Frizzy hair got you down? In the battle to keep those curls at bay, we’re going to arm you with some knowledge around what frizzy hair really is, what causes it, and the steps you can take to tame that mess on top of your head.

What is frizzy hair anyhow?

It may seem like a strange question, but it is helpful to understand what frizzy hair is before you can come up with a plan to prevent it from happening.

Frizzy hair is generally the result of broken hair strands and split ends. The strands of the hair become fractured and broken due to any number of factors (see below). It tends to have an effect on people with curly hair more due to the increased resistance caused by the curls during brushing.

These broken strands of hair, including split ends, tend to reflect more light

What causes frizzy hair?

Basically anything that damages, weakens or reduces the health of your hair will contribute to frizzy hair. However, dry hair is a major contributor to frizzy hair because dry hair is more susceptible to breakage of the hair strands. Many of the solutions for frizzy hair, as a result, revolve around preventing or curing overly dry hair. Some of the top causes of frizzy hair are listed below.

• Hair becomes dry and brittle, making hair strands more susceptible to breakage.
• Hair loses it natural protective oils (over shampooing is a big culprit here)
• Hair becomes damaged, often due to harsh chemicals coming in contact with the hair (think the chlorine in pools) or due to excessive heat from curling irons or blow-dryers.
• Hair becomes damaged due to excessive friction (such as overly vigorous hair brushing)

What steps can I take to prevent frizzy hair?

Remember, to prevent frizzy hair you need to get at what is causing the problem to begin with.

• Stop shampooing your hair every day: Shampoos have strong cleaning agents that are designed to remove dirt and grime from your hair. These same agents however will also strip your hair of its natural protective oils. Use shampoo only once or twice a week at most.
• Avoid products with alcohol: Alcohol is often used in products to help it dry quickly and to extend its shelf life. While these may be great for the company selling the products, they can do real damage to your hair. Look for alcohol free products.
• Avoid excessive heat: Keep blow-drying to a minimum and try to focus your blow-drying towards the root of your hair, leaving the ends moist.
• Use conditioner liberally and more often: Conditioners help fix damaged hair, restore moisture and provide some protection from future drying out. So to battle frizzy hair, use more conditioner more often. You can also use a leave in conditioner for additional protection.
• Stop drying your hair out at night: with your hair resting on your pillowcases and sheets 1/3 of your life, your choice in bedding can have a big impact on your hair. Using silk pillowcases can help your hair maintain more of its moisture throughout the night, so you have fewer frizzes in the morning.
• Avoid chemical damage to your hair: If you’re going to take a swim in your association pool, take steps to protect your hair from the chlorine used to disinfect the pool. Wear a swim cap to keep your hair looking fabulous.

What steps can you take to fix frizzy hair?

So there are some great tips above for preventing frizzy hair, but what do you do to fix frizzy hair that is already damaged?

• Add moisture back into your hair: If your hair is frizzy, it’s probably dry, so start getting moisture in that hair right away. You can use conditioner, anti-frizz products or simply run some moisturizing cream through your hair. Remember, avoid friction whenever possible, so use your hands to apply these products.
• Restore oil to your hair: If you have frizzy hair, your hair has probably been stripped of its natural oils. Use a hot oil product to add some oil back into your hair. The oil will help keep moisture in your hair and protect it from moisture reducing activities ( like blow-drying)
• Remove damaged hair: No, we are not suggesting you go shave your head bald, although that would certainly work, but we are suggesting you can trim those split ends off your hair. If you’ve got an inch or even two to spare, this is a great way to “fix” those split ends fast.

Did you find this article helpful?

Don’t hoard this great information to yourself. Tell your frizzy haired friends about this article so they too can look great the next time you all hit the town.