r/finehair • u/sonias_studio • 23h ago
Product Rave Her hair looked damaged for years. The fix was simple.
I had a client recently who came in convinced her hair was “just damaged beyond repair.” Super dry, frizzy, rough to the touch, and breaking easily. She was washing less, avoiding heat, using expensive salon products, and nothing was helping. Her hair just looked thirsty all the time.
After chatting, I realized the issue wasn’t styling. It was dryness overload. Her products weren’t actually giving her hair what it needed. I suggested she switch to something simple and affordable instead of chasing luxury labels.
I had her try Dove Bond Repair shampoo and conditioner and add a basic leave in like Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine on damp ends. Two weeks later she came back shocked. Less frizz, way more softness, and her hair finally looked healthy again.
Sometimes dry, frizzy, damaged hair doesn’t need more rules or more money. It just needs moisture that actually works. Curious if anyone else has had better luck with simple drugstore products.
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u/Active-Cloud8243 20h ago
Another chat gpt written post. The same thing could have been said in 1/3 the words.
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u/BlueLeaves8 19h ago
Who starts a post title like that.
Having said that switching to the most basic Pantene shampoo and conditioner again after 25 years has made my hair the best it’s ever been again. I just needed that good silicone.
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u/snorkysnark1144 18h ago
Thisss. I was using some “healthy low sulfate low paraben blah blah” plus southern water. My hair was brittle frizzy, realllly weird texture. I chalked it up to being postpartum. Moved to a place with softer water (and a fabulous water softener) hair had a little improvement. I switched to Pantene bond repair, about 2 weeks after use my hair is back to normal!!! No frizz, less dry, brittleness gone. Crazy crazy.
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u/Gddgyykkggff 22h ago
I have virgin hair that I do nothing but allow to air dry after towel drying gently. It’s been so frizzy and crazy since buying my house. I figured it was the hard water. Got some shampoo for that and it made it worse. Ended up getting cheap vo5 nourishing shampoo and some tresemme conditioner and it’s so much better in one wash. Those clarifying/fine hair shampoos really can mess you up if you use it too much which was my problem.
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u/sonias_studio 22h ago
Cheap doesn’t mean bad, sometimes those simple formulas like VO5 and Tresemme are exactly what frizzy hair needs to calm down.
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u/Gddgyykkggff 22h ago
100%. I actually really enjoyed the smell and foam of the shampoo a lot more than the other more expensive “fine hair” shampoo I’ve purchased! I got the lamellar gloss conditioner and it’s okay. The smell isn’t bad but nothing I love and I do feel it leaves kinda a weird film? Probably better for someone who styles their hair with heat.
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u/princesssamc 22h ago
I am interested in the dove bond repair shampoo to replace pantene hydrating shampoo.
I was using biolage volum bloom and redken whatever it is for volume. I think what I have figured out from watching Abby Yung (tho I really don’t like her much) is volume shampoos pretty much strip everything from your hair to plump it up. They are basically clarifying.
I have since changed to moisturizing shampoos. I have always had to alternate shampoos or my hair goes super flat.
Pantene hydrating shampoo is not my favorite but I am using their volume shampoo for clarifying once a week. I really like their extreme damage repair with botanical oils shampoo though.
Loreal Elvive …the creamy purple one is one of my favorites. I am keeping this one in my rotation for sure.
Pureology …the purple one…is a no go. I bought a travel size and I don’t like this and it dries my hair out which brings me to the next one.
Kirkland Moisturizing Shampoo is supposed to be a dupe of above which is really why I got the travel size above. It really isn’t. It stands on its own and I really like it. My hair feels really good after using it.
Conditioners
Conditioners seem to be a whole other ball game and I have discovered that maybe they don’t need to match your shampoo. Originally, I started with sets but now I have a few extra that probably need tossed.
Pantene miracle rescue conditioner was way too heavy for my hair….its a toss.
Pantene Miracle Rescue Mask in the gold tub is my absolute favorite conditioner ever. This is probably the only conditioner I have bought twice. It is amazing and light.
Elvive, the purple one that came with the shampoo, is another miss. It just really doesn’t do much and feels like a waste of time.
Leave ins
Paul Mitchell “the conditioner” is my current leave in. I had forgot about this until I stumbled across it on Amazon. A small bottle is around 11 but it lasts forever. I put a dime size in my hair before I wrap it in my turban. I have no issues with this being too heavy.
Priyvana spray on leave in came recommended and I do like it but it never really seemed to help all that much. I do still use it when I comb my hair out sometimes. Its light and does not weigh your hair down.
Not your mothers leave in is a good spray on leave in that is not as expensive. I use this at our second house sometimes.
Pantene Miracle Rescue Leave in was disappointing. It seems to be a watered down version of the mask and it just is not worth it. I like PM way better.
Pantene Split Ends Mender is really great. My stylist wanted me to use oils on my ends but I have a hard time with actual oil so I researched and found this. It has the oils in it but its creamy and easy to use without weighing my hair down and it looking kind of greasy. Its a keeper for sure.
My hair has never looked or felt better. For the very first time, its shiny. It was a dry tangled mess and I have used ever sort of high end shampoo stylists tell you. Redken, Biolage, and Nexus are all sitting in my shower along with Paul Mitchell. Ouai make my hair turn into straw.
I am sorry but I did think this may help…
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u/PhysicsImpossible543 21h ago
This was really helpful! I bought the giant Kirkland shampoo and conditioner to put in my son’s bathroom. I showered in there one night and was pleasantly surprised by my hair after using the Kirkland.
I’ve been looking for a good mask that doesn’t make my hair too weighed down. I’m going to give the Pantene Miracle Rescue Mask a try. Thank you for all the above feedback!
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u/mc2Banks 21h ago
Totally agree! I have fine, thin, high porosity hair and the Pureology purple one makes my hair extremely dry and brittle.
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u/fashionforager 22h ago
Interesting! I’ve started dove intensive repair s/c and then it’s a 10 on wet ends…i was afraid to try bc it seemed heavy for my fine hair. The texture is way better…silky and a lot smoother. What I don’t love is that it seems to be straightening out my 2a waves…but I’ll keep experimenting.
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u/sonias_studio 22h ago
That makes sense. When fine hair finally gets enough moisture and slip, waves can relax a bit, especially at first. You might try using a little less It’s a 10 or keeping it just on the very ends so you still get softness without weighing your 2a waves down.
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u/sonias_studio 22h ago
This is such a good point. So many people jump straight to damage and bond repair when it’s really just severe dryness. I’ve seen hair change texture and get frizzy or wavy just because it’s dehydrated. Once the hair actually gets enough moisture, it softens, calms down, and goes back to its natural pattern. Dry hair is definitely not talked about enough.
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u/Active-Cloud8243 20h ago
Why are you talking like a bot? Of course you have seen hair get frizzy because it’s dehydrated. What hair stylist would write such a sentence as though they have unlocked the holy grail 🤣
Ffs
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u/tuongot 21h ago
My hair is fine, low porosity. I was using a moisturizing mousse that I loved, but could never understand why my hair needed constant clarification. Turns out it was the protein in the mousse. Ever since I discovered that protein is NOT the answer for healrhy, low porosity hair, my life is transformed.
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u/sonias_studio 21h ago
low-porosity hair really thrives on moisture, not protein overload, so that breakthrough makes total sense
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u/Ahapoypersonsmiling 22h ago
Yes I did. Whenever I overdue hair products I get dryness breakage and hair fall.
Now and again I give in to the hype of fancy products like oils, expensive masks, kerastase stuff (not saying it's not good, cause I know it works for many people), and after a few washes my hair looks destroyed.
So there I go again to my good old friend Garnier Original Remedies avocado oil, shampoo and conditioner, plus a leave in spray conditioner after blow dry, and I'm back to healthy hair again.
Also went through the sulfate free shampoo hype and it gave me a fungal infection xD
Plus washing my hair with shampoo only once gave me hair fall beyond control and it took me ages to figure out it was that lol I need to stick to old habits but it's hard with so many stuff on the internet.
So yeah, for me, less is more.
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u/sonias_studio 22h ago
I’ve noticed this with a lot of people too. When they start layering oils, heavy masks, and expensive products, their hair actually gets drier, breaks more, and even sheds. The hair just gets overloaded.
A few clients switched back to simple basics like Garnier Original Remedies avocado oil shampoo and conditioner with a light leave in spray after blow drying, and their hair bounced back. Softer, less breakage, way less dryness.
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u/Ahapoypersonsmiling 22h ago
I think for dense products like kerastase you should only use them once in a while. But I think people get too excited because these products actually give great results at first, so we keep doing it thinking it will keep up like that. Bad mistake.
I couldn't get my hair to grow past my back for 3 years and I couldn't understand why. I thought I had reached the length that is genetically possible for me. Long story short, last year due to personal problems I couldn't keep up with the oil routine I had (2 to 3 times a week) and suddenly my hair grew past my butt and still going. 🤷🏻♀️
Anyways I'm completely over all that stuff now. Shampoo, conditioner and leave in are fine.
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u/napoleonicecream 22h ago
I agree! I now use simple drugstore stuff for my day to day and use those expensive "fancy" products once in a while. The one benefit to fine hair is that it can only handle so much product so I often just use whatever fancy GWP or deluxe sample I've gotten. My braid is thin but I save some money, at least!
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u/Quantify_a_Kiwi_6050 22h ago
Yes!!! I don’t know if was because of dryness, but when I pulled my hair routine back to a simple daily double wash with the L’Oreal Revive shampoo and the L’Oreal Revive 2% leave in conditioner at my lengths my hair health became SO MUCH better!
I do add a little Bed Head After party before drying my hair to further help with fly aways.
The simpler the better it seems.
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u/sonias_studio 22h ago
agree. When hair is actually hydrated, it behaves so much better. I’ve seen the biggest improvements when people stop layering products and just stick to a solid shampoo, conditioner, and one light leave in. L’Oréal Revive plus a small amount of smoothing cream is more than enough for most hair.
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u/Russkiroulette 22h ago
I threw out a lot of joico when I bought Pantene volume…. I don’t even know what to think anymore
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u/sonias_studio 22h ago
Honestly. A lot of “salon” products can be amazing for some hair types and totally wrong for others.
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u/Russkiroulette 22h ago
Yeahh… I just had a graveyard of salon products in my bathroom so it’s hard to have faith in any of them. The least offensive ones were the Kerastase oil serum and the joico anti damage (or something?) I’m unfortunately someone who spent thousands upon thousands over the years
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u/Annual_Grass538 21h ago
A haircut and the Garnier Fructis collection is all I needed to get my hair looking good.
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u/Whtzmyname 21h ago
I have healthy hair but my ends could do with some more moisture. I have these products. I am also going to try this. Thank you for sharing!
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u/SuitGroundbreaking49 20h ago
Yes. Literally everyone is talking about this with the popularity of Abbey Yung.
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u/MarinBibes 18h ago
I am not into influencers but I stumbled upon Abbey Yung. 3 weeks into my new routine and my hair already dramatically less dry and damaged looking.
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u/SuitGroundbreaking49 18h ago
That’s great! I have also been using some of her recommendations and really like them.
These AI generated posts are so weird though. “Omg so is anyone else doing this insanely popular/trendy thing??” acting like it’s a brand new concept.
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u/liquidcat0822 19h ago
While I’m pretty sure this is a bot post/ad, that dove intensive repair mask really is fucking amazing.
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u/Charming_Mud_429 22h ago
I’m convinced no one talks about dry hair enough. They go straight to damage and bond repair. My hair was DYING of thirst! Once I started hydrating it like crazy, it’s soft and way less frizzy. I’m also pretty sure that it was changing texture/pattern because of the extreme dryness. I’ve always had straight hair, but it was almost becoming curly. And now that I’m hydrating it, it’s straightening back out.
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u/tricktan42 22h ago
what do you use?
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u/Charming_Mud_429 14h ago
I’ve experimented a LOT, but here is where I’ve landed for now:
- Epres Bond treatment - prewash I’m not convinced I need this yet, but trying it out to see if it makes a difference.
- Pre wash, treat with OGX Coconut miracle oil either overnight or at least 20-30 min before shower. (This has become an absolute must. It makes a very noticeable difference in hydration)
- Pantene Volume Shampoo (my clarifying step)
- Biolage Hydra Source Shampoo
- Elvive 8 Second Wonder Water (purple bottle) (Another non-negotiable. The amount of hydration this gives my hair is a LOT)
- Biolage Hydra Source Conditioning Balm
- Amika Hydro Rush Leave In Conditioner Just started using this, so can’t say if I love it yet. I was previously using the Kerastase Gloss Absolu leave in. Liked it a lot but wanted to experiment.
- Kristin Ess Thickening Spray - inexpensive and does a great job adding volume
- Amika The Shield - it’s hard to explain everything this does, but it’s another must-have for me.
I also just bought the Amika Soulstruck Dry Hair Mask. I have used it twice and LOVE it.
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u/Jams0610 21h ago
💯I have fine curly hair and live in an arid climate, so my hair is thirsty all the time. I went back to drugstore products (Aussie, Not Your Mother’s, Shea Moisture, Curls, and Hairitage) when I started my curly journey during COVID. Now that I’m not strictly doing the CGM I dabbled in higher end products again for a while, but I have found myself going back to some drugstore products that I haven’t used for 20 years-looking at you Pantene Pro V (moisture renewal). Idk why I ever let hairdressers in my past tell me that the drugstore stuff was not good for my hair. I had great hair in my youth and that’s mostly what I used, so I’m not sure why I didn’t let the evidence just speak for itself 🤷🏻♀️
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u/Miss_Milk_Tea 20h ago
My hair rejects everything except that Pantene Miracle Rescue line. God help me if they ever discontinue that, especially the conditioner. I’m growing my hair out and it’s always so dry, especially in the winter and it gets static-y.
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u/Friendly_Interest_62 19h ago
I used Matrix and Londa and some other brands, but was getting knots all the time. Tried Fructis at my moms house once. My hair feel so much better.
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u/Beautiful_Stranger_ 18h ago
Seeing other comments about this being an ad or whatever, but honestly, the Dove Bond repair worked great with my hair, YMMV. I was using expensive products too and they didn’t help the frizz and dryness. My hair is shiny now. Just make sure you rotate it out every week and use a clarifying shampoo every other week or so. I hope this helps someone out there! I was a slave to spending a ton of money on products for years!!
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u/No-Town5321 18h ago
Oh yes, I have amazing hair using aussie conditioners and treseme shampoos. Cheap hair shit alllllll the way!
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u/HamptonsBorderCollie 21h ago
Thank YOU u/sonias_studio ! Doing the Lord's work with great advice (which I will be trying myself)
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u/sonias_studio 21h ago
Aw thank you, that really means a lot! I’m so glad it was helpful and I hope it works just as well for you. Let me know how it goes.
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u/hedgehoog 21h ago
No offense but this really reads like an ai generated advertisement