How Do I Fix Frizzy Hair?

If you battle with frizzy hair, you are not alone as it is considered one of the most common hair problems by women and men alike. A good hair care routine can help you avoid getting the frizzies in the first place. Generally, though, to fix frizzy hair, you’ll need a high-quality hair product designed specifically to combat the condition. For the most part, you’ll need to apply the product after shampooing, while the hair is still damp, prior to styling. There are products available that you can apply in between shampoos when your hair is dry as well as specialized salon treatments that can help with the problem.

In order to fix frizzy hair, you might find it helpful to first understand its cause. Regardless of your hair type, humidity is usually the culprit. Moisture in the air clings to hair and can penetrate the protective surface, getting into each individual strand and plumping it up, giving the overall appearance of frizz. When hair is damaged through overprocessing, overdrying, and even overshampooing, the protective surface becomes weak and less able to resist the effects of moisture. Consequently, while most people experience some degree of frizz, those with damaged hair are more susceptible to it.

Prevention is a key factor, and to avoid having to fix frizzy hair altogether, you should focus on a consistent, healthy hair routine. Make sure you use a shampoo designed for your specific hair type. Use a high-quality conditioner as well, and consider applying a deep-conditioning treatment once a week. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not necessarily a good idea to shampoo your hair every day unless you are exposed to harsh contaminants such as pool water chlorine. Otherwise, to avoid stripping your hair of its natural frizz-resistant coating, consider shampooing every other day.

Alas, even the healthiest of hair can become frizzy. When this occurs, the first step to fix frizzy hair is to apply an after-shampoo conditioner designed to prevent frizz. Many products claim to control frizz, but you should look for those that contain silicone, shea butter, wheat protein, or jojoba. These ingredients attach to vulnerable surfaces of hair strands and repel moisture, thus stopping the frizzies before they begin. Most of these postshampoo conditioners should be applied to the hair while it is still wet, and some are heat activated so that the warm air from your blow-dryer will increase the effectiveness of the product.

Some products designed to fix frizzy hair can be applied when the hair is dry. For instance, various manufacturers have leave-in serums and lotions that you can apply to your hair after styling if you experience frizziness. Typically, these products are not as effective as the conditioning treatments applied to wet hair but can help in a pinch. As a caution, though, be careful not to apply too much at one time as these products tend to be heavy and can weigh hair down, giving it an oily, dull appearance.

In those instances when at-home treatments do not work effectively to fix frizzy hair, many beauty salons offer specialized treatments. One of the most popular is the keratin treatment, which is an intensive conditioning process that repairs damaged hair and coats the surface of each strand with a protein that resists moisture anywhere from two to four months. These treatments range in price but can be very costly. Still, many individuals find them to be worthwhile in combating the problem, especially considering that the results generally last longer than at-home conditioning treatments.