I want smooth hair!

[cchavez]

Does anyone have a great product(s) that smooths out long, thick, wavy hair. My friend called me to rave about the Super Skinny Line from Paul Mitchell. I am thinking about going out and spending 50-60 bucks on hair products....something I never do b/c she says it is that great? She said I get a good price at Super Walmart. Any recommend this product or any other product. I typically wear my hair in a pony tail btw. I try to go to the gym in the AM and then I take my shower in the afternoon and let it air dry. Any other tips for silky, smooth hair.

[lizajane]

ya know, the best thing i have ever done for my friz prone hair (not insane frizzy curly, just wavy frizzy) is pantene leave in conditioner. really. my sister brought me a bottle because she liked it so much. and i started using it. and then i ran out and tried some other junk i had lying around. and my hair was AWFUL. so i ran out and go some more of the smooth and sleek variety. love it. LOVE it. and cheeeeeeeap.

[ShanaMama]

Very $$$ but a fabulous permanent solution is Japanese hair straightening. It takes a few hours, they put some nasty chemicals in your hair (I personally wouldn't do it while pregnant or nursing) & then you can't wash it for 3 days. Presto! You have beautiful, silky smooth hair- always! You walk out of the shower with stick straight hair. I loved mine until it grew out- haven't redone it.

One caveat I would add- your hair has to be pretty thick to start with, because it loses a lot of volume. If your hair is medium/fine you might end up with stringy hair. Did I mention it's permanent?

[michellep]

I've found no product that helps for air drying, but quite a few that help when blowing out. I'll echo the Pantene suggestion...there's one in a pump called super straight creme or something like that. Actually any of the "cremes" in the pump whether they say they're for curls or straight seem to be the same stuff and work great. More serious are the silicone products like Citre Shine Serum. This is all drug store stuff and I haven't found any high-end product that was crazy better and worth the extra $.

-M

[Twoboos]

I have a friend who has used the John Frieda (sp??) serum for years and years. Little bottle with a dropper. It's in the drugstore, don't know the exact name though. Her curls are always super-smooth.

I like the pantene smooth shampoo too - and I it smells soooo good!

If you want to straighten it, maybe a straightening iron? I just picked one up so I don't know how much of a total pain it is.

[mamalia]

It works best if you blow your hair straight, but the products I like are:
Matrix Smooth and Sleek
Aveda Hang Straight

Conversely if you don't want to fight your waves, these products are really good:
Aveda Be Curly - apply while wet and air dry
Aveda Control Paste - apply small amount after hair has air dried a bit to control any frizz and define the waves/curls. I also apply this stuff when I'm straightening my hair, it really cuts the frizz.

[CiderLogan]

I have shoulder-length, frizzy, wavy hair, and my absolute favorite thing to do to it these days is straighten it with a flat iron. It looks amazingly smooth and sleek, plus longer and shinier. I can't believe how great it looks. And this is just with a $30 wet/dry iron from Ulta. I guess the question is whether long-term use will damage my hair....? But for now I do it about every other day (just letting it be frizzy/wavy the other days because I don't have time). You just separate the hair into sections and flatten it - it really takes no longer than blow-drying.

Jenny
~~~~~
Mommy to two beautiful girls,
ages 1 and almost 4

[brittone2]

www.makeupalley.com has a great hair board if you want to check out other suggestions. They also have a product review section.

I don't have long hair, but I read about Giovanni Leave In there, and I like it. I think there are long haired girls that would like it. No parabens, which is one of the greatest parts IMO.

Are you wanting to straighten it (IMO no product is going to actually do a decent job of straightening without needing heat or using the thermal reconditioning/Japanese hair straighting method) or are you more looking for something to smooth hair so when it air dries it looks smoother?

eta: this is also a super cheapo suggestion, but I've read about people there recommending Rose Water to smooth out the cuticle. It is ridiculously cheap at WFs or a health food store, or an ethnic grocer. It works as a humectant, so it attracts moisture to the hair. It might be worth a look over at the forums at makeupalley if you want to read more about it.