Whether your hair is stick straight, corkscrew curly, or somewhere in between, we’re guessing you want luscious locks that are free of frizz. Unfortunately, nature has a lot to do with your frizz factor. Curly hair is more prone to frizz because it’s more likely to be dry. On top of genetic predisposition, frizz can be caused by the damage of coloring and heat styling your hair. The good news is you can start to tame frizz today and make your hair shinier and smoother.
Choose the right products for your hair type.
Look for products that are appropriate for your hair. Is it curly or wavy? Damaged or dry or fine? A texture spray is often enough for fine hair, while wavy and curly hair needs a serum or mousse to add moisture.
Avoid shampoos with sulfates.
Sulfates are strong detergents that dry out strands and add frizz by stripping hair of the natural oils it needs for moisture. Try sulfate-free shampoos, such as –
OGX Anti-Breakage + Keratin Oil Fortifying Anti-Frizz Shampoo ($5.74, click here)
Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Shampoo ($11.99, click here)
Carol’s Daughter Coco Crème Curl Quenching Shampoo ($10.99, click here) for curly types
L’ORÉAL EverPure Moisture Shampoo ($7.99, click here) for straight-haired babes.
Don’t rub hair dry.
Towel-drying roughs up the hair cuticle, causing it to lift instead of lying flat. Blot your hair to absorb excess water before you apply a styling product. Instead of a bath towel, use a T-shirt or a microfiber towel to decrease the friction that causes frizz.
Ditch products with alcohol.
Switch to salon-quality shampoos, conditioners, and styling products that don’t need the alcohol that makes drugstore products shelf-stable. Alcohol can dry out the hair by absorbing the moisture needed to combat frizz. Look for protein in your conditioner to manage frizz and create shine.
Choose natural oil moisturizers over synthetic silicone.
Use hair oils or styling creams that keep hair looking shiny by locking in moisture. Silicone serums give the appearance of shine by creating a barrier around the hair to stop humidity from entering the cuticle, but, silicon is a synthetic wax that doesn’t add moisture to the hair. Instead, it tends to build up with repeated use and make hair flat, dull, and lifeless.
Natural oils, unlike synthetics, are absorbed by the hair. Look for argan oil to add weightless moisture to your hair. Argan oil molecules are small enough to penetrate hair shafts without weighing them down.
Stop touching your hair.
Apply styling products to soaking wet hair and then curb the urge to touch your hair. If you let your hair air dry naturally, run styling product through wet hair with your fingers or a wide-toothed comb, and then keep your hands off. Playing with your hair when it’s wet can disrupt curl patterns or wave patterns, causing curls to lose their definition and get frizzy. Continuously touching hair when it’s dry can create frizz, too.
Remember: heat is the enemy.
Ease up on the heat. Washing with hot water can strip away natural oils that keep hair moisturized and smooth. Subjecting hair to daily high heat from a blow dryer, flat iron, or curling iron can damage your hair, making it brittle and frizzy. Let your hair air dry when you can, and avoid flat irons and curling irons. If you need to use a blow dryer, use a diffuser, and set it at the lowest temperature. Blow-dry only your roots to give hair lift—avoid drying the hair shaft and hair tips. Apply a protectant spray before drying.
Should you brush?
Before a blowout, brush damp hair from root to tips to distribute naturally occurring scalp oils for added moisture and shine. Use a round brush as you blow-dry to help smooth cuticles flat.
Hair gurus advise against brushing your hair too frequently or aggressively, saying that can disrupt the outer layer of the strands and cause frizz. If you do brush, be gentle. Start at the ends and work your way to the roots, detangling as you go.