Frizz happens for various reasons: humidity, not letting your protective style fully set, hair damage, your curl pattern’s natural propensity toward frizz and more. With frizz having so many causes, figuring out how to stop frizzy hair can be challenging. Still, it’s possible to prevent and control frizz, and this article is here to prove that. Below, we answer what is frizzy hair, teach you about its causes and types and most importantly, provide tips for how to tame frizzy hair.
What Is Frizzy Hair?
First off, let’s clear up what is frizzy hair: frizzy hair is hair that looks unruly, rough or fuzzy as opposed to manageable, smooth and defined. Smoothness, in particular, is not only a sign of healthy hair, but it’s also an indicator that all is well within. Frizz is something to watch out for in curly hair, which tends to be the driest and most frizz prone of all hair textures.What Causes Frizzy Hair?
Frizz occurs when the hair cuticle is raised. Each strand has layers like shingles on a roof that, when lifted, allow moisture and nourishing product ingredients to seep in. Ideally, with healthy hair, the cuticle lifts up only temporarily so that dirt, grime and grease can’t penetrate, and then things like cool water, conditioner and hair oils help seal it back up to lock nutrients in. When the cuticle is damaged or certain hair habits become the norm, frizz can develop. We mentioned damage and not letting styles set properly as a few causes, but others include friction from sleeping on rough fabrics, using terry cloth towels to dry natural hair and washing with water that’s too hot. Additionally, while having low porosity hair means that hair soaks up moisture easily, it can also cause frizz.
When damage is the cause of your frizzy hair, it may be a bit hard to reverse, but it’s doable. With the best products for curly frizzy hair and consistent care, smoothing curls is a feat you can definitely conquer.
Types of Frizz
Frizz usually emerges in these varieties:
Hair Types That Are More Susceptible to Frizz
Curly and coily hair, aka every hair type from 3A to 4C, are the most susceptible to frizz due to a lack of moisture. Unlike straight and wavy hair, curls and coils are made up of strands that twirl, making it challenging for oils to travel down the hair shaft.
How to Control Frizzy Hair Naturally
Choosing the right product ingredients is the easiest way to control frizz naturally. Moisture and oils are ideal for smoothing and closing the cuticle. Of course, not all curl patterns handle oils the same way, but there are a range of options that offer effective solutions whether your hair is wavy and fine or thick and coarse. Either way, start with moisture and work your way up from there.
1. Focus on moisture. The one thing that frizzy hair needs most is moisture. Kick off the process in the shower with a hydrating, frizzy hair shampoo and conditioner like the Monoi Repairing Sulfate Free Shampoo and Monoi Repairing Conditioner. Detangle thoroughly and add the Almond Milk Leave-In Conditioner for extra moisture.
2. LOC in your moisture. Follow the LOC method, using a leave-in, followed by an oil, and lastly a cream to boost moisture. To top things off, use the Hair Milk Nourishing & Conditioning Styling Pudding as your cream to help seal the moisture in.
3. Avoid brushing. Brushing hair isn’t always bad but can worsen frizz. Depending on the brush you use, it could cause unnecessary friction against strands and raise the cuticle. If done too roughly, it could also break the cuticle. It’s important to brush curly hair correctly. Stick with a natural bristle brush and avoid using it on wet hair, which tends to be more fragile.
4. Detangle carefully. Hair that hasn’t been properly detangled can not only lead to breakage, but it can also interfere with the direction of your hair cuticle. When you’re detangling, use a wide-tooth comb and work your way through knots starting at the bottom of each section and working up to the root.
5. Cover hair at night. As mentioned, lots of damage can occur while you sleep. Friction from rolling around on cotton sheets and pillowcases can cause breakage and suck moisture out of your hair, which is another frizz inducer. It doesn’t matter if you do a few twists and wear a bonnet or if you pull your hair into a pineapple and wrap a silk scarf around it; make sure you don’t sleep on curly hair that’s been left loose at night.
6. Utilize oils. Oils are a great way to not only impart moisture into frizz-prone hair but also seal it in. Pick an oil, like Goddess Strength 7 Oil Blend Scalp & Hair Oil or or olive oil, that can actually penetrate hair. Top it off with a heavier one like castor oil to help smooth any fraying edges.
7. Use a silk or satin pillowcase. Silk and satin pillowcases are smoother and generate less friction compared to cotton pillowcases, which have a rougher texture. This quality is great for when you want to tame frizz, because friction alone can contribute to frizz. Silk and satin pillowcases also absorb less moisture than cotton does.
8. Dry hair with a microfiber towel. Your towel and towel technique can make a difference in frizz reduction. To tame frizzy hair and set your strands up for success, swap out your terry cloth towel for a microfiber one, which can absorb a lot of moisture while being gentle on hair.
When using a microfiber towel, first squeeze out excess water from your hair, then delicately press the towel against your strands.9. Use anti-frizz styling products. So far we’ve talked about products that can prevent frizzy hair, but sometimes frizz will happen anyway due to humidity. When that happens, styling products with some degree of hold will help stop frizzy hair. The Edge Control Smoother applies dry so you can return your style to smoothness and sleekness ASAP. Made with Coconut Oil, Coconut Milk, Mango Butter and Murumuru Butter, Coco Crème Curl Shaping Cream Gel resculpts your style with soft, non-drying natural hold.
10. Put your hair up. Frizz is way more obvious in hair that’s down. You’ll be better able to hide a fluffy texture when you wear your hair up. Space buns, ponytails, a top knot bun — you’ve got options on options. When creating these hairstyles, don’t forget to work in anti-frizz products, like our Goddess Strength Smooth & Shape Balm, which controls frizz for up to 48 hours and is perfect for creating sleek ponytails and buns.
11. Flaunt your natural texture. Avoid playing around with a vastly different hair texture when it’s humid out: there’s a greater chance the extra water vapor in the air can wreak havoc on your style. Instead, work with what you’ve got — you’ll be saving yourself getting-ready time too!
12. Trim split ends regularly. Split ends can contribute to the rough, frizzy look. Snipping them off every six weeks will keep your hair looking fuller and prevent the frayed ends from splitting further up the hair shaft. You can do this by going to the salon or by DIY. If you choose the latter, work in sections and use hair shears, which are sharper than regular scissors and won’t pull or tug at your hair.
13. Practice sun safety with your hair. Excessive sun exposure can lead to dry, damaged, frizzy hair. On sunny days when you know you’ll be outside for long periods, wear a hat or cover your hair in a scarf to protect your strands from UV damage and stop frizzy hair.
14. Adapt your routine to the season. We just discussed what to do on sunny days, which is also a good thing to practice throughout the summer. In the fall and winter, add frizz-fighting hair care products to combat the effects of the drier air. And during the most humid times of the year, use anti-humidity products to prevent excess moisture from puffing up your tresses.
15. Enlist the help of hair tools and accessories. If you’re going to heat style, certain tools are better than others. An ionic dryer is ideal for curls and coils because it generates negative ions which neutralize hair’s positive charges. This process seals the cuticle, which reduces frizz and smooths out hair.
Frizz-prone hair also does better with ceramic irons and barrels. The ceramic surface distributes heat evenly as it glides through hair, allowing you to achieve smooth results efficiently.
Because heat styling can dry out and damage hair, don’t forget to use a heat protectant before blow drying, straightening or curling your hair.
16. Refresh your ‘dos with styling products. Online, you’ll find numerous methods for salvaging curly styles that have turned frizzy. Typically, they involve choosing a styling product based on the hold you desire and then working that product through dry hair. Gels give strong hold while creams and leave-in conditioners deliver soft hold.
How to Tame Frizzy Hair Overnight
One of the easiest ways to tame frizzy, curly hair overnight is to put it into a protective style before bed. Section curls into large chunks and apply the Black Vanilla 4-in-1 Combing Creme to smooth down any humidity-induced frizz that the day may have brought on. Secure the piece of hair with a bobby pin or create Bantu knots that are self-secured. Once you’re done, wrap hair with a silk scarf or apply a bonnet to keep everything corralled until morning. The cream will help to rehydrate hair and reset it while you sleep.
If you’re closer to wash day, utilize bedtime for frizz calming with a deep treatment. Create large sections in the same way and then apply a moisturizing treatment like Coco Crème Coil Enhancing Moisture Butter to each. If it’s comfortable, replace your regular bonnet with a conditioning cap while you sleep. In the morning, shampoo or rinse it out, then condition and style.
What Are the Best Products for Frizzy Hair?
Of course, products geared toward smoothing are going to be best for achieving frizz-free curls. This means looking for ingredients that will both fill hair strands with moisture and seal in tandem. Start your smoothing in the shower with a creamy and moisturizing frizzy hair shampoo. Follow it with a not too heavy, moisture-infusing frizzy hair conditioner. Once you've applied your leave-in conditioner, an oil-infused cream like the Monoi (Repair + Moisture) Star Strength Leave In Cream is your next best step.
You can also use stand-alone oils or oil blends like the Goddess Strength 7 Oil Blend Scalp & Hair Oil With Castor Oil. Frizz-free hair needs moisture to be sealed in and for humidity and excess moisture to be kept out, and oils are just the right ingredient to do this.
What Are the Best Hairstyles for Frizzy Hair?
Twist outs, flexi-rod sets and box braids are all ideal hairstyles for curly frizzy hair that help enhance curl definition. Creating protective hairstyles not only helps seal in moisture but also smooths hair as it sets. Swipe on an oil as your last step before it dries to help close the cuticle and make frizz-free curls a reality.
If your preferred style is a wash and go, it can be tricky to pull it off without some level of frizz. The trick to making a wash and go a frizzy hairstyle is to limit touching your hair after you apply your products. Excess rubbing from your fingers will interrupt the strands, and even if not visible at first, you may notice some frizz once it dries.
Common Mistakes When Fighting Frizz
Mistake #1: Drying hair with a terry cloth towel. Wet hair is more fragile than dry hair because water makes strands elastic and prone to snapping. A terry cloth towel is simply too rough on wet hair. By rubbing it into your hair, you’re inadvertently promoting frizz. Use a microfiber towel instead; it’s gentler than a terry cloth towel and is good at absorbing moisture.
Mistake #2: Using water that is too hot. Heat alone can take away hair’s moisture. So it makes sense that the higher the water temp, the more it can be drying and thus bad for frizz. Lukewarm water, which is a little warmer than your body temperature, is just right for washing hair as it’s warm enough to cleanse without causing dryness.
Mistake #3: Not protecting hair from the sun. UVA and UVB rays can damage the outer layer of the hair, leading to dry, fuzzy strands. Make a hat your BFF on sunny days.
Mistake #4: Brushing your hair aggressively. Doing so creates friction, which can make way for frizz and breakage and mess with your curl pattern!
Mistake #5: Overshampooing and using harsh products. This mistake, like many of the others we’ve mentioned, also relates to dryness. Overshampooing and using shampoos with harsh surfactants, such as sulfates, strip the hair of moisture.
Mistake #6: Applying the wrong hair products. Not all moisturizing hair products are frizzy hair products, although there is certainly overlap. Smoothing and moisturizing shampoos are great if you want to get rid of frizzy hair, but when it comes to conditioners, opt for ones that aren’t heavy because adding too much moisture can also cause frizz. A hair oil can help control how much moisture your hair takes in by creating a thin barrier that locks wanted moisture in and unwanted moisture (from the environment) out.
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