Three ways to avoid frizzy hair this summer
It’s starting to get a little more heated on this side of the globe! While I generally look forward to summer and all its fun activities, I know that this season is bound to make my naturally wavy hair go haywire again. Frizz has just always been my number one hair enemy. If I don’t look after my tresses in this heat and humidity, I’ll be pulling a Hermione in no time.
Fortunately for me and others combatting the frizz, there is a way to survive the summer without putting your hair up in a bun for three straight months. If you take the right steps to caring for your mane, then you can reduce having bushy hair to a minimum. But first things first, let’s delve into the science behind it all. Why do we get fuzzy tresses in the first place?
Image: Bea Alonzo for Pantene
Let's science the shit out of this
Like any other part of your body, your crowning glory needs a balance in moisture. When it absorbs more moisture than it should, the excessive water swells and lifts up the strands thereby causing frizz. All hairs are porous by nature, with damaged hair even more so. When the cuticles are raised, your locks become more open and are thus are more easily penetrated by water. Factor in the higher amounts of hydrogen molecules available in the atmosphere during the humid summer season, and you’ve got yourself a hair nightmare stat.
From left to right: Healthy hair strand with relatively closed cuticles. Porous open cuticle. Damaged hair with extra porous open cuticle. Image via profilesbychris.com
If you put two and two together, the solution to the frizz problem is actually pretty simple. To avoid fluffy hair, all we essentially have to do is to avoid undue moisture from seeping in by closing the hair cuticles. But how?
Mask as if your life depends on it
The fastest way to make your cuticles lie flat is to load up on a conditioner or hair mask, which smoothes out the outer layer of the hair and flattens the cuticles. These products also hydrate dry hair so it’s not as likely to attract moisture from the atmosphere. Good ones can permanently fill in the gaps of damaged hair so there’s no room for wetness to go. Everyone at the Project Vanity team would recommend Pantene's 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner for this.
Pro tip: rinse with cold water after conditioning so you can immediately lock the cuticles in its closed form!
Friction and static are the enemies
On the other hand, the cheapest way is to simply avoid introducing friction to your hair so you don’t disrupt the cuticles. Don’t over brush, don’t work the towel, and don’t keep touching your hair as these can sabotage your fight against frizz control. What you could do instead is to use a wide-toothed comb when detangling your locks. Instead of rubbing your towel post-shower, use a gentle patting motion moving from the root to the tips to dry your locks.
Have the time and/or budget? Get a blow out
As for the most fool-proof way? Nothing beats a good blowout! The perfect blowout starts with air-dried hair coated with a heat-protectant serum that could take care of frizz. I swear by the Kérastase Nutritive Oléo-Relax Anti-Frizz Serum (P1536) but there’s the Tony Moly Make HD Silk Argan Oil (P598) if you want something more reasonably priced. Just let it sit for a few minutes, then section the hair for blow drying. You want to point the nozzle downwards so the cuticles don’t flap up. And don’t stop blow drying until your hair is completely void of dampness so you keep your frizz-free crown for longer!
And that’s basically it! In general, most hair problems stem from an imbalance in moisture. Too little and it becomes dry and brittle; too much and it becomes overly elastic and prone to breakage. So do pay attention to how your mane is behaving. Learn to assess where it’s at and what it really needs so you can solve your hair problems in a smarter, more-efficient manner.
Do you have tips to share too? Sound off in the comments!
