Dealing with frizz regularly can be frustrating, especially when you don’t understand the cause. Frizzy hair is often dry and damaged, with individual strands separating and standing away from the scalp.
Frizz makes it hard to style your hair as desired and can leave you dissatisfied with its natural texture and appearance.
But there are solutions that will give you more defined curls, smooth hair texture, a healthy scalp
, and frizz-free hair. Read on to learn the best hair care tips and strategies for how to get rid of frizzy hair.
What Causes Frizzy Hair?
The primary cause of frizzy hair is dryness. While insufficient moisture is the main culprit, different factors contribute to hair dryness or worsen the frizz. These include humidity, rough handling, heat damage from styling tools, harsh hair products, and porosity.
The scalp typically produces natural oils that moisturize the hair and keep healthy strands laying down. The beneficial moisture escapes the hair shaft (cuticle) when hair is dry and damaged. The dull hair strands then try to absorb moisture from the air, causing them to open up and become frizzy.
Do Some People Have Naturally Frizzy Hair?
Yes. People with naturally curly or coarse hair types are more prone to experiencing frizz. Their hair is prone to dryness due to limited oil distribution along the hair shaft. This results in unruly strands and undefined curls.
However, frizz can occur in all hair types, including straight hair.
Tips to Get Rid of Frizzy Hair
Managing frizzy hair requires you to address the causes of dry and damaged hair. The best hair care tips for managing frizz include activities that help to retain moisture.
Use a combination of the tips below to eliminate frizzy hair once and for all.
Use Lukewarm or Cool Water Instead of Very Hot Water
Washing your hair with very hot water can have detrimental effects on its health and appearance. The water’s high temperature can strip away the natural oils, leaving the hair dry and more susceptible to frizz.
Hot water can also damage the hair cuticle and cause frayed or frizzy strands.
Use lukewarm or cool water during hair-washing routines to maintain healthy and frizz-free hair.
Avoid Harsh Hair Products
Harsh products often contain ingredients that strip away the natural oils the scalp produces. This can leave the hair dry, brittle, and more prone to frizz.
Overusing or misusing harsh hair products can also weaken the overall structure of your hair strands, resulting in breakage, split ends, and uneven texture, all of which contribute to frizz.
Harsh hair products include:
- Products containing sulfates
and alcohol - Hair colorants containing ammonia or high levels of peroxide
- Perming solutions that contain strong chemicals like ammonium thioglycolate
- Hair relaxers or straightening treatments that contain harsh chemicals such as sodium hydroxide or guanidine carbonate
- Hair sprays or styling products with high alcohol content, such as aerosol sprays
Read product labels and choose hair care products that are gentle, moisturizing, and free from harsh chemicals that can strip the hair’s natural oils.
Keep Heat Styling to the Minimum
Frequent and prolonged heat styling can put excessive stress on the hair. As a result, the hair becomes damaged, dry, and frizzy.
Minimize the use of hot tools like curling tongs, flat irons, curling irons, and blow dryers. Also, consider these additional tips to tame frizzy hair if you can’t avoid heat styling:
- Use heat protectant sprays, conditioners, oils, or serums
- Set the styling tools to lower temperatures
- Limit the frequency and duration of heat styling sessions
Don’t Wash Your Hair Daily
When you wash your hair frequently, especially with harsh shampoos, you strip away the natural oils produced by your scalp. These oils help to keep your hair moisturized and smooth. When your hair is dry, it’s more likely to absorb moisture from the air and become frizzy.
Try to extend the time between washes to allow your hair’s natural oils to replenish and nourish your strands. You can use dry shampoo or other techniques to refresh your hair between washes.
Sleep on a Silk/Satin Pillowcase
Silk and satin pillowcases have a smooth surface that creates less friction against your hair compared to cotton or other fabrics. Friction can roughen the hair cuticles and cause frizz and tangles.
Silk and satin pillowcases provide a softer surface, reducing the risk of hair breakage and minimizing frizz. They are also less absorbent than cotton. As a result, they help to maintain the hair’s moisture balance, keep it hydrated, and less likely to become frizzy.
Use a Microfiber Towel to Dry Hair
The rough texture of a standard towel creates friction that can damage the hair’s cuticles. It can make the hair more porous and likely to absorb moisture from the air.
The rubbing motion of towel drying can also cause the hair to become tangled and knotted. This can make the hair more difficult to style and contribute to frizz.
Here are some tips to help you dry your hair without causing frizz:
- Use a microfiber towel. They’re much gentler on the hair than terry cloth towels. Microfiber towels are also more absorbent, making it easier to dry your hair quickly without causing as much damage.
- Pat your hair dry, don’t rub it. Rubbing your hair can create friction that can damage the cuticles and cause frizz. Instead, pat your hair dry with a microfiber towel.
- Start at the ends of your hair and work your way up. This will help to prevent the hair from becoming tangled.
Use a Frizz Protectant for Humid Environments
Humidity is a major cause of frizzy hair. When hair absorbs moisture from the air in humid areas, it causes the hair shaft to swell, resulting in frizz.
Frizz-protectant products prevent excess moisture from penetrating the hair shaft. They contain ingredients that moisturize the hair and create a barrier that reduces the water entering your hair.
Use a Deep Conditioning Hair Mask Weekly
Deep conditioning masks deliver deep hydration to the hair to help restore and maintain its moisture balance. Replenishing moisture makes the hair shaft less prone to absorbing excess environmental moisture.
These masks also contain ingredients that help to smooth and seal the hair cuticles. When the cuticles are smooth and flat, the hair has a healthy, defined, and shinier appearance.
Giving your hair the hydration boost it needs weekly with rich deep conditioning also offers protection against heat damage and split ends.
Use Leave-in Conditioner
Leave-in conditioners coat the hair with a thin layer of moisture-rich ingredients. These ingredients help to smooth down the cuticles and seal in moisture. That way, the hair is less likely to absorb moisture from the air and become frizzy.
Besides preventing frizz, leave-in conditioners can also help to detangle the hair and make it easier to style. They can also help to protect the hair from heat damage.
Use a Glycerin-Rich Shampoo and Conditioner
Using products with glycerin can help with frizz control by penetrating the hair and hydrating it internally.
Glycerin absorbs moisture from the environment and creates a protective layer around the hair shaft to retain moisture. Such shampoos and conditioners also help to detangle hair.
Related: Top 5 Clarifying Shampoo for Curly Hair Reviewed!
Dry Your Hair With a Diffuser
A diffuser is an attachment that fits onto a hair blow dryer and disperses the airflow over a larger area. Unlike direct air from a regular hair blow-dry, the diffuser creates a gentler, more evenly distributed airflow. The gentle airflow reduces the chances of disrupting the hair cuticles, which can lead to frizz.
A diffuser also lets you dry your hair without excessive handling or touching. That way, it reduces the chances of friction and disturbance to the hair cuticles.
Avoid Hair Sprays With Alcohol
Be selective in choosing hair sprays when you want to tame frizz.
Some hair sprays contain alcohol or other drying ingredients that can strip away moisture from the hair. Always check the product labels and avoid hair sprays with drying properties if you have frizzy hair.
Trim Your Hair
Does your hair have split ends? They occur when the hair shaft becomes damaged and splits into two or more strands.
Trimming the hair regularly removes these split ends, preventing them from traveling further up the hair shaft and causing more frizz. Your hair will have a healthier overall appearance and less frizz caused by damaged ends.
Avoid Touching Your Hair Throughout the Day
Constantly running your fingers through your hair or playing with it can disturb the hair cuticles, leading to friction and frizz. Resisting the urge to touch your hair allows the cuticles to remain undisturbed, maintaining a smoother appearance and minimizing frizz risk.
You can wear protective hairstyles like braids or sleek top knots to minimize the urge to play with your hair. You can also utilize hair accessories such as headbands or clips to keep hair in place.
Use a Boar-Bristle Brush
The bristles of a boar bristle brush are gentle and have a similar structure to human hair. Brushing your hair with a boar bristle brush helps distribute the natural oils produced by your scalp, known as sebum, along the hair shaft.
But for wet hair, consider a wide-tooth comb or a detangling brush specifically designed for wet hair.
Conclusion
Frizz will make your hair look dry and damaged. That’s why you try your best to get rid of it, much less tame it, for your hair’s overall health and appearance.
Luckily, you can utilize the tips we mentioned above to control and prevent frizzy hair. Choose one or a combination of any of them, and add them to your daily haircare routine.
In no time, you’ll achieve that luscious, healthy hair you’ve always been dreaming about.