21 Tips And Tricks That Will Actually Work On Your Thick Hair

    It's both a blessing and a curse.

    Natalya Lobanova
    by Natalya Lobanova

    BuzzFeed Staff

    We asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us their best tips for dealing with thick hair. Here are some of the most helpful answers.

    1. Layer up your topknot to stop it from sliding down throughout the day.

    BuzzFeed

    "I always find that my “messy buns” start at the top of my head, and gradually fall down down my head and become floppy. But recently I discovered that if you make a tiny half-bun, then twist the rest of your hair and wrap it around the mini-bun, the whole thing becomes a polished bun that doesn’t move!"

    Submitted by vanessanatalie.

    2. Get a Goody Quikstyle brush to halve the drying time for your hair.

    amazon.co.uk

    "I recently bought the Goody Quikstyle hairbrush. It has microfiber in between the bristles and it helps absorb water after you have showered. It makes my hair dry so much faster after I shower. It usually takes almost a day for my hair to air dry so this is a godsend!"

    Submitted by jeanniem4bf78b9ac.

    3. Cover your hair in silk at night.

    cultbeauty.co.uk

    "I bought a silk hair turban from Silke London that I put on every night before going to sleep. I have really thick hair and I always used to wake up with my hair in a tangled mess but now as soon as I slip it off in the morning I just run my fingers through my hair and it's perfect."

    Jade Viczko, Facebook

    4. Use the Wet Brush to detangle your hair after showering.

    topshop.com

    "The Wet Brush is the best brush I have ever used. Normally brushing is a chore, but with that it’s super easy and I can even (obviously) brush it while wet which was impossible before."

    Submitted by mcape94.

    5. To tame curly and frizzy hair, try Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Intensely Smooth Leave-In Conditioner.

    ecrater.co.uk

    "A product I SWEAR by is Garnier Fructis Leave-In Conditioner. I usually put it all over my hair (especially the ends) and style as normal. Once I'm done styling and my hair is dry, I crunch it. My hair stays the way I styled it and is ultra soft!"

    Submitted by heyarod.

    Dry your hair with a cotton T-shirt rather than a towel to reduce time and frizz.

    ADV Films

    "Drying my hair with a cotton shirt and then just blow-drying the roots cuts the frizz and the drying time of my hair in half."

    Submitted by zoes4c65171f8.

    6. To tame and make your hair smell delicious, apply It's a 10 Whipped Styling Balm before blow drying.

    amazon.co.uk

    "I use this on wet hair before I blow dry and it makes my hair go from coarse and frizzy to tame and ready to style. On top of that, it smells like Starburst!"

    Submitted by aubshaw

    7. Try washing your hair with conditioner only (also known as co-washing).

    Sony Pictures Releasing

    "Co-wash. It keeps my hair lighter and softer."

    Submitted by Ashley Blom, Facebook.

    8. If you're daring enough, get an undercut.

    BuzzFeed

    "I would be a hot, sweaty, triangle-haired mess without my undercut! I have half of my hair shaved off and you can’t even tell (unless I want you to see!)."

    Submitted by girlwithpinkglasses.

    9. Treat yourself to the Redken Diamond Oil hair mask weekly.

    lookfantastic.com

    "I found a once-weekly Redken Diamond Oil Hair Mask has definitely helped to combat frizz and reduce some volume, and waiting until my hair is completely dry (I don't blow dry) until I put a brush anywhere near it!"

    Submitted by Lucy Kavale, Facebook.

    10. For an affordable curling creme, try Garnier Fructis Surf Hair Texturising Gum.

    boots.com

    "I have thick curly (3A) hair. I use this product by Garnier called Surf Hair. I just put it in wet hair and bam! Instant frizz free curls. When you wake up just use a pick to fluff out your roots and scrunch the ends of your curls. Girls ask what product I use all the time. I’ve tried so many expensive products aimed towards curly hair specifically but I always come back to this little pot of gold."

    Submitted by anniec4564b5be1.

    11. Give almond oil a go.

    superdrug.com

    Oils in general, but especially almond oil. It's less greasy than coconut oil but equally good. I’ve even stopped using conditioner for that matter. It’s a carrier oil with no smell so you can use it with essential oils to pick the scent you prefer.

    Submitted by skeputin.

    12. Give your ponytail the treatment it deserves.

    amazon.co.uk

    "I love the Mane ‘n’ Tail shampoo and conditioner. Yes, it was originally meant for horses, but it is great for people too. I notice a big difference in the shininess of my extra thick hair when I use it, and it’s much easier to control the frizziness I deal with."

    Submitted by k100.

    13. If you have very thick curly/natural hair, try sectioning your hair when washing it.

    Sephora / Via hairtutorial.sephora.com

    "I started washing my hair in parts rather than my whole scalp at once because I realised that doing the whole scalp at once only made my hair matted and more tangled. I detangle my hair damp, using my fingers as much as possible. Then I section it off into 4 parts (some people may require more) and twist each section to keep it detangled. I then shampoo only my scalp, rinse, and then condition the hair (while finger detangling). I do one section at a time and then twist it back once it’s done. I also don’t rinse the conditioner out. I use a leave in."

    Submitted by cici10.

    14. If your hair gets greasy at the roots and dry at the ends, try switching to sulphate-free hair products.

    ocado.com

    "For the longest time, the top of my head would get greasy really quickly. Earlier this year I switched to sulphate-free shampoo and conditioner and it has done wonders for my hair."

    Submitted by tamingthefox.

    15. If you're prone to ponytail headaches, learn to braid instead.

    16. Use a ceramic hairdryer.

    amazon.co.uk

    "My hair is extremely long. To dry it I use my ionic/ceramic/tourmaline hair dryer. The technology is designed to substantially reduce the time spent drying the hair. Less time drying means less damage to the hair cuticle. My hairdryer dries my three-feet-long hair in about six minutes every single time, no exaggeration. I’ve recommended this dryer (mine is by Jilbere Paris but they are available in many brands) hundreds of times because of how life-changing has been!"

    Submitted by HairLikeCher.

    17. To shorten the length of time it takes to blow dry your hair, try Redken Pillow Proof Blow Dry Express Primer.

    allbeauty.com

    "My hair stylist used this product on my hair and I fell in love. It reduces the amount of time for blow drying your hair. Plus, added bonus it smells awesome!"

    Submitted by alexisleh.

    18. Sleep with your hair in French braids.

    19. To curl your hair more quickly, put it in a ponytail first.

    youtube.com

    "Tie your hair into a high pony on top of your head and curl the hair from the ponytail. When you take it out of the bobble you have gorgeous curls in 10 minutes rather than the hour it used to take!"

    Submitted by rachellouisew3.

    20. If all else fails, just get rid of it.

    BuzzFeed

    "I shaved most of it off. My hairstylist friend who did it for me told me that after shaving 85% of my head, I had the amount of hair that most people have.

    Now it only takes 20 minutes to dry my hair, as opposed to the hour it took before."

    Submitted by sudsymalone.

    Note: submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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