Most of us have had a few bad hair days here and there, a fact that magazines like Good Housekeeping and Glamour explore when referring to "frizzy hair." Frizz is a common problem felt widely across different hair types and textures alike - but how do you get rid of it?
What Is "Frizzy Hair?"
Frizz is defined most commonly as the way hair strands swell or stick out from the rest. While it can simply be part of your DNA, frizz typically impacts those of us who alter our hair texture – from heat styling to chemical treatments and everything in between. These things can all cause breakage, split ends and tangling, leading to dryness, dullness and frizz.
What Causes Frizzy Hair?
Frizz occurs due to a lack of moisture, causing hair to seek moisture from the air around it – which is why humidity often makes matters worse. If strands are dehydrated, they look for moisture around them.
This is amplified when you have damaged hair. Things like heat styling and chemical treatments weaken your strands, exposing their innermost layer and making your hair more susceptible to breakage and dehydration. In its weakened state, your hair acts similarly to a ribbon run over a hard edge (like a pair of scissors). It curls and frays because the outer layer has lost its ability to hold its structure.
Curlier hair tends to experience frizz even without damage from heat styling or chemicals, simply because of natural dryness and dehydration. Curls tend to be naturally dry, even when you take care of them. Due to their spiraled shape, it's harder for the natural oils produced from your scalp to travel down and coat the strands, which is why curlier hair types tend to need an extra boost of hydration.
Chemicals and Harsh Hair Products
Chemical treatments like perms and dyes weaken your strands by stripping them of much needed natural oils, leading to weakened and dehydrated hair that’s more susceptible to breakage, split ends, and frizz. The same is true for shampoos and conditioners that use harsh ingredients like sulfates, alcohols and parabens (which is why we leave all of those out!).
Opt for shampoos and conditioners that are tailored to quench your hair’s thirst without stripping or weighing your strands down. The Strands Test is a great way to get to know the needs of your unique hair type, leveraging a multitude of variables like scalp oil level and environment to identify the right routine for you. After finding the right base, add in extra doses to customize your formula, like the Anti Breakage Dose to boost hair’s resilience, restore elasticity and minimize damage.
Heat and Humidity
Heat and Humidity work together in increasing frizz. Heat drains hydration from the hair and scalp, and when thirsty strands meet a high-moisture environment, they soak in water from the air and swell. Adding a targeted dose like the Anti Frizz Dose to your shampoo or conditioner maximizes the results of your routine, protecting against humidity with rice protein for long-lasting frizz control.
When you have frizzy hair, it can be even more tempting to heat style – and hot styling tools can cause damage. Decreasing the frequency of things like blowdrying and straightening, alongside lowering the temperature on your heat tools can help minimize this damage. When you do use heat to style, always make sure to use products that work to defend your hair from damage and breakage, like supercharging your shampoo with our Heat Defense Dose.
Washing Incorrectly
Washing your hair in too-hot water, or washing too frequently, can have the same effect – hot water can dehydrate the scalp and strip your hair of its natural oils, dehydrating your strands and leading to breakage and frizz. The same is true for washing too frequently. Cleansing correctly can help minimize the moisture loss and help to keep the frizz at bay.
Being Too Rough on Wet Hair
Wet hair is much more vulnerable than dry hair, which is only amplified by damage and dryness. It’s important to be gentle with your strands when they’re wet to minimize breakage. When dealing with weakened hair, we recommend supercharging your shampoo or conditioner in the shower by adding the Rebuild Dose. It helps restore hair's natural protein to strengthen your strands and minimize future damage. After washing, instead of brushing your hair when it’s wet, use a wide-toothed comb or a brush designed for wet hair. Lessen the friction and heat to your strands by removing the towel from your routine and blot with a microfiber cloth or soft tee shirt instead, and avoid using elastic bands or tight hair ties on wet hair to decrease the stress you’re putting your (already fragile) hair under.
How Do You Prevent Frizzy Hair?
The key to preventing frizzy hair is giving your strands what they need while decreasing the external factors that lead to additional damage. Focus on quenching the thirst of your strands with moisturizing products, and use targeted doses to amplify the results for your unique hair needs. Take extra caution with already-weakened hair shafts by washing correctly, being more gentle with wet hair, and putting your strands under less stress and friction.
Frizzy Hair: The Bottom Line
The road to healthy-looking hair starts by taking The Strands Test. Once you know your hair type and texture, you'll better understand how to provide that part of your body with the care it deserves. To learn more about hair and what The Hair Lab by Strands can do for your hair, visit our FAQ section.