Hair health conditions range in a vast number of cases and severity. While some of them are mild, others aren’t so kind. These conditions result from lifestyle choices to health conditions. A common example of such issues is frizzy hair, which affects both men and women alike. The good news is it’s treatable using a simple hair care routine!
In this article, we’ll learn how to treat frizzy hair in men. We’ll also analyze the root causes of frizzy hair, but first, let’s understand what’s meant when hair is said to be “frizz.”
What Is Frizzy Hair?
Frizzy hair refers to a condition where hair, typically the curly hair type, grows away from the head of the wearer to create a blown, puffy, or fuzzy look. Curly, kinky, or wavy hair types are most prone to frequent dry-outs, which make hair frizz.
The condition affects both men and women, and unless you keep a low cut, you’ll most likely develop a frizz at one point. The situation also worsens in hotter climates or high humidity. The reason is that, as the hair dries out, it becomes brittle and absorbs more moisture from the atmosphere.
But you can also get frizzy hair from many other causes, as we’ll see below.
What Are the Causes of Frizzy Hair in Men?
Before we discuss the major root causes of frizzy hair, let’s learn a bit about your hair follicles and how they’re formed. Human hair comprises three main layers: the medulla, the cortex, and the cuticle. Each of these layers is found in the innermost, inner, and outer areas of the scalp, respectively.
The hair’s cuticle, which is the visible layer of the hair follicle that you see, consists of flat cells that overlap each other. These cells guard against harsh atmospheric conditions and help the hair retain moisture.
Once the hair on the scalp becomes dry, the cells become weak and flare up, creating room for hair damage. When this happens, the hair develops a frizz.
Now, here are some of the leading culprits of frizzy hair:
- Hot and Humid Weather: Hot and humid air remains the No. 1 culprit of frizzy hair. It affects the sebaceous glands, causing hair to dry out, which leads to frizz.
- Washing Your Hair With Hot Water: Using hot water instead of warm water on your scalp can lead to frizz and split ends.
- Extreme Sun Exposure: When under severe sunlight, ultraviolet rays can lead to dry hair, loss of essential oils, frizz, and even a change in hair color.
- Hair Drying: Blow-drying your hair after washing can also cause it to frizz.
- Shampooing Too Often: Too much shampooing or not using the right shampoo rids the hair of its essential natural oils and reduces its ability to absorb moisture.
- Swimming Pools: Swimming, especially in chlorinated water, can lead to dry hair. Once out of the swimming pool, hair begins to shrink, leaving a sprouted, frizzy look.
- Head Gears: Wearing tight hats, men’s hair masks and head warmers can cause friction in hair, which can result in frizz.
- Vitamin B12 Deficiency: This is a major health condition that can cause brittleness in hair
and ultimately lead to frizzy hair.
How Do You Treat Frizzy Hair in Men?
Let’s discuss seven home remedies or hair care routines to help combat frizzy hair.
1. Avoid Hot Steamy Showers
Hot showers are great in the mornings or after a long day at work. However, they aren’t good for guys with curly or kinky hair. Except if you use a shower hat, it’s best to keep your kinky hair away from really hot water.
Instead, wash and rinse your frizzy hair with lukewarm water to leave it moist. You can use cool water as well, as it helps to seal in moisture.
2. Choose Good Hair Products
Curly-haired guys need to pay particular attention to the kinds of hair products they use, e.g., shampoo and conditioner. Not every shampoo and conditioner or hair care routine is great for kinky hair, as some contain properties that can lead to frizz.
A common example would be shampoos that contain some dehydrating alcohol like ethyl, which is known to cause severe dry hair. Instead, opt for alcohols with hydrating lipids. Glycerin, for instance, is a good hair hydrator known to restore moisture and reduce frizz.
3. Stop Shampooing Too Often
As a rule of thumb, don’t make it a habit of shampooing your curly hair too often. Some guys assume that shampooing regularly will prevent their hair from becoming frizzy. That’s quite far from it. Studies show that shampooing regularly may even strip off natural hair oils and affect the hair’s natural texture.
For kinky or curly hair, the result may be far less appealing. The idea is to find a fixed shampoo pattern for your frizz and stick to it. This may be once in one or two weeks. The trick is to maintain a less frequent consistency so hair can maintain natural healthy locks and vibrancy.
4. Deep Condition Hair Weekly
As an alternative to shampooing, men with frizzy hair should opt for deep conditioning. It acts to repair rumbled hair fibers, deter frizzy hair, and keep the hair healthy.
Because of its therapeutic effect on hair’s cuticle, it’s recommended to use a leave-in conditioner as often as once a week. You can find many good leave-in conditioners on the market today.
But remember to always use lukewarm or cool water to rinse off the conditioner after letting it sit for a while.
5. Use a Diffuser While Blow-Drying Hair
It’s common practice to blow dry your hair immediately after washing it. But if you’re on the curly side, it’s best to naturally dry hair. However, if you insist on using a blow dryer, use a diffuser while doing so.
Blowing directly on curly hair can increase the risk of hair damage, which can result in frizz. To prevent this, attach a diffuser at the blow dryer vent to limit or reduce the intensity of direct heat to your hair strands.
This will leave your hair moist and prevent it from flaring recklessly while blow-drying. So, you can limit the amount of friction in the hair, tame frizz, and maintain healthy hair.
But, again, try your best not to use blow dryers (or any hot tools) when working on your frizzy hair. And when styling it, use a wide-tooth comb to maintain uniformity.
6. Use Smoothing Natural Oils
Never underestimate the power of smoothing natural oils on damaged hair. Using a smoothing oil can be a quick and efficient way to maintain a healthy shine and promote hair growth. This will limit frizz hair from developing.
When it comes to smoothing or hydrating, you’ll most likely be presented with a host of options. However, some of the best on the market today is Jojoba oil.
Jojoba oil is specially formulated for routine skin care but surprisingly works magic on frizz, as well. Other natural hair oil remedies you can try out include avocado oil or coconut oil. Argan oil is also a great natural oil.
7. Use a Silk Pillowcase
As a bonus tip, you may want to consider investing in a silk pillowcase. This could be asking for too much, but it goes a long way in managing and taming frizzy hair. The truth is that our sleeping patterns and beddings affect hair performance, and, over time, they start to have debilitating outcomes.
For instance, using a pillowcase made from cotton can trap and pull hair fibers out of alignment. Cotton can also create serious friction in hair as you toss and turn at night, creating a frizz.
To mitigate some of these issues, it’s better to go for smoother materials such as silk. Silk is gentle on hair that’s prone to frizz and will limit breakages and entanglements, ultimately fighting frizz in your hair.
Final Thoughts
So, that was it! We just learned seven ways to treat frizzy hair in men. Some, if not all, of the tips mentioned here work well for women as well.
Our hair health is important, so it’s highly essential that we take proper care of our hair every day. However, remember that frizzy hair isn’t in any way a life-altering condition.
And besides managing your frizzy hair, you’ll also be able to have cool, attractive hair using our pro tips.