Appearance of free-range ‘chickens’ presents hair-products predicament

Lately, my mane has become my bane.

At ShopGirl Jr.’s suggestion, I’m growing out my hair for Locks of Love, which means it’s incredibly long and even more annoying. My “chickens,” which is what I call those short pieces of hair that stick up like a cockscomb at my part, have grown into roosters. And they must be tamed.

To that end, I’ve tried everything: shine boosters, styling creams, expensive conditioners, cheap conditioners, curling irons, straightening irons. I’ve blown cash on hair masks and a tourmaline-ion hair dryer. I’ve invested in new blow-dry brushes.

And frankly, only a few products showed results. In January, the beauty editor at Real Simple visited one of the morning shows and declared that Frederic Fekkai conditioner (if I remember correctly, it was the glossing variety) was worth the $22 price tag.

I was not convinced. I’ve tried enough expensive hair products to know that while they make your hair smell great, it usually ends up looking the same. That said, I don’t use bargain-basement stuff, either.

A week after I watched the hair segment, I was still toying with the idea of ordering conditioner from Sephora, when a PR rep with a beauty firm I work with regularly called to pitch another upscale line: Repair by Warren-Tricomi, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try.

As a control, I bought a bottle of Pantene Ice Shine conditioner at Hannaford.

Mind you, I’ve been using Paul Mitchell Quick Slip styling cream all along, which works well to make your hair dry faster, but isn’t as great at cooping the chickens as I would’ve hoped. I also swear by Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter cuticle cream as a cheap and perfect alternative to pricey pomades. But I decided to give Philip B’s Shin-Aid Pomade a try, just to be sure I wasn’t selling myself short. I could not bring myself to drop more than $100 on a Chi hair dryer, even though everyone swears they’re worth it.

But I did recently upgrade to a Conair Ceramic Ionic styler, which yields very similar results to the dying Revlon model it replaced.

So, over the course of several weeks, I conducted a not-so-scientific trial in my bathroom. One week, I used my usual shampoo, Tresemme, with the Pantene Ice Shine conditioner. The next, I used the Warren Tricomi shampoo and conditioner, and on Sunday, I treated myself to the once-a-week hair mask. All other things remained equal.

The results were mixed. I liked the way the Warren-Tricomi smelled, and it did make my hair feel smooth. The Ice Shine didn’t exactly make my tresses blindingly shiny, but it did a bang-up job of detangling. In the end, it seemed like a wash.

But the Shin-Aid Pomade ($25.50 at Sephora), which is meant for people with funky-chunky haircuts completely unlike mine, was amazing. It was far superior to other similar products – at all price points – that I have tried. In other words, it ruled the roost. Am I convinced that it’s better than Burt’s Bees? No.

Am I convinced that I’m ready to lop off all my hair and be rid of the chickens once and for all?

Absolutely.

ShopGirl would love to hear from you! Send questions, comments or suggestions by e-mail to: kandresen@bangordailynews.net, by U.S. mail to Kristen Andresen, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329, or by fax to 941-9476. For exclusive online shopping tips, click on the ShopBlog icon on the bottom of the BDN homepage: bangordailynews.com.