In the name of hair health, sometimes frizz is a sign that your hair needs some TLC—but not always. Here are the nuances of what causes and how to tame frizzy strands. “Think of shingles on a roof, aligned and lying flat,” Stollmeyer says. When the many causes of frizzy hair take place (more on that next), they can all cause the cuticle (aka the shingles) to raise and flare out, she explains. “This creates a rougher and ‘frizzy’ surface texture as well as allows moisture to enter and swell the hair strands,” Stollmeyer notes. But what does this actually look like? Let’s be honest—frizz is subjective. If you tend to have very slick, straight hair, then a slight frizz for you might be the smoothest day of all for someone else, and vice versa. We all know what frizz can look like on our own hair, and that’s what matters most in terms of taming (or styling) your strands. While your strands may be particularly susceptible to frizz, that doesn’’t mean it’s a be-all and end-all situation—there are plenty of frizz remedies out there (up next, so stay tuned). “The moisture is absorbed into the cortex, or the long fibers at the core of each strand, and is especially problematic for curly and wavy hair,” Papanikolas explains. Humidity can’t be avoided most of the time; however, styling tips will be your best bet for managing frizz in any climate, even those with a high dew point. A few common products that may dry out your strands include shampoos with sulfates, hair spray, dry shampoo, and some purple shampoos. However, committing to a solid conditioning routine post-wash will help replenish some of the moisture lost by drying products. It can also depend on how you use said products. A shampoo may not be the problem but instead how much you shampoo. Daily washing can be hard on hair (especially curly hair), so frizz may be an indication that you need to reduce your shampoo schedule. To minimize friction, try to prevent your hair from rubbing harsh surfaces like rough fabric or dirty hot tools. A few ingredients Stollmeyer recommends looking out for: Rather than blowdrying your hair sans brush (i.e., an express job), use a rounded-bristle brush to smooth the hair while drying for a silky, touchable finish. According to celebrity hairstylist Nate Rosenkranz, a diffuser can help manage frizzy hair thanks to the airflow. “A diffuser slows and distributes the airflow coming from within the dryer,” he says. “It works to gently dry the hair without disrupting the curl pattern, which is typically highly susceptible to frizz.” For regular cleanups, experts recommend trimming every three months. Hair tends to split around that time frame (even if you don’t notice it!), and it can happen even faster if you regularly take a hot tool to those strands. “Even if splits aren’t visible, hair begins to weaken every day from hair elastics, brushing, and friction that can start to form small tears along the hair’s outer cuticle,” says hairstylist and cosmetologist Faith Huffnagle, director of education at Prose. Luckily there are many sulfate-free shampoos that effectively clean the scalp and hair fiber, without stripping the natural oils or increasing frizz.
