Frizzy hair is a frustrating and time consuming issue for so many of us. In this post I will go over the different types of frizzy hair and how to manage them. There are a few fundamental changes in our daily routine that will combat frizzy hair. With some subtle adjustments, these issues will be minimized and we can regain control of our hair for good.
Frizzy hair can be caused by humidity, excessive heat exposure, over processing with chemical treatments or natural dryness in the hair. Curly hair tends to be naturally dry, for this reason the hair craves moisture and absorbs all the moisture in the air causing frizziness. New hair can also cause a frizziness as the new hairs tend to be a different texture to the longer hair and they often stand up around the crown, creating a lions mane effect.
What causes frizzy hair?
The first step towards finding a solution is properly identifying the cause. Below is a list of the different causes of fizzy hair. It is possible that you fit into more than one of these categories.
- Naturally dry, frizzy hair: Curly hair is often lacking in moisture and has a tendency to be frizzy. Thick or course hair which is not necessarily curly also has a tendency to be frizzy and naturally dry.
- Humid climates: The excessive hydrogen in the air bonds to the proteins in our hair and causes frizziness.
- Excessive heat exposure: Heat styling takes its toll on our hair and can cause damage and frizziness
- Chemical damage: Over processing with chemicals like bleach and hair color can cause damage and frizziness
- New hair: We lose hair every day and grow new hair. We will notice more new hair after experiencing a bout of hair loss which can be caused by many things such as post-natal hair loss or stress.
What can be done to reduce and control frizz?
Moisture
Lack of moisture is primarily what causes frizzy hair. Hair that is naturally frizzy, curly and course will benefit greatly from a shampoo that contains moisture like Aveda Nutri-Plensish moisture shampoo which is sulfate and paraben free. This is important because SLS or Sulfate can cause frizz and should be avoided.
I recommend a hydrating mask weekly, the Moroccan Oil Hydrating Mask and Aveda Nutriplenish Masque are both great. Coconut oil is a natural alternative for a moisturizing mask. It will generally need to be shampooed out of the hair as it is an oil and won’t rinse out with water alone. If your roots are generally oily remember to only apply conditioners and masks on your mid lengths and ends.
Don’t shampoo too frequently.
Shampooing too frequently strips the natural sebum from our hair. Sebum is particularly important for dry hair. If you are used to shampooing daily, try to alternate with just applying conditioner to the mid lengths and ends every other day rather than both shampoo and conditioner. This is only recommended for hair that is not oily.
If your scalp gets oily I recommend using a good dry shampoo. The Aveda dry shampoo is my favorite. More tips on handling oily hair/ scalp here.
Avoid excessive snagging and vigorous rubbing
The most gentle and least disruptive way to dry your hair after a bath is to roll it up strait into a microfiber towel, without any rubbing or excessive squeezing. Microfiber is more absorbent and gentle than cotton and by rolling it up and letting it dry naturally in the towel you preserve the natural curl of the hair. If you plan to heat style it is ideal to let it dry up to 90% in the towel if you have time before using heat.
Switching over to a silk pillowcase is life changing and should be done immediately. I’m not kidding, click here. Silk is less absorbent than cotton and will leave the natural oils your skin and hair produce exactly where they are. Silk is also softer than cotton and will snag less while you sleep. It is smoother than cotton and will prevent excess knottiness, less knots means less brushing, which means less frizz. There is literally no reason at all to not be using a silk pillowcase.
Brushing your hair should be done slowly and gently, from the bottom up. I go into a lot more detail here about how to prevent breakage, but this is an important one. When wet our hair is extremely fragile and should be treated with care. I recommend a wet brush for wet hair and a boar bristle brush for dry hair.
Avoid excessive heat or chemical exposure
Heat styling should be avoided if possible, but we all know that’s not always possible. It is so important to use a heat protector before applying heat to the hair. It is also important to use high quality tools. I go into more detail about this here but these are the hot tools I recommend: The Parlux Powerlight weighs only 450 grams and is quite and strong. Many low grade hair driers are very hot and slow, burning the hair before drying it. Proper heat control is so important. If you wear your hair curly I advise investing in a diffuser. Diffusing your hair using a curl cream on a low speed you will accentuate your natural curl without it frizzing.
I am a firm believer in health first, and for this reason I often advise my clients to stay within a 2-3 shade range of their natural color. Especially when going lighter, if you follow this simple rule it will minimize hair damage due to chemical exposure.
Use styling products to minimize new hair ‘mane’
I find the best way to tame new hairs is to spray hairspray on a mascara applicator and brush it onto the fine hairs. Usually these congregate around the hairline (of course) and can be incredibly frustrating. The good news is that your hair is growing and healthy. For this reason it is worth putting up with the extra work.
New hair often occurs postpartum. If this applies to you, I have written detailed guide on hair during and after pregnancy here. The new hair will usually start coming in at around four months postpartum and will start to settle again at around 7-10 months pp. Biotin is a great vitamin to promote healthy hair growth and can be found at your local pharmacy or health shop.
Bonus tips!
- Cold rinse your hair after washing: I know, I know… this is not the most fun or comfortable thing to do BUT if you can stand it, even if just for a few seconds, blast your hair with cold water after washing. This will close the cuticles of your hair, making it smoother and shinier. It also stimulates the scalp and promotes healthy hair growth!
- Use a silicon based styling product: A silicon based product like this serum which will smooth all the frizzy bits while providing heat protection and some extra shine.
- Do a Keratin treatment, but not before reading this!!
Remember to pin this to your boards so you can come back to it later!
