How to Make Your Hair Stay and Not Flop Around

You’ve gone to the hair stylist, and your hair looks gorgeous. You have a sleek, new cut, and you diligently wash and condition your hair. Then after a few weeks, your new hairstyle just flops. Your bob no longer bounces, or your hair lies limp at the collar line. If your hairstyle flops around instead of keeping its style, it might be your cut -- but more likely, it is something more basic. If you live in an area with hard water, that alone could affect your style. But more often, the culprit is either that you are using too much hair product or the wrong kind of hair products. Does this Spark an idea?

Do not use too much shampoo or conditioner and be sure to rinse them out thoroughly. Too much shampoo can dry out your hair, and too much conditioner will make your hair limp. Short hair needs less than half a tablespoon of conditioner, and long hair needs a little more than half. If you are using a rinse-out conditioner, and you leave any in your hair, your hair will become greasy, and your style will flop. For best results, comb your hair while you are still under the shower to remove conditioner residue.

You could be using too many types of hair products. Shampoo and conditioner are usually a must, but others might be optional. Mousse, gel or spray can be helpful for some styles and types of hair. Using too much or too many hair sculpting or fixative products can make hair dry, which starts a vicious cycle. If you have fine hair and you use an "extra hold" hair spray, it might damage your hair more than if you use "gentle" or "regular hold" spray. Use no more than four different hair products, such as shampoo, conditioner, a light mousse and a light spray. Chemical straighteners can also damage hair and cause your style to flop.

All heat-stylers can damage your hair. Curling irons, flat irons, hot curlers and blow dryers can damage your hair if used at excessive heat levels or if used too frequently for your hair type. You might see women whose long, thick tresses seem to undergo multiple coloring sessions at the salon, and you also know that these women use curling irons, flat irons, hot curlers or blow dryers on a regular basis at home -- yet their hair never seems to get damaged. Poker-straight hair is less likely to get damaged than wavy, curly or textured hair. Fine hair is also more susceptible to damage than thick hair. When using heat stylers, keep the heat setting as low as possible and use this styling option as infrequently as possible. Hair damaged from heat will not only become dry and frizzy, but it also will not style properly and will flop.

Tips

- If you have hard water, most likely, your water system will already be treated with a water softener, which will alleviate the problems that sediment buildup can cause. If your water is hard and you do not have a water-softening treatment in your water system, call a professional to recommend the best method for softening your water.