This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Elon chapter.
Summer is quickly approaching and we all know what that means: hair problems. Summer tends to be the worst when it comes to frizzy hair due to excess humidity or too much sun.
Your hair gets frizzy when it doesn’t have enough moisture, so even without styling it, make sure you’re using moisture-rich shampoo and leave-in conditions and serums for an instant improvement. Make sure you protect your hair when styling it as well, because the excess heat from blow dryers and flat irons will damage the hair follicle and create frizzy hair and split ends.
Here are some tips and products to try!
Straight hair
- First off, blow dry your hair before straightening it. This will make it easier to straighten and will make it last longer and look better. To help prevent damage, try a heat protecting product like Redken Smooth Down Heat Glide ($14.95). Not only will this protect your hair, it will also help eliminate frizz—two for one!
- Use products that ensure straight hair, like the Redken one above or Got2b Crazy Sleek XL Conditioning Spray ($6). Just spray it on, then blow dry and straighten! Nexxus Sleek Memory Straightening Smoothing Spray ($11.99) is another great product to try. Be sure not to put in too much product, as it will leave your hair feeling heavy and looking greasy. Check the label for instructions.
- To keep your beautifully straight hair looking sexy for the rest of the day, use a serum like TIGI Bed Head Control Freak Serum ($15) or a light-weight hair spray like TRESemme Smooth and Silky Frizz Shield Finishing Spray ($4.99). Again, be sure not to use too much product or you’ll hurt your hair instead of help it.
- Make sure your flat iron is up to par as well. If you’ve been using it for a while and the protection on the plates is worn off, which can happen to ceramic plates, the flat iron will kill your hair and the end product isn’t as clean as it could be. Make sure to replace it if it’s looking worn down. Also, get the thickness that works for you. If you have a lot of hair, get a 2-inch flat iron, but if your hair is fine or you need to have more control in order to get your roots straighter, buy a thinner flat iron. Don’t be afraid to shell out some cash—although the Chi flat irons cost a lot, they’re worth the price!
- If you have naturally straight hair and just want a product to help keep it that way, try Fekkai Silky Straight Ironless Smooth Finish Serum ($24). Again, pricy but worth it.
Wavy/Curly hair
- If your hair is naturally curly, make sure you take good care of it and keep it moisturized and healthy! For shampoo, if you’re willing to pay for great hair, try Kerastase Bain Satin 1, 2 or 3 ($27). It’s a little pricy but totally worth it. After washing it, use a leave-in conditioner like Bed Head Ego Boost Split End Mender and Leave-In Conditioner ($8) to keep hair looking and feeling great.
- To enhance your natural curls and keep them from frizzing out over the day, gel, mousse and hairspray are all your friends (although not necessarily at the same time). John Frieda Frizz-Ease Dream Curls Protector spray ($5) keeps curls bouncy and beautiful all day long. Curly Sexy Hair Power Spray Foam ($16) leaves hair soft, not crunchy, but keeps curls fresh. If you prefer hair gel, check out Pantene Pro-V Curl Shaping Gel with extra strong hold ($4).
- Some tips for curly hair: Don’t brush it when it’s dry. That is the absolute worst thing you can possibly do if you want to have curls and not masses of frizzy hair. Make sure you scrunch your hair thoroughly and don’t forget to hit your roots. Volume is good, so don’t discourage it—let your curls run free!
- If your hair is naturally straight and you want some beachy waves, try sleeping with your hair in French braid pigtails. When you wake up, if it’s still damp, use mousse to scrunch it and then finish it off with hairspray. It might seem like a lot of product, but if you want to waves to stay and not fall out by the end of the day, drastic measures may be needed.
Hope this helped you fight off the frizzies! Go out, enjoy summer and have beautiful hair!