How To Fight the Frizz: Foolproof Tips from Hair Experts
Image source: Pixabay
OK, so for those of you already in the Frizz you’d know that #frizzyhairdontcare is an actual thing on Insta with a big following and we love seeing you embrace your natural hair. But for those frizz-free-feels kind of days or those of you who just can’t love your frizz, we have all the inside info on why frizz happens and how to calm it, flatten it and eliminate it!
Check out below for so many amazing remedies for frizz-free hair that will leave your hair smooth and shiny. Happy Frizz Fighting!
What is Frizz?
The most often confused idea is that curly hair is frizzy hair. While it’s true, curls can be and are often frizzy, but all hair textures and types can be frizzy! Frizz is caused when hair lacks moisture and the outside layer, the cuticle, of the hair is damaged and raised, creating a frizzy texture. The raised cuticles then allow moisture from the atmosphere to enter, creating that extra fluffy mess! As a result, your hair appears dry and frizzy instead of smooth and defined.
How is Frizz Caused?
Frizz can be genetic, which means you can be born with it. On the other hand, it can also be environmental. Humid weather, especially, is often the culprit in this case! But that’s not all. Colour and heated tools can damage hair too resulting in that frizz.
No matter what the reason, the root cause of frizz is a lack of moisture and friction, like when you rough dry your hair with a towel or blow dry your hair in the wrong direction (always remember to blow dry down not up!). Read this blog for detailed tips on how to blow dry your hair like a whiz!
Dry hair happens for lots of reasons. In general, curly hair is drier than straight hair leaving it more vulnerable to frizz but dry hair can happen to straight-haired sisters too. Especially if they’re fangirls of a bit of bleach and lazy afternoons on the beach (sun and saltwater is the perfect cocktail for drying out your hair, sadly).
Image source: Pixabay
How to Get Rid of Frizzy Hair
So how can you get rid of the frizz? The following are a few simple ideas on how to keep the moisture creating havoc with your hair and the frizz-causing friction to a minimum. We’ll also look at the best styling products, treatments and tools to use to help smooth your hair cuticles because that’s also key. Let’s roll!
1. Moisture, moisture, moisture.
Start with finding the right moisturiser for your hair. You can use a leave-in moisturiser or do a weekly treatment to assist. If your hair is super dry you can use argan oil to assist. A great natural alternative is Macadamia oil or almond oil to nourish and repair. Talking about old-school tricks, work from the inside out: drink water (at least half your weight in grams per day) and eat a balanced diet.
2. Go Friction Free!
As we’ve mentioned previously, anytime you rough up your hair, you cause damage to the hair strand and cuticle, which causes frizz. So ditch your regular towel and invest in a microfiber towel or better still, just gently blot dry your hair rather than rough drying it. If your hair is fine, just air dry from the get go. If you twirl your hair as a habit – try and get a new pastime!
3. Use the right products after washing and before styling
This really helps further control your frizz routine. Those products will likely contain silicone, so be sure to use a naturally-derived product or shampoo-soluble silicone so it doesn’t build up and make your hair heavy.
Silicone attaches to the hair and creates a barrier that blocks external moisture, mainly humidity, from getting into the hair shaft and playing havoc with your blow dry. At the same time silicone helps to preserve and protect the moisture already in the hair, keeping it from drying out so it’s a win win!
4. Use a smoothing or Keratin treatment
It's hard to talk about fighting the frizz without mentioning a smoothing or Keratin hair treatment! These salon treatments work but there are downsides – they are expensive and only semi-permanent so you will need to go back every few months. Also they can cause your colour to fade and many contain formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.
Our tip: Always ask if a smoothing treatment that is formaldehyde-free.
5. Choose the right styling tools
If you don’t go the Keratin treatment route you can still bring out the big guns by choosing the right styling tools to help smooth and de-frizz your hair. We checked in with VS Sassoon stylist Rob Reeves for his advice on the best styling tools to kill the frizz along with the best ways to use them. Read on for what he had to say:
How Should I Blow Dry Hair for a Frizz-Free Finish?
“Getting smooth frizz-free hair starts with a good blow dry,” says Rob. Use a blow dryer with the latest smoothing technologies like the 5Q Dryer with its super ionic conditioning system to eliminate frizz, add shine and smoothness. If you blow dry with a brush, use a brush with a ceramic barrel or an argan infused brush for added smoothness and shine.
PRO TIP: Start by rough drying your hair to 80% dry then point the dryer down the hair section, smooth drying it with your brush for a frizz-free finish. Read this post to know if you’re making these most common blow drying mistakes.
How Can I Style Hair for a Frizz-Free Finish?
Another tool Rob recommends is the Straight & Curl Brilliance for either straightening or curling, or both!
“The Advanced Sol-Gel technology which is exclusive to VS Sassoon, creates the most beautiful shine and smoothness. Teamed up with the dual ceramic heating system and ionic conditioning, it will leave you with your smoothest, shiniest frizz-free version of yourself. It’s my top pick for achieving the latest hair trends including the grown-out-pixie and blunt bob,” says Rob. “Yes you too can have smooth locks like Irina Shayk's Oscars hair with this tool!”
PRO TIP: Be sure to only use the temperature suited for your hair type and one pass on each section is all you need. Less is more! Take your time when straightening – there’s no need to go over the same section multiple times.
So now you have it – all the insider info on how to fight the frizz when you want that smooth, shiny finish. The rest, as they say, is up to you. Happy styling!
For more inspiration head to our blog where we have a plethora of hair styling tips, trend reports and video tutorials. You can also receive all our content straight into your inbox, so join our mailing list to never miss out.
Love your style, from the VS Sassoon team. x