Free From that Frizz: Frizzy Hair

by Dr Heena
Published: December 30, 2020
Updated: February 24, 2023

What Is Frizzy Hair

Frizzy hair happens when your hair is dry and does not have enough moisture. This compels the hair to seek the moisture from the air, forcing it to stand up and swell and become frizzy. The hair fibres tend to reach out in many different directions, leading to a coarse feel to your hair. And surprisingly, humid weather worsens the condition of your frizzy hair because the moisture motivates the overlapping cuticles to separate and lift. When the cuticle is closed it is capable of keeping the moisture longer and this stops the hair from becoming frizzy. The frizziness becomes worse with anything that makes the hair drier. Prolonged periods of exposure to the sun and spending long hours in chlorinated pools might also end up damaging your cuticle, resulting in more frizzy hair.

Hair products such as shampoos and styling gels that use chemicals of various kinds make the condition worse. Styling tools that use heat are also extremely bad for the hair. While they might facilitate a good looking style initially, they become frizzy later as each strand appears to adopt a different texture and style from the other. It then demands a lot of effort on the part of the sufferer to correct the style and make it good again with the help of some effective frizzy hair solutions.

Frizzy hair is essentially the result of four factors. They are:

The environment: Factors such as humidity encourage the fibres to move out and seek moisture.
Hair diameter: The frizz is a consequence of badly sequenced hair fibres, and the difficulty of reorganising it, increases with the thickness.
Curly hair: It is extremely difficult to align curly hair and therefore there is a greater possibility of it becoming frizzy.
Hair damage: If you treat your hair in a rough manner and manage to disturb the cuticle or split ends, fizzy hair results.

There are other factors that contribute to the frizz in your hair. Avoid using a cloth towel to dry your hair as the friction could damage you hair. Use a comb that have the teeth wide apart as certain hairbrushes could affect the hair and lead to breakage. Use an ionic blow dryer to dry your hair, as the traditional blow dryer could radiate enough heat to damage your tresses. Wash your hair only 2-3 times a week to avoid the removal of moisture from your scalp; frequent washing could lead to dry and frizzy hair.

Frizzy Hair Treatment

There is a very convenient and easy solution for frizzy hair. Keep the hair hydrated ! Easier said than done perhaps, but truth be told that is how it works. A well moisturised scalp will keep the cuticle settled and results in healthy hair. Dry frizzy hair need not be a condition that you have to resign yourself to. In fact in most cases it is an indication as to whether you are taking good care of your hair or not, and not necessarily with frizzy hair products. Let’s take a look at some of the ways to treat frizzy hair.

Keratin treatment: This is a procedure that has been specially designed to take care of all types of hair. Natural keratin is inserted into the cuticle to put life and shine into your hair. The hair is blow dried and a flat iron is used to smoothen and flatten out every section of your hair. The effects of this method of hair treatment for frizzy hair will be seen for almost 6 months.
A deep conditioning mask will definitely help keep your hair well moisturised. This will reduce those split ends and protect it from the heat, two of the main reasons for frizzy hair.
Use a towel that is designed to avoid friction and achieves faster drying of hair. The hair is most susceptible to damage when it is wet and so a good microfibre towel instead of a cotton towel is recommended for best results.
Opt for a shampoo and conditioner which is free of sulphate and also at the same time loaded with glycerin. Sulphate might give you that excess lather, but remember too much lather could be lethal for your hair, as it removes the hair of all the natural oils and makes it dull and dry. Glycerin on the other hand is capable to going inside hair shaft and therefore keeps it hydrated for longer periods of time. It also has the special capacity of gathering all the moisture in the air, and keeping the hair moist and protected.
Avoiding the hairspray might be a good way to stay away from frizzy hair issues. The alcohol content in most hair sprays tends to dry out the hair, and as a result the cuticle swells up to create the frizziness.
Use your blow-dryer sensibly. Allow the air to work its magic and do all the hard work as you provide the finishing touches with your hair dryer. Keep it at a decent distance and do not focus on any section of the hair for a long time as it could over dry that particular area.
Though you might feel that running your hand through your hair continuously is relaxing and therapeutic, you are in fact creating more friction and irritating your hair. For the ones with longer hair who find it difficult to avoid this, a headband might help.
Do not attempt to style your hair in such a way that disturbs the natural texture or flow of your hair. Your vexed hair might soon find a way to revolt and return the favour.
More frequent visits to your hairdresser are recommended, probably once every 8 weeks. Trimming your hair will help get rid of those split ends and damaged hair and contribute to smooth and healthy looking hair. Hair of medium/longer lengths are preferable as they reduce the frizz.
Now this is something that you might never have considered, but believe us you, this might make a big difference. A silk pillow for a smoother experience for your strands during your siesta is what we are referring to. While a cotton pillow could cause a lot of friction, investing in a silk pillow might be good news for your hair as it keeps them protected, and helps your scalp maintain all the natural oils.
And for the simplest and the most popular solution of them all. Massage your hair with warm coconut/castor oil an hour before you wash your hair. This is a unique one, put some castor oil on the outer strands of your hair immediately after your wash to eliminate any trace of frizziness.

Types of Frizzy Hair

Frizz is definitely a problem that grabs your attention as it affects your esteem. Though it is a common problem, very few make a significant attempt to address it. People with curly hair have more frizz in their hair than the ones with straight hair, and that is all because of dehydration. Even if you have oily roots the oil cannot travel conveniently along the length of your hair. People with curly hair should not brush their hair as it might force the cuticle to rise, causing more frizzy curly hair.

It is very essential to recognize the type of frizzy problem you have, to be able to resolve it. Once identified you have to customise a treatment method to fix the problem. There are essentially 4 types of frizz.

Surface frizz: This is the frizz that we find only on the outer fringes of your hair.
Halo frizz: Halo happens only on the crown of your head.
In-the-curl frizz: This destroys the feel of those curls as it leaves its effect on them.
Pouf ball frizz: This happens on the top of your head, underneath and throughout as your hair appears like a pouf ball.

Home Remedies for Frizzy Hair

All the people facing the problem of fizzy hair need to spend a lot of time innovating and customising their remedies to eliminate this vexing problem. The goal of improving hair health and style can only be achieved by restoring the moisture of the tresses. A number of solutions have been suggested by experts, let us take a look at some of the home remedies for dry and frizzy hair:

Apple cider vinegar: Healthy hair needs to maintain an acidic pH level of 4.5 to 5.5. This keeps the cuticles closed and the hair flat. Any change from this ideal level will open up the cuticles giving the hair a frizzy look. Apple cider vinegar is an alpha-hydroxy acid with a high acidic content and this is useful for frizzy hair. Its antibacterial and antifungal properties are also very effective in removing dandruff. It can remove the residue left behind by hair products which clog the pores and enhance the glossiness of your hair.

Mix 1/3cup of organic apple cider vinegar with 1000 ml of war water.
Put as much as required on your hair, cover your scalp and apply on every strand.
Wash it off after 3 minutes with cool water.
Air dry and repeat the procedure once more during the week.

Coconut Oil: Coconut oil is blessed with lauric acid and adds moisture to the hair. You can massage some organic oil to your scalp and wash if off after 30 minutes. Alternatively you can leave the oil overnight and wash it off with a mild shampoo. This is an effective way to get rid of frizzy hair.
Eggs: Eggs are rich in biotins and vitamins. These nutrients add immensely to the health of your hair. Beat up 2 eggs and use the mix on your hair and scalp and cover with a plastic cap. Leave it on for 15 minutes before washing it. Try this remedy by adding some coconut oil to the egg mix. Use this twice a week.
Beer: Beer is an excellent way to get rid of frizzy hair because of its excellent moisturising properties. It also has proteins and B vitamins which provide excellent nourishment to the hair. The sucrose and maltose sugars enhance the strength of the cuticles and makes them shine. Pour the contents of a pint of beer into a bowl, and de-carbonate it overnite. Wash your hair with a sulphate-free shampoo and add the beer to your scalp. Massage into the roots for a minute and then wash it off with normal water.
Coconut milk: The fats and proteins in coconut milk are excellent nutrients for the hair and also help moisturise the scalp. Mildly heat 3 tablespoons of coconut milk and apply it to your scalp and hair; let it sit for 30 minutes before washing it off with a shampoo and conditioner.
Apple cider vinegar: The acetic content in apple cider vinegar is very effective in balancing the pH levels of your scalp. Start by shampooing your hair and then use a couple of tablespoons of raw organic apple cider vinegar on your hair, taking care to cover it completely. Let it stay for 30 minutes and then wash it off thoroughly. Use a conditioner after that.
Aloe vera gel: Prepare a mix of a quarter cup of aloe vera gel and a quarter cup of any carrier oil. Apply this blend to your scalp and let it stay for 30 minutes before washing it off. The aloe vera is a great moisturiser, while the oil, with its fats will offer a layer of protection to the hair and also help retain the moisture.
Banana, honey and olive oil mask: Mix a banana with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of honey. Apply this on your hair and scalp and wash it off with a mild shampoo after 30 minutes. Use a conditioner after that.
Eggs, Mayonnaise and almond oil: Take a quarter cup of mayonnaise, add 1 egg and 1/3 cup of almond oil to it. Mix well to make a fine, consistent paste, put it on your hair and scalp and cover it with a hot towel. Let it stay for 30 minutes before washing it off with a mild shampoo and conditioner. This is considered one of the potent dry frizzy hair treatment home remedies.

Tips to Prevent Frizzy Hair

There are a lot of basic things that one can do to ensure that one’s hair is protected and the life of your hair is prolonged. Let’s take a look at some of them:

Protection from humidity: When the air outside is heavy and humid, you might need to protect your hair by wearing a cap. This will help prevent your hair from absorbing moisture from the air.
Heat: Avoid applying heat on your hair as far as possible. Be it warm water or hot rollers, reduce the direct application on your hair and scalp. A heat diffuser would help, as it limits the amount of heat touching your hair and also reduces the force with which it touches it. It is always advisable to wash your hair in cool water.
Hair care with masks: Regular use of hair masks on your hair will prevent frizz and give your hair that smooth and sleek look.
Protection while working out: If you have frizzy hair, working out might in fact worsen the condition of your hair. Cover your hair with a cap or bandana while participating in activities involving any physical exertion.
Restrict the use of your shampoo: Whether for oily or non-oily hair, excessive shampooing will lead to dry and frizzy hair. Maintain a consistent routine for your washes.
Use serums to style your hair and reduce the frizz.
Comb your hair when it is partly wet, but before that apply a leave in conditioner. Start with the lower levels and then comb upwards.

Taking care of and resolving your frizzy hair issues is quite easily done. All one needs is a little discipline and a resolve to follow a strict regimen without deviating from it beyond a particular limit. And if you feel that the problem needs some expert attention, you can always come to us at Traya and we will analyse your problem to offer you those customised solutions.