• Use thick hair to your advantage by playing up natural wave on short hairstyles.Hold myself image by Frenk_Danielle Kaufmann from Fotolia.com
  
  If you have frizzy hair, you can spend an hour getting your thick, short hair picture- perfect and walk outside in high humidity, only to watch your hard work swell into a puffy halo. Thick, frizzy hair may frustrate you, but today's hair products offer solutions to almost any hair problem. Even your choice of blow dryer affects thick hair's tendency toward frizz. Ionic blow-dryers, according to Glamour magazine, keep frizz to a minimum by compressing the cuticle (outer hair shaft) and preserving moisture. Give thick, frizzy hair a deep conditioning treatment once a week and use a large dose of hair conditioner daily.
  
  

Fighting Frizz

• Leave hair conditioner in your hair for a minimum of five minutes each time you shampoo. Blot your wet hair with a microfiber towel after washing instead of wringing or rubbing your hair harshly. Allowing hair to dry out leads to a porous hair shaft. If the air is humid, the hair will suck up moisture like a sponge, and swell into a frizzy mess. By moisturizing daily and coating the hair with a hydrating, protective layer of shine serum or thermal protective spray, you keep the frizz away. Certain coatings, however, attract oil and dirt, so look for products without silicone serums.
  
  

The Cut

• Cut super-short spiky layers into thick and curly hair and you may look like a poodle. Go super-short with spikes (short shag cut) only if your thick hair is straight or wavy, not curly. The also rule applies to short cuts shaved at the nape of the neck with long, side-swept bangs. Thick, curly hair prevents the sleek look in front that makes this cut work. Ask for a just-below-the-jawline cut (modified bob with layers) when you want a short cut for thick hair. This style will look sleek with a blow-dry as long as the layers are kept long and razored at the ends. With thick hair, avoid length between the ears and chin. Instead, try a pixie cut that is heavily thinned with thinning shears.
  
  

Managing Thick Hair

• Take advantage of your thick hair's natural wave by playing up the texture and keeping the hair just below the jawline in longer layers. Massage a leave-in conditioner or mousse down to the cuticle on damp hair. Allow the hair to dry naturally or blow dry with a low heat setting. Blow-dry bangs (side-swept work best on thick hair) with a rounded brush to give the look a little finesse. Similar cuts, with longer layers just below the jawline, take on a polished effect by using a straightening iron at the roots. Finish the look by using a small curling iron on the ends and flipping the hair away from the face. Using these techniques on very short, thick hair, however, may add frizz. Work super-short cuts with mousse when damp, and allow to dry naturally.