Almost everyone has experienced that moment where you catch a glimpse of yourself in a storefront window only to be stared back at by what can only be described as a lions mane. Whether it’s the humidity or heat damage, or even for seemingly no reason at all, we’ve all experienced a moment where our hair went all Hermione Granger on us at the worst possible time. My fiancé likes to pat my head when this happens… It’s a soft way of saying - babe, brush your hair…

If you've ever asked found yourself asking "why does my hair get frizzy?", "how can I get rid of frizzy hair?" or "what are the dos and don’ts for frizzy hair?", I’m here to help. You know how I start by now… I like to get down to the nitty gritty. I call them the “Bill Nye the science guy moments”, because I really like to know the WHY behind stuff. I just do. Someone can tell me something, but I swear I don’t fully absorb it until I know the truth behind the literal science. I mean, I am not a scientist, but I’m kind like a hair doctor. So whatevs, just call me Dr. Car. Just kidding, please don’t. I embarrass myself, I really do.

Anyways, I feel like anyone and everyone that has any type of unruly hair says, “My hair is so frizzy!” And, well, that may be true. BUT, most of the time after asking what their routine looks like or how they style their hair… the answer is like bare minimum to no effort. This is fine, low matenence is great. But, if you have unruly hair naturally, you aren’t going to get that silky polished look just by doing nothing to it. You just aren’t. So, again… if that is your goal: to have silky, shiny, smooth, soft hair… Then, you’re going to need to put in some extra effort. If not, and you embrace your natural texture, then heck yes… awesome, too!

Are you picking up what I’m throwing down? Cool. Moving forward.

TYPES OF FRIZZ:

I like to call frizz “little rebels” or “rebel hairs”… here’s why: Generally speaking, frizz is hair that diverts from the natural pattern of your hair, as it sticks up irregularly from the rest of your locks. That said, there are different variations of frizzy hair that you may experience:

SURFACE- Surface frizz is frizz that occurs only on the outside of your hair, and tends to appear like static all around your locks.
AT THE ENDS- This refers to the frizz that occurs at the tips of your hair, kind of like split ends. This frizz tends to manifest as dry, brittle strands at the ends of your hair.
HALO- Halo frizz refers to frizz that only appears on the very top part of your hair. The name comes from how this frizz provides the illusion of a crown around the top of your hair
CURL- This is frizz that appears, quite literally, inside your curls (or wavy strands of hair). This frizz tends to make curls look unkempt and undefined.

Let’s not forget to mention our friend HUMIDITY. Cue Will Smith’s 90’s hit “MIAMI”. Or don’t. A common cause of frizzy hair is humidity or excess moisture in the air. We all know that humidity and heat trigger frizzy hair, but few actually know the science behind why this happens. Admittedly, before looking into this, I didn’t know either. BUT: According to google, humidity maintains high levels of hydrogen, and human hair is incredibly sensitive to this hydrogen. This hydrogen forms a bond with your hair’s water molecules and proteins, and it’s this bond that causes your hair to frizz. I eat this info UUUUP, guys. I love it.

Here’s some more deets:

DRY HAIR- Another common cause of frizzy hair is dryness. When your hair gets dried out (or is just naturally dry), it can often become frizzy. The reality is that dry hair longs for moisture, so once exposed to moisture, it tends to frizz faster than, say, oily hair. For all of my coastal babes, like we are here in San Diego… the salt in our air can be super drying also. This is also why naturally curly or wavy hair tends to frizz more easily. Since naturally curly or wavy hair has the tendency to be dry, the hair frizzes at the first sign of moisture.

COMPROMISED HAIR- Damaged hair can often become frizzy, as damaged hair tends to be dry by nature. Habits like applying too much heat to your hair, lightening it too often, or even over shampooing tends to dry out your strands leading to more damage.

So many people with naturally curly and wavy locks struggle with how to control frizzy hair. The reality is, more often than not, frizz is just enhanced by our bad hair habits. If you’d like to read more about dry hair… I’ve got a blog that goes into that more also. Click here.

Anyways, Keeping the hair hydrated helps to prevent the hair cuticle from opening up and letting in moisture, which is the biggest contributor to frizzy hair. Try doing a specialized hair treatment once a week to keep hair moisturized and less prone to damage from styling. While the heat of a blow dryer can cause damage, using a blow dryer when your hair is already mostly dry minimizes the risk. Just be sure to keep the dryer on a low heat setting and hold it like 6 inches away from your hair at all times. Also, be sure to move the dryer around consistently so that it doesn’t overheat a certain section of the hair and cause damage. And, I’ve said it before… I’ll say it forever. USE. A. HEAT. PROTECTANT. Pretty please.

Knowing how to blowout your hair without creating frizz is kinda an art form… BUT, when you master it, the results are always worthwhile. If your stylist is willing and has the time blocked out for it, they may even be willing to teach you some tricks on how to best do it at home. I try my best to educate my clients so they feel confident at home. I really also want to start having little events where I am able to have a styling night with my clients. Fun idea, right?

Okay, so products are obviously going to help tremendously. But, I’m not going to preach products to you today, because one size doesn’t fit all. I could tell you my personal favs… but if I’m being honest, my hair is fine and strait… so I am usually trying to volumize and texturize my hair… which is the opposite point of this blog.

*HOT TOOLS TIP:

Although it always feels like heat tools tame frizz and unruly hair once the hair is styled and smooth, the opposite actually happens if you’re using your heat tools on a super high setting. Anything above 365 degrees has the potential to swell the cuticle, which will actually end up doing more harm than good. A safe range for your heating tools is 250 to 300 degrees to ensure minimal damage. Having patience and holding the hair on the tool longer rather than just amping up the heat will actually create a sleeker, frizz-free look in the end.

Let’s jump to the cliff notes, shall we? The do’s and don’ts if you will.

TRY:

When you come out of the shower, towel dry your hair very gently and start brushing slowly from the bottom of your hair moving upwards. If you are comfortable with techniques, dry your hair until it’s at about 80%, then go in with a round brush and smooth the hair.
Use a soft cotton t-shirt instead of a harsh towel when drying your hair. A towel with a rougher texture will ruffle the hair cuticle and result in frizz.
Use a little bit of a oil or serum on your ends after blow drying and spread it evenly throughout the hair to flatten your cuticle down. If there are still some frizzy hairs left at the top, use a tiny bit of hair wax and smooth them down. Be sure to keep this in your purse so it’s handy when you are out.
Get a haircut or trim every 6-8 weeks. Breakage can be a major cause of unwanted frizz. A trim will eliminate this. Obvi.
Sleep on a silk pillowcase. Okay I still have not tried this and really need to. A standard cotton pillowcase can pull at the hair fibers and create friction while you’re sleeping, which can result in frizz and tangles in the morning. Silk, on the other hand, is a smoother, more gentle texture that keeps the hair’s moisture intact and won’t create unnecessary frizz. Why have I not ordered one yet? sigh and SMH @ myself
If you’re having a hair emergency when you’re out, you can just take some water and pat the hair down. It’s a temporary solution, but hey, whatever works!
When you come out of the shower, towel dry your hair very gently and start brushing slowly from the bottom of your hair moving upwards. If you are comfortable with techniques, dry your hair until it’s at about 80%, then go in with a round brush and smooth the hair.

STEER CLEAR:

Try NOT to brush your hair when it’s dry. Depending on your texture, It could create a frizzy mess, especially if you have naturally or wavy hair. Instead, brush the hair thoroughly with a wide-tooth comb when the hair is damp to smooth out tangles. Brush from your ends up towards the roots to reduce the risk of damage.
Stop feeding your hair alcohol. If you look at the ingredients of most of your products you’ll notice that most drugstore products contain alcohol, because it’s really cheap and effective for them to use.
Don’t over-process your hair.

Please let me know in the comments or on my instagram if any of this has helped you!

I want to help you have the hair you’ve always dreamed of having.

Stay positive, Stay kind. Xo- Car

All photos were taken for JaydenP boutique / All photos are shot by Lauren Turori @turoricreative.co / All clothing is @jaydenpboutique - Use code CARLIE20 for 20% off

Frizz 101