If your hair is frizzy and dry then you can help combat the problem by moisturizing. Add moisture by applying a Leave-in conditioner, natural oils and/ or anti-frizz creams. Deep conditioning hair at least once a week with help rehydrate dry hair.
Dryness can be caused by Excessive Washing. See Dry Hair for more tips on how to deal with dry hair.
Final Rinse:
Rinsing with cool water for the final rinse will help close hair cuticles and thus help prevent the frizzy look.
Towel Drying:
Towel drying especially when vigorously rubbing hair between the towel roughs up hair and raises the cuticle making hair look frizzy. When drying hair, blot excess moisture instead of rubbing hair. The texture of the towel itself can be rough on the hair shaft. Some hair stylists and curl experts may choose to use special cloths designed to absorb moisture without raising the cuticles. If you do not have a special cloth then you can use an old T-shirt. The T-shirt has a smoother texture and hence won’t contribute to frizz.
Brushing hair when wet or dry not only lifts the cuticles and thus makes hair looks frizzier but also can lead to breakage.
Some hair stylists may say to never use a brush on curly hair. If you have to brush or comb your hair use a natural bristle brush such as a boar bristle hair brush or a wide tooth comb with round ends. You can use your fingers to comb through hair when wet. If hair is thick, try applying more conditioner to help detangle hair. This method will help with curl definition.
The boar bristles are similar to human hair and will help distribute sebum throughout your hair without the breakage. It is also soft so it will no damage your scalp.
Wide tooth combs are best to detangle wavy or curly hair without the frizz. The teeth in a wide tooth comb can vary from ¼ to ½ inch apart. Ensure the teeth in the wide tooth comb are smooth and rounded. Rough teeth can snag hair and lend to breakage, they can also damage your scalp.
Excessive blow-drying can dry out hair and can remove natural curls or waves in the hair. It is good to give hair a rest from all the heat.
If you have to blow-dry try some of these tips:
Blow-Drying Tips:
Apply a heat protectant product to protect hair from heat damage when blow-drying or straightening hair. The heat protectant product will also enhance the effectiveness of the blow-dryer, add shine and tame frizz.
If you are blow-drying hair straight, start from the roots and work toward the ends. Divide hair into sections. You can use a temporary straightening product such as a cream or gel when blow-drying hair straight.
The blow-dryer should be directed downwards (from root to ends). This will help prevent frizz. Use blow-dryer on low-medium heat. Ensure blow-dryer is about 5-6 inches away from hair to prevent heat damage.
If you are drying curly hair with a diffuser, tilt hair so it falls into the diffuser. A diffuser helps to distribute the heat evenly without disrupting your curls and helps add volume.
For steps on how to blow dry curly hair properly, check out these tips by Beauty Tips here.
To learn more about how to use a diffuser for curly hair check out this article by Naturally Curly.
Detangling wavy or curly hair can be seen as a task. Improper detangling can cause breakage of hair which will contribute to frizz. It is important to use the right product and tool when detangling. You should also take great care when detangling as aggressive methods will lead to breakage.
Detangling Tip:
Here are some tips and techniques to detangle wavy, curly or kinky hair.
- For thicker hair, divide hair into sections. Pin each section up - this will make it more manageable and easier to detangle each section.
- Unpin one section.
- Ensure hair is properly conditioned and moisturized. Apply leave-in conditioner, natural oil and/ or detangler to section.
- Ensure you are using the right tool: fingers, wide tooth comb or natural bristle brush. For thicker hair, you may choose to detangle with a comb or pick with long teeth. Longer teeth will help penetrate the hair. Ensure teeth have smooth ends.
- Start from the ends of hair and slowly work your way up to the roots.
- After detangling a section, twist and re-pin hair. Unpin another section and repeat steps 3 -6.
- Once all sections have been detangled; unpin and style as desired.
Many people resort to the use of hair accessories to highlight a hairstyle or just keep those flyaways under control. If you are using hair accessories try to avoid metal accessories as these tend to snag and pull hair, which can lead to hair breakage.
If you are using bobby pins, try to avoid scraping scalp and use the right size of pin. For thicker curlier hair, opt to use a larger bobby pin as it will be easier to insert into hair.
Alcohol-based Products:
The type of products you use on your hair is important. Try to stay away from alcohol-based products. These tend to dry out hair and contribute to frizz.
Before you sleep, wrap hair in a satin/ silk scarf or you can sleep on a silk/ satin pillowcase. Satin and Silk will reduce the friction between hair and the pillowcase and reduce moisture lost.
Hope these tips were helpful. Have tips of your own? Post it so other Curlies can benefit!
Until next time....Happy Curling! :)