Hair Frizz

Frizzy hair is an unpleasant fact of life for many women. Women with curly tresses or locks often suffer the annoyance of frizzy hair. Curly hair is very delicate by nature. When curly hair becomes dry and damaged, the curls frizz out and eventually lead to split-ends.

Frizzy hair not only looks unkempt, it also makes the person look much older. Learn to ease hair frizz and checkout home remedies for hair frizz. Use of appropriate anti frizz hair products can go a long way in tackling this problem.

Causes for hair frizz

• Some women have natural frizzy hair. It is a part of their genetic makeup. They are born with curly locks that are frizzy.
  
  
• High humidity in the weather is often the cause of frizziness. A humid environment can make hair look frizzy even after being outdoors only for a few seconds. Humidity is indeed a challenge for hair frizz.
  
  
• Elements such as sun's rays and strong wind can also wreck havoc on hair and cause unmanageable frizz.
  
  
• Overuse of styling products that leads to dryness causes hair to get frizzy.
  
  
• Damaged hair from perming, coloring and bleaching tends to develop frizz.
  
  
• Gels, mousses or hair sprays that have high alcohol content will worsen hair frizz.
  
  
• Often over drying of hair is a key cause for frizzy hair. Abuse of heat appliances with excessive blow-drying of hair or excessive use of curling irons can cause hair frizz.
  
  
• Use of harsh chemicals and over-processing of hair with sodium, calcium or lithium hydroxide relaxers can cause frizz. Harsh chemical relaxers, often made from lye, cause damage to hair. Constant straightening of the hair can contribute to the problem of frizz.
  
  
• Hot humid hair can make all kinds of frizz. Hence hot oil treatments can also cause frizz.
  
  
• Use of certain oil-based conditioners can often contribute to frizz.
  
  
• Hair that is naturally very coarse generally tends to become dry and frizzy.
  
  
• Lack of moisture and lack of protein in the cortical layers of the hair can cause frizzy hair.
  
  
• Hair can turn frizzy due to medication. Imbalance in the pH level of the hair can contribute to this frizziness.
  
  
• Stress and illness coupled poor diet and nutritional habits with lack of vitamins, minerals and amino acids leads to hair damage, split ends, frizz and hair fall.
  
  
• Touching hair too often, combing and scrunching curly hair can cause frizz. The more hair is touched, the more it will frizz.
  
  
• A bad haircut can do much harm and aggravate hair frizz.

Treatment for Hair Frizz

Certain simple tips can be followed to make curly hair more manageable, smooth and less frizzy. You can tame frizz to a great extent.

• Never handle hair too much. If at all you want to touch your hair, then it is better to moisten your fingers with water or conditioner and then run the fingers through the hair. This will help to smoothen out the frizz.
  
  
• It is recommended not to wash hair everyday. This will strip hair of its natural oils, which are the best moisturizers.
  
  
• For coarse hair, which is generally dry and frizzy, it is recommended to use hot curling iron. Hair, like clothes when ironed becomes smooth and shiny. Softening techniques can flatten fly-aways and frizziness by softening the molecules of the hair.
  
  
• Hair should be blow dried methodically. Running the dryer over hair up and down can cause the cuticle to split and result in frizz. Hair can be divided into sections and blow-dry section-by-section. Although this can take time and practice, it is worth the effort.

Combing frizzy hair

It is always advisable to use a wide-toothed comb or even fingers when necessary. It is better not to comb or scrunch the hair when wet. It is better to blow dry with a round natural-bristled brush. Use a hair pick instead of a hairbrush. Using hair brush on thick hair and hair prone to frizziness will only cause split ends. Instead it is simple and safe to use a hair pick when hair is wet or finger comb when hair is dry.

Ease Frizz

• Hair shampoos, conditioners and moisturizers have to be chosen with special care. One should choose a hair product based on the thickness of the hair. For thin hair, too much moisturizer will get rid of frizziness, but it will tend to make the hair flat. For thicker hair, it would be wise to use a conditioner that is formulated to help smoothness.
  
  
• Leave in conditioners are a good option for all types of hair no matter the thickness.
  
  
• Shampoo hair to the minimum; restrict it to only twice a week. This is because shampooing can dry out hair and dry hair can cause frizz. If you need to wash hair daily to keep out the dirt, then it is better to dilute the shampoo, or use only the conditioner and lots of water.
  
  
• It is always better to have hair rinsed in the coldest water after a shampoo and a conditioner for straight hair. The coldest water will help hair to look less frizzy as it locks down the hair cuticle and makes hair slicker and softer.
  
  
• To combat the use of styling products that contribute to frizz, it is best to use a clarifying shampoo at least once a week.
  
  
• For frizziness that is caused due to damaged hair, deep conditioning treatment once a week helps to smoothen and soften the hair frizz. Deep moistening treatments every week helps to tame frizziness.
  
  
• Heat helps the conditioner to penetrate deeply into the hair. It is suggested to sit under a warm hood dryer or wrap a towel around the head leaving the conditioner to work for at least an hour or even overnight for best results.
  
  
• Never rub the hair after hair wash. Instead gently squeeze out the excessive moisture with a towel.
  
• If hair is very fine, it is better not to over-condition it. It is better to use a lighter styling produce like a mousse instead of a gel.
  
  
• It would be ideal to use a hair mask. This is ideal for deep conditioning the hair.
  

Hair styling products for hair frizz

Nowadays the market is flooded with plenty of specialty products, frizz busters and frizz removers that tame unmanageable hair, reduce flyaway and increase shine. These claim to remove frizz permanently but it is left to every individual user to decide on the effectiveness of the product and whether at all hair frizz can be permanently tamed.

There are certain products available in the market, which are popularly used to control frizz to some extent. These products need to be used repeatedly and cannot be a one-time solution. Nevertheless they are found to effectively control if not permanently cure frizz:

• Hair frizz can be controlled by use of 'pomade', which is designed and sold for especially for curly hair. This product is available in any drug store and it is inexpensive. The procedure is simple: After washing the hair a small quantity of pomade should be gently spread evenly throughout the hair. The curls should then be separated and individually twisted and this will give definition and volume to the hair that is otherwise frizzy.
  
  
• Hair creams work best on frizzy hair and add control to the hair along with frizz relief properties. They work best on wet hair. They can also be worked into dry hair to provide a certain amount of hold.
  
  
• Anti-frizz serums containing silicone work best on hair frizz. Silicon serums come with the strength of proteins. Proteins give hair strength and protect against humidity, and hence act as frizz fighters. Normally the ingredients are found in silicone products are dimethicone and cyclomethicone. There are very light silicone oils that can be used even on fine hair. Most of these products are extremely concentrated and so a few drops of the product is enough.
  
  
• Oil-based conditioners can contribute to frizz. It is better to use cream-based conditioners. Avoid products that contain high degree of drying ingredients and alcohol. This will only increase hair frizz.
  
• Hair gels can also be used in frizz control. These gels help to hold hair better and usually relieve frizz better than a mousse.
  

Home remedies for frizzy hair

• Use of vinegar helps to smoothen the hair cuticles. Vinegar also corrects the pH balance in the hair.
  
  
• Tropical coconut conditioner or castor oil conditioner can be effective in smoothing down frizz.
  
  
• Natural vegetable glycerin can be added to the mousse or gel and used effectively on hair to control frizz.
  
  
• Egg can be mixed with olive oil and this paste applied to hair directly. After about half an hour, rinse out with a shampoo and conditioner.

No hair product is a magic tool. Nothing can permanently change frizzy hair to a smooth flowing mane. If you have long curly hair, a stylist can cut angles inside the hair and add layers, which will help enhance the curls. On the other hand, if you have short frizzy hair, a hair stylist can help you get the right haircut to tone down frizz.