Introduction
Whether your hair is curly, straight, or wavy, frizz can turn a perfectly styled do from a masterpiece to a disaster in a matter of minutes. And sometimes, as hard as you may try to tame your frizzy hair, it can feel like an impossible task. Blame humidity or DNA, but whatever the source, the frizz requires management skills.
There’s literally nothing wrong with frizz . Frizzy hair is 100% natural and beautiful, and there’s no need to “tame” or “conquer” it if you don’t want to. it’s your hair, after all, so you get to do whatever you want with it. And since going frizz and flyaway-free is much easier said than done, it involves a lot of product cocktailing and strategic styling. Although for most, frizzy hair is the enemy, there is something to be said for embracing it. Frizz can be a halo or a crown, and it gives hair texture and life.
What Causes Frizzy Hair ?
Before we get into a few frizzy-hair solutions though, it's important to get a basic idea of what frizz even is. Here’s the thing: When your hair is damaged, dry, or chemically treated, the outer layer of the strand rises, allowing for moisture to enter the strand, fatten it up, and create frizz. What can be done about it? Make sure your hair cuticles are as flat and smooth as possible. Ahead, we offer up their best tricks and product recs for helping you get the smoothest, flyaway-free hair of all time.
1. The Water Temperature In your Shower is Cranked Up
For a more manageable mane, avoid extra hot—and extra long—showers. The hotter your shower is, and the longer it lasts, the more your hair is stripped of natural oils that keep frizz at bay and locks shiny and lush. Lukewarm water is your friend.
2. You Style your Hair with Hot Hair Styling Tools Daily
Whether you use a blow dryer, flat iron or curling iron, daily high heat from hair tools can damage the hair and strip it of moisture, leading to frizz. Minimising use of heated styling tools and letting your hair air dry. If you do need to use heat, use the lowest setting and always make sure to protect the hair with a hair styling gel or cream before styling. A way to prevent frizz if you’re using a blow dryer is to use the smoothing nozzle and blow dry in the direction of hair growth - that is, from the roots to the ends - to allow your hair to dry. We recommend using the Arata Hair Styling Combo.
Arata's Zero Chemical Hair Gel is packed with organic flax seed extracts, this plant-based hair gel infuses the hair with 100% nature-derived ingredients that nourish and strengthen the scalp.
3. You're Washing Hair Everyday
Shampooing hair too often can dry and dull hair, leaving it frizzy. Your shampoo’s formula can also play a part. Shampoos with too high of a pH level can actually cause frizziness and breakage. Instead of shampooing hair every day, stick to a schedule of two to three times per week, depending on your hair type. To know more about finding the right way to shampoo your hair click here.
4. Your Hair Ends are Damaged
Damaged hair is a dead-cert way to experience frizz. Plus, the longer those split ends stick around, the higher the chance of hair damage climbing up your hair strands and wreaking further havoc.
5. You Dry your Hair with a Rough Hair Towel
Wrapping your hair up into an abrasive bath towel can draw moisture out of your hair quickly and lead to frizz. Switch to a microfiber towel to dry your hair. This can help with frizz control and reduce hair damage caused by improper drying.
6. External Conditions such as Humid Weather
Frizz happens when the level of humidity in the air is greater than the level of water in your hair (Yes! even when your hair is dry, it is still holding on to a small amount of moisture). Humidity goes into your hair and rearranges the bonds inside each hair fiber, turning a smooth look into chaos.
7. Using Products with Alcohol
Products that contain alcohol can also dry out the hair, leaving it brittle and prone to frizz. The alcohol in your products actually absorbs the moisture your hair needs to combat frizz.
8. Using Products with Silicones
One ingredient you might want to avoid: Silicone. Products with Silicones can create a barrier around the hair to prevent humidity from entering the cuticle and causing frizz. Products with silicones, which are waxes, will keep frizz at bay, but they tend to build up with repeated use and coat the hair, making it flat, dull and lifeless.
How to Tame Frizzy Hair?
If you’re trying to keep your hair looking shiny and smooth, all hope is not lost. The first thing you need to do, however, is to identify your hair type. Is it fine? Curly or wavy? Damaged or dry? From there, you’ll be able to choose a product that is the most appropriate for your hair.
Read on for simple ways to fix frizzy hair.
1.TRIM, TRIM, TRIM!
Split ends and breakage can be a major cause of unwanted frizz, which is why you should plan on getting a haircut every 8 weeks or so. A fresh trim will help rid your mane of any frayed, damaged ends, thus reducing your potential for frizz, while also keeping your hair looking healthy and smooth.
2. Use the Right Shampoo and Conditioner Combo
Shampoos that contain SLS can strip the hair of its natural oils, which is necessary for fighting frizz. Instead, opt for an SLS formula, which is gentler on the hair and the scalp, and only wash with shampoo when your hair really needs it. Faith In Nature Anti-Frizz Lavender & Geranium Shampoo & Conditioner Combo
This shampoo & conditioner combo helps to add a lustrous shine and helps keep your hair bouncy and super soft all day long. Lavender & Geranium Shampoo helps soothe a dry and itchy scalp and promotes hair growth while relaxing and de-stressing the mind. The Lavender & Geranium Conditioner is an antioxidant-rich formula that nourishes dry hair and leaves it feeling softer, fuller and healthier.
3. Skip Your Regular Hair Towel
Rubbing hair dry with a towel (especially the fluffy cotton kind) only roughs up the cuticle, which makes it more prone to the frizzies once it dries. Instead, gently squeeze out the excess water from the hair dry with a thin microfiber towel or a cotton t-shirt.
4. Use the Right Hair Serum
Hair serum not only makes your tresses manageable and frizz free, but it also gives your locks a smooth and glossy shine. We recommend using the Sova Kashmiri Walnut & Violet Flower Anti Frizz Hair Serum.
Free from Parabens and Sulphates, this Hair Serum contains fresh walnuts from the valley of Kashmir and delicate Violet flowers that work together quietly to soothe frizzy hair and give it that special smooth, silky finish.
5. Smooth Hair with A Dab of Oil
Oils can work on dry hair for a quick touch-up when you’re already well into your day. They help to block humidity from taking over your hair, keeping humidity on the outside where it belongs. We recommend The Switch Fix Viva La Sativa Hair Oil . To read more click here.
This highly potent formulation of hair oil works to deeply nourish, restore and strengthen your hair from deep within. It’s formulated with Hemp Seed Oil, Moringa and Avocado Oil which makes it deeply nourishing and restorative especially to dull, damaged frizzy hair.
6. Mask your Mane
Using a hair mask at least 2 times a week can really help intensely condition, improve strength and help make hair more manageable. We recommend using the True Frog Deep Conditioning Mask. To know more click here.
This mask works from root to tip, and brings about immediate yet long-lasting changes to hair damaged by months of neglect. It rebalances, intensely hydrates, and makes it up to your hair for all the love that it has been missing.
7. Thoroughly Dry Your Hair When Blow Drying
Styling your hair with heat is a great way to seal the cuticle. When using a blow-dryer, make sure you dry it completely. If your hair is prone to frizz, chances are you probably aren’t getting it 100 percent dry when blow-drying. Even the slightest trace of moisture will cause hair with texture or wave to frizz.
8. Stop Cooking Your Hair
Although it always feels like heat tools tame frizz and unruly hair once the hair is styled and smooth, the opposite actually happens if you’re using your heat tools on a super high setting. Anything above 365 degrees has the potential to swell the cuticle, which will actually end up doing more harm than good. A safe range for your heating tools is 250 to 300 degrees to ensure minimal damage.
9. Use A Silk Pillow
A standard cotton pillowcase can pull at the hair fibers and create friction while you’re sleeping, which can result in frizz and tangles in the morning. Silk, on the other hand, is a smoother, more gentle texture that keeps the hair’s moisture intact and won’t create unnecessary frizz.
10. Don’t Over Brush
Combing and brushing unfortunately disrupts the cuticle, especially when hair is wet. Roughly pulling at the hair to get tangles out will cause a frizz explosion. Try a detangler or smoothing product before brushing to keep your experience smooth and damage-free.
11. Go With The Flow
If your hair is prone to frizz, trying to achieve smooth perfection will just lead to heartache. Instead, let it take on its natural texture, backcomb it a bit and put it up into a cute, messy bun, loose braid, ponytail or ballerina bun. Let a few wisps float around your face for an easy, relaxed, textured look.
What products should you use if you have frizzy hair? What ingredients should you avoid ?
While changing our hair care habits goes a long way in taming frizzy hair, it should go hand in hand with proper products with the proper ingredients otherwise you won’t see much results.
Ingredients you Should look for:
1. Argan Oil
Argan Oil’s magic stems from its composition. It’s rich in Vitamins, Minerals and Antioxidants. If you’re looking to make your hair softer and more manageable, this can be your go-to oil. With its high content of Antioxidants, Essential Fatty Acids and Vitamin E, the benefits of Argan Oil naturally help to increase hair’s elasticity and manage frizz and consistently restore shine to dull, lifeless hair.
2. Sweet Almond Oil
Sweet Almond Oil is rich in proteins, minerals and vitamins. With a high concentration of magnesium, calcium, Vitamin E, monounsaturated fatty acids, potassium and zinc, this amazing carrier oil can provide the hydration, moisture and nutrition your hair needs to stay healthy and prevent dryness. Almond oil coats the hair with a protective layer to help tame the frizz and protect the hair shaft from environmental damage.
3. Castor Oil
Castor Oil is another great anti-frizz oil that helps to naturally tame the hair. It is rich in Vitamin E, Minerals, Proteins, and Omega 6 and 9 beneficial fatty acids and has natural anti-bacterial and antifungal properties.
4. Proteins
Our hair is made up of a protein called keratin, so it’s important to get as much protein both through your diet and through hair care products like hair masks. The more protein your body gets, the more keratin it will produce. If keratin weakens, your hair will also become weak, dry and brittle.
Takeaway
Taking care of and grooming frizzy hair may seem a lot of hard work, but you have to understand that it is incredibly fragile and needs careful handling. From heat styling tools to harsh weather – anything can affect the exposed hair cortex and further damage your hair. The tips mentioned in this guide will help you care for your locks and keep them frizz-free and happy throughout the year.
- Drishti Khurana