Frizzy hair: what causes it and how to get rid of frizz

Frizzy hair happens when hairs take in water from the air unevenly and stop lying smoothly together. Dry, rough or damaged hair frizzes the most. To reduce it, wash gently, condition every time, smooth a leave-in oil or serum through damp hair, and dry it with less rubbing and less heat.

What causes frizzy hair?

Each hair has an outer layer of overlapping scales, like tiles on a roof. On top sits a thin natural oily layer that repels water. Water still gets in. It loosens the hydrogen bonds that hold a hair's shape, which is how a blow-dry reshapes your hair. A review of hair cosmetics in the International Journal of Trichology (Gavazzoni Dias, 2015) describes both layers and what wears them down.

Frizz appears when hairs take in water unevenly. The ones that take in more change shape more, so they stop lying flat with the rest. These things make that more likely:

• A worn hair surface. Rough washing, heat, sun, rubbing and colouring strip the oily layer, and the surface starts to attract water. The same review calls damaged hair "intensely" porous.
• Humidity. Rain, fog, sea air and a steamy bathroom all push water into your hair.
• Static. Dry winter air and some shampoos leave hair with an electrical charge, so the hairs push each other apart.
• Waves and curls. Their shape keeps the hairs from lying flat against each other, so frizz shows more.
• Rubbing. Towels, pillows, scarves, brushing dry curls and your own hands all lift the hair surface.

Frizz and dryness usually come together, because the same wear causes both. If your hair also feels rough and looks dull, read what causes dry hair and what helps.

Why does humidity make hair frizzy?

Hair takes up water from the air around it. Figures from a standard textbook on hair chemistry, explained by chemist Michelle Wong, show hair holding more than twice as much water at 70% humidity as at 30%. As that water moves in, it loosens the bonds your blow-dry set. The hair goes back towards its natural shape, only less evenly. That is why hair that is smooth in the morning can be fuzzy by lunchtime on a damp day.

You cannot keep the air away from your hair, but you can slow down how fast it takes up water:

• Put a leave-in oil, serum or cream on damp hair before you dry it. Oils and silicones leave a thin water-repellent layer on the surface.
• Dry your hair completely. Hair that goes out half-damp keeps changing shape all day.
• Keep your hands off it. Every touch lifts hairs out of place.
• On very humid days, wear it up or in a loose braid, so the hairs stay together.

Does hair porosity cause frizz?

It plays a part. Porosity describes how easily water gets into and out of hair. All hair takes up water, but bleached, coloured and heat-styled hair takes it up more easily, which is why it frizzes more on damp days. The well-known test of dropping a hair into a glass of water is not reliable, though. Chemist Michelle Wong explains why it fails: whether a hair floats depends mostly on its surface and on any oil or product left on it. A better guide is your hair's history: if it has been bleached, coloured or often heat-styled, treat it as porous.

Why is my hair frizzy after washing?

Shampoo takes the oil off your hair, and it can leave the hair with a negative electrical charge. A 2014 study measured the pH of 123 shampoos sold in Brazil and found that 62% were above pH 5.5. The authors, Gavazzoni Dias and colleagues in the International Journal of Trichology, concluded that a higher pH can increase that negative charge. That means more friction between hairs and more frizz.

Most labels do not show the pH, so the practical answer is conditioner. The same authors recommend a conditioner after a higher-pH shampoo, because it balances the charge as well as smoothing the hair. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says to use conditioner after every shampoo. Two more after-wash habits cause frizz: rubbing your hair with a towel and brushing it while it is wet. Both are easy to change.

Air-dry or blow-dry: which is better for frizz?

Many people let their hair dry naturally to avoid heat. Air-drying is not automatically gentler. A 2011 lab study compared the two. Hair dried with a hairdryer held 15 cm away and kept moving showed less damage overall than hair left to dry naturally, which stayed wet for longer. The dryer did leave some marks on the hair surface, and more when it was held closer and hotter (Lee and colleagues, Annals of Dermatology).

So a hairdryer, used with care, is fine. Wrap your hair in a towel first to take out most of the water. Use a medium setting, keep the dryer moving and point the nozzle down the hair, from the roots to the ends. If you have curls, use a diffuser, or let them dry without touching them. The AAD advises low or medium heat and a heat protection product before you blow-dry or straighten.

Does hair oil help frizzy hair?

Yes. Hair oils and serums spread a thin layer over the hair surface. It makes the surface smoother and slows down how fast the hair takes up water. The International Journal of Trichology review describes how conditioning products reduce friction and frizz, and how some oils reduce the amount of water hair absorbs. The AAD lists tangled, frizzy or flyaway hair among the reasons to use a leave-in conditioner, applied to towel-dried, still damp hair and not to the scalp. What it cannot do is undo damage inside the hair. It also washes out, so it needs reapplying after you wash.

Use a small amount. Too much makes hair look greasy and flat, and fine hair needs the least. Work it through the lengths and ends, which are the oldest and roughest part of your hair. Oils and serums work in slightly different ways; if you are choosing between them, see hair oil vs hair serum for frizz. Ellips Hair Vitamin is one option: a leave-in oil in single-use 1 ml capsules, with silicones that smooth the hair surface. One capsule is one use, or half a capsule on the ends if your hair is very fine.

How to get rid of frizz: a 7-step routine

You cannot switch frizz off for good, but most frizzy hair remedies come down to the same few habits. In order:

1. Shampoo your scalp, not your lengths. Massage it into the scalp and let the foam rinse through the rest, as the AAD advises.
2. Condition every time. Use it on the lengths and ends, or on the whole length if your hair is dry or curly. Detangle curls with a wide-tooth comb while the conditioner is still in.
3. Rinse with lukewarm water. A cold final rinse does no harm, but do not count on it to smooth your hair. That is the conditioner's job.
4. Blot, do not rub. Wrap your hair in a towel or an old cotton T-shirt and press the water out.
5. Apply a leave-in to damp hair. A little oil, serum or leave-in conditioner through the lengths and ends, not the roots.
6. Dry with care. Medium heat, dryer moving, nozzle pointing down. Or let curls dry without touching them.
7. Leave it alone. For flyaways later in the day, rub a drop of oil between your palms and smooth it lightly over the surface.

At night, a loose braid or a smooth silk or satin pillowcase means less rubbing. A regular trim takes off the roughest ends, which frizz the most.

If you want a formula made for frizz, our leave-in hair oil capsules come in Smooth & Silky, the formula for extra-dry, frizzy, medium to thick hair. It leaves hair smoother, with less frizz and fewer flyaways, and protects it from heat up to 220 °C when applied before styling.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my hair so frizzy at the top?

The top layer of your hair gets the most sun, wind and rubbing from hats, pillows and hands, so its surface is usually the roughest. Short hairs, both new ones and broken ones, also show most on top, because they are too short to lie flat with the rest. This is often called halo frizz. Press a drop of oil lightly over the top with flat palms, and use less heat on that section.

Why is my hair suddenly frizzy?

Look for what has changed. The usual reasons are the weather, a new shampoo, a recent colour or bleach, more heat styling, or a move to a place with harder water. A humid spell pushes water into your hair, and dry heated air in winter brings static. If the change comes with hair loss, a sore or flaky scalp or other symptoms, see a doctor or dermatologist.

Are flyaways a sign of damaged hair?

Not always. Flyaways are single hairs that stick out from an otherwise smooth surface. Some are short new hairs. Some are static, most often in dry winter air. Others are broken hairs, and those do point to wear from heat, bleach or brushing. Frizz is different: the whole surface looks fuzzy. A drop of oil smooths both, and fewer broken hairs over time show that your routine is working.

Can you get rid of frizz permanently?

No product removes frizz for good. Every wash takes off what you put on, and every humid day pushes water back into your hair. What you can change is how rough the hair surface is. Gentle washing, conditioner, a leave-in on damp hair, less heat and regular trims all make hair frizz less. As the roughest ends are cut off, less of your hair is damaged.