If you have hair, you’ve probably also had frizz at some point in your life. Frizz can happen to any hair type, but it is a common problem with people with curly hair. Instead of uniform curls, the strands haphazardly surround the head without rhyme or reason.
You can most likely recognize frizz by sight, but do you know what causes it? There are ways you can make frizz more manageable. The hair care market is overflowing with products that are meant to tame frizz, but which ones are best? What ingredients should be avoided?
If you’re having difficulty taming your lion’s mane of hair, read on to learn all the tips and tricks for fighting frizz. Frizz may be common, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept it.
What causes hair to frizz?
Frizzy hair can be a hassle to deal with, no doubt. Some people are more prone to frizz, such as those with curly or textured hair. There are three main reasons for frizz – genetics, lack of moisture/too much moisture or damaged hair. Maybe you’re born with it; maybe it’s the climate.
As anyone who lives in warmer climates knows – the environment can and will affect your hair. Humidity is the bane of any Southern girls existence. When it’s hot out, your hair absorbs all that heat and often leads to curls gone wild.
On the other hand, dry hair is caused by not ENOUGH moisture in your hair. The more damaged your hair is, the more humidity it will absorb and the worse the frizz will be. The strands of hair are protected by the hair’s cuticle. Humidity causes the hair to swell, which in turn opens the cuticle. When open, the cuticle can no longer protect the hair’s inner cortex.
Luckily, there are many products available to help lock moisture into the hair and reducing frizziness. The most important thing when choosing hair products is to avoid products that contain sulfates. Sulfates can strip your hair of its natural (read: good) oils, leaving it dry due to lack of moisture.
The body naturally produces an oil called sebum that keeps our hair and skin nourished. Without those oils, you’re left with dry skin and dry hair. Dry hair frizzes and breaks easier than hair that retains some moisture.
Some people also just lose the genetic lottery and inherit frizzy hair from their ancestors.
Now that we know, generally, what causes frizz – how do you prevent it? Your goal is to keep your hair’s cuticles closed and thus, your hair smooth. Protecting your hair from heat sources is one step in reducing frizz. Heat can come from the sun, heat-based styling tools or even too-hot water in the shower. All of those minor things can result in major hair damage.
Read on for tips and tricks on how to manage frizzy hair overnight, during the day and even permanently.
How do you tame frizzy hair overnight?
It may seem silly to tame your frizz overnight. You’re sleeping and no one can see you. However, taming your wild frizz at night can make it more manageable in the morning.
Try these tips tonight:
Hair Masks
Hair masks are an easy and effective way to provide nourishing moisture to your hair without drying your hair out. You can apply hair masks at any time. Some people prefer to use them in the morning. However, sleeping in a hair mask once a week gives your hair a boost in moisture by allowing the air to absorb the healthy ingredients for longer.
Typically, hair masks applied during the day are only left on for an hour or so before rinsing. An overnight hair mask replenishes your hair for triple that amount of time. Shower caps keep the hair mask from saturating your pillow.
For an overnight hair mask, heat three tablespoons of coconut milk. Apply it to your hair and then cover with a shower cap. Sleep with the mask on your hair. Shower and style as usual in the A.M. Your hair with be smoother, shinier and moisturized – all while you get your beauty sleep.
Silk Pillowcases
Silk pillowcases aren’t just for the rich and glamorous. Cotton pillowcases can cause hair damage by pulling at the strands of hair while you sleep. Tangled hair can create more frizz. The surface of silk pillowcases is smooth enough that they won’t catch your hair when you toss and turn at night.
Overnight Oil Treatment
Similar to hair masks, overnight oil treatments nourish your hair. If you want to skip the shower cap and warm milk, choose an oil to add to your nightly beauty routine to wake up with frizz-free hair.
Argan or coconut oil are just two of the numerous options for oil treatments. Dab a little oil onto your palms and work into your hair before bed. Be sure to use a small amount of oil so it won’t get your pillowcases dirty.
Speaking of pillowcases, it’s important to wash them often. Excess oil and dead skin cells stick to your pillowcases, damaging hair and skin.
Plait Your Hair
You might worry about breakages if you tie up your hair, but putting it up could be better for you.
Put your hair up neatly and keep it under control. Instead of it getting rubbed in all the wrong directions, you can hold it in place. From loose buns to practical plaits, you can help to prevent breakage by using these colorful satin scrunchies to keep your hair under wraps.
Another simple way to protect your hair from frizz overnight is by using hair ties to keep it from tangling while you sleep. Ponytails and other tight up-dos can cause more damage, not to mention painful to sleep on.
Parting your hair in the middle and sleeping with two long braids is one way to reduce frizz in the morning. Braids help keep your hair smooth and contained. A low bun or loose ponytail can also work. Use a satin or fabric scrunchie instead of an elastic hair tie. Scrunchies are back!
Use a Dehumidifier
Humidity causes frizz. Dehumidifiers can help lower the humidity in your bedroom. Less humidity while you are sleeping means less frizz when you wake up. Dehumidifiers are great for your skin, too.
Brush Hair
The old wives’ tale of brushing your hair 100 times before bed might not be entirely accurate, but it’s not entirely wrong, either. Using a boar bristle brush on your hair before bed can help prevent waking up to a tangled bees nest of hair.
How do I get rid of frizzy hair permanently?
Bad news first – there isn’t a way to get rid of frizzy hair permanently. The good news is there are things you can do to help reduce frizzy hair. Using the above-mentioned overnight methods is allows you to wake up to less frizz, making your styling routine much easier.
Use water to pat frizzy hair in place as a quick fix when you’re out and about. A tab of coconut oil can be used, too.
Other ways to prevent frizzy hair include:
Air Dry
Exposing the hair cuticle to the heat of a blow dryer causes a lot of damage to your hair. Letting your hair air dry – even if it’s just halfway – can help keep your hair smooth and reduce frizz. If you do use a blow-dryer, use it on the lowest setting and don’t hold it to one section at a time.
Lay Off the Heat Tools
Blow-dryers aren’t the only styling tool that uses heat and can potentially damage hair. Curling irons and flat irons can do just as much damage. Instead of using a curling iron, pin your hair into curls before bed and let them loose in the morning.
Constantly coloring or using chemical relaxers is also damaging to hair.
Wear a Hat
The sun is just as dangerous for your hair as it is your face. The UV rays of the sun can cause the hair’s cuticle to split, leaving your hair dry and damaged. Wearing a hat protects your hair and your skin at the same time.
The chlorine used to clean swimming pools is bad for your hair, too. Rinse your hair in cool tap water before jumping in the pool. Hair absorbs water, so once the tap water is absorbed, there won’t be as much room for your hair to absorb the chlorinated pool water.
Trim Hair Regularly
Split ends and other hair breakage can increase the frequency and severity of frizz. Trimming your hair every six weeks or so revitalizes the ends of your hair and helps keep it smooth, even if it’s only the split ends that you remove.
Wash Less
With the convenience of modern plumbing, we often take advantage of our ability to shampoo our hair in the shower every day. However, it’s now believed that your hair only needs to be washed once or twice a week. Washing it more than that strips the natural oils from the hair. These oils are what keeps your hair moisturized and free from frizz. On the other hand, not washing your hair enough causes the oil to build-up on your hair and results in flat hair.
What is the best shampoo for frizzy hair?
Even though we just advised you NOT to shampoo your hair every day, you still need the best shampoos for when you do wash your hair. Many people just grab whatever shampoo is on sale without reading the ingredients. Most shampoos contain sulfates, which gives the shampoo its soapy lather but also absorbs the natural oil from the hair.
If you’re serious about getting rid of frizz, check out these shampoos:
John Frieda Frizz Ease Beyond Smooth Frizz-Immunity Shampoo
L'Oréal Paris Everpure Moisture Shampoo
Bumble and Bumble Bb Curl Care Shampoo
Does Conditioner help frizzy hair?
Conditioner helps frizzy hair so much, hair stylists suggest using conditioner on days when you don’t use shampoo.
Leave-in conditioner can be applied to the roots to help protect from the heat of styling tools. The right conditioner moisturizes your cuticle, which helps keep them closed and your hair smooth. Remember, open cuticles are the main cause of frizzy, damaged hair.
Try these conditioners to tame your frizz:
Tigi Catwalk Curls Rock Conditioner
TresEmme Flawless Curls Conditioner
Frizz can be frustrating to deal with. You think you’ve got it under control until you go outside and your hair springs out in all directions. With these tips, tricks and products, you’ll be armed to the teeth (or roots) to win the war against frizz.
References
https://www.elle.com/beauty/hair/a12480567/how-to-get-rid-frizzy-hair/
https://www.luxyhair.com/blogs/hair-blog/how-to-tame-frizzy-hair
https://www.botoxforhair.net/blog/how-to-tame-frizzy-hair-overnight/