Are you causing your frizzy hair? Curl stylists offer 8 quick fixes for taming the mane.
Frizzy hair is the curly girl’s arch nemesis and you need to arm yourself with tools for battle. But first, you have to figure out what’s causing the fight — and that’s not always easy.
“We can confuse frizzy hair as being in bad condition and that’s not necessarily true,” says Kaz Amor, a stylist at Warren Tricome Salon in West Hollywood, Calif. “It’s usually the way curls are being handled that causes the hair to frizz.”
Here, a guide to the undercover causes of frizzy hair — and how you can fight back.
1. You avoid styling products
If you refuse to try any products at all, it’s nearly impossible to avoid frizz. You don’t have to crowd your vanity with stylers, but it’s critical to test frizzy hair remedies that are appropriate for your curl type to see what works best to tame your curly mane.
“A lot of people equate using any product in their hair as it being a high-maintenance hairstyle,” Ethan Shaw, a curl-centric stylist with James Allan Salon in Austin, Texas. “The challenge is to convince them they need to change their attitude about all of that.”
Frizz-Fighting Fix: Shaw suggests you decide what you want your hair to look like, and then work with your stylist to set goals to get there — one step at a time. It may mean cutting off hair that’s damaged or finding the right styling produucts, or changing your cleansing and conditioning routine.
2. You’re using the wrong products
Curlies are often product junkies. You hear about a product that is working for someone else, so you unwittingly buy it without really considering if it’s the right product for your curl type. And if the product is not a perfect fit, the result once again can be annoying frizz. Or, frazzled curls can come buying the cheapest (read: wrong) products just to pinch pennies. “With the economy the way it is, I’m finding out that a lot of my clients have been going to different cheaper shampoos that are more drying,” says Teri Parr, a curly stylist at The Strand at Pinecrest, a salon in Miami, Fla.
Frizz-Fighting Fix: Parr suggests thinking hard about how the challenging economy is affecting you. “I ask about what they’re cutting back on,” she says. “Everyone is trying to cut back on something and the first thing is the shampoo and conditioner.” Ask your stylist about the curl-crushing effects of cheap products, then what products they can suggest that won’t bust your budget. If you’re using your best friend’s latest, greatest find, make sure it’s the greatest for your curl type.
3. You don’t apply products correctly
If you are using all the right products, but still find yourself buried in frizz, you may simply not be using them the right way.
“I try to guide my clients step by step through the styling process and simplify it as much as possible,” Shaw says. “So much of the style is about the application.”
Frizz-Fighting Fix: “A visual aid is best,” says Giselle Grant, a curl-centric stylist at Curltopia in New Smyrna, Ga.
Show your stylist how you style your hair from start to finish, so he or she can figure out what you’re doing wrong and show you the right way to style your curls.
4. You’re not using enough product
When you are using the right products and applying them the right way, the problem could lie in the amount you’re using. Chances are, it’s not enough. This problem is more likely to surface in curlies with a longer, thicker mane, which requires more than the standard dollop of product.
Frizz-Fighting Fix: Ask your stylist to show you rather than tell you how to correctly apply products.
“I’ll show them in front of the mirror, what one side looks like without enough product and what the other side looks like with the adequate amount, which is a completely different look,” Grant says. “Showing them what a balance should look like, generally will eliminate the problem.”
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This entry was posted on Monday, June 1st, 2009 at 1:36 am and is filed under Care Methods, Frizz Control, ingredients, Products. You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment.
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:03 pm
What? No connection to dewpoint, humectants, or anti-humectants?
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:38 pm
No matter what I do or use some parts of my hair refuse to clump or curl, just frizz. Multiracial 3c/4a I think.
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:43 pm
My hair is 3a and for a long time I still had areas of frizz after I applied product. I seen a video on how to apply hair products for curly hair and immediately after getting out of the shower I section the hair in five little buns using a bird bill clip to hold them in place. Then I take the back section out and apply Deva Curl gel to my hair and scrunch to bring out the curl. Then I grab each section doing the same thing up to the front. It really helped with those areas I just could saturate with product. Mostly the back. The results were amazing! Also the Deva Curly defuser is awesome. I wish I had known about it sooner.
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:06 pm
Yea, I already section and still… I’ve decided to use more product in those spots however it already takes a long time to dry. I want to try a protein treatment this weekend, maybe this will help.
June 5th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
what about touching it too much?
June 6th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
I think Giselle’s comment about using a hooded dryer is spot on, but is there a hooded dryer that dries from the TOP? They all seem to dry from a hose in the back! Someone (hello Devachan?) should make a hooded dryer for HOME use — similar to the kind they have in the salons (or heating lamps). Now THAT would be a huge seller.
June 12th, 2009 at 9:44 am
The article is helpful but never addresses changes in weather patterns as a contributor to frizzy hair. My hair always looks better when it’s cold and dry out. Damp and humid? Forget it. No product in the world is going to keep frizz out on a humid, rainy summer day.
June 15th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
What about using oils and butters to help control frizz? What about controlling damage to the hair? Proper brushing and combing goes a long way to that. So does using proper hair accessories like fat cloth covered bands and scrunchies instead of rubber bands. There is a LOT missing from this article.
June 27th, 2009 at 6:34 am
Great comments. Just so everyone knows, this article is just about the causes of frizz, rather than how to actually control frizz. Here are links to previous NaturallyCurly articles that offer tips on controlling frizz. I think these could be helpful in answering the questions above!
Experts Reveal Tress Tips for a Stress-Free Vacation: http://tinyurl.com/p7brxg
Bring on the Rain! Stylists Reveal Strategies for a Frizz-free Spring: http://tinyurl.com/ql5ef5
Summerizing Your Curls: http://tinyurl.com/py7dy7
Protecting your Summertime Locks: http://tinyurl.com/qjjfat
August 7th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
I have a problem with the article and how they keep pushing the more expensive shampoos and conditioners. With the way it’s going I HAVE TO CUT BACK ON EVERYTHING! Don’t these stylists and people know what it’s like to be a broke out of college student living on a small wage trying to get by? I’m sorry, but these people need to start posting products that don’t cost an arm and a leg and can be great for those on an EXTREMELY TIGHT BUDGET.
February 24th, 2011 at 11:10 pm
Beth and Carly have great points — dewpoint is a big factor, and I’ve learned not to touch my hair while it’s drying or after it dries. I only touch it to scrunch out crunch, and even then I coat my hands with a conditioning balm!
Nicole, if you happen to have fine to medium-texture hair and you’re near a Trader Joe’s, check out the Nourish Spa line. The shampoo is sulfate-free, the conditioner is silicone-free
February 24th, 2011 at 11:17 pm
(Ack — I hit Submit Comment too soon!) Anyway, the Trader Joe’s Nourish Spa line is made mostly of organic botanicals, and it’s $2.99 (in Maryland, at least) for a 16.5 oz. bottle. The conditioner is wonderfully rich and moisturizing.