant is a good silicone product, but not much of a styling agent. John Frieda's original Frizz Ease is strictly a silicone serum that helps make hair very soft, smooth, and shiny; it is not a styling product in terms of hold and shape. Mu suggestion is to pair any of the products above with a styling gel or lotion offering medium to firm hold. The Garnier Fructis line offers many inexpensive products that meet this description, as does TRESemme.