What causes Hair to turn Frizzy? 9 Reasons your Tresses may be in Turmoil

Frizzy. Curly. Hair.

If those three words sent a shiver down your spine, then you know what I’m talking about. Ever blowdried your hair flawlessly, only to have it collapse into individual strands once you step out the door? Someone once told me my hair reminded them of cotton wool. I remember being horrified at the time, and desperate to fix it in some way. Thankfully, these days I have my locks under much better management. If the story of sleek hair gone frizzy is familiar to you – it’s time to talk about some of the things you might be doing wrong with your hair.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning that I will earn a small amount of profit if you choose to purchase something through my link. It will come at no extra cost to you, though, and means that I can continue to work on my blog.

1. You’re Washing it at too High a Heat

We all love a steamy shower every now and then, but hot water is known to dry out hair and leave it frizzy. Washing hair with lukewarm water is much less harsh. If, like me, you struggle to ditch the hot water, you can always try doing your final rinse with cool water instead – it’s not the most pleasant of experiences, but it will certainly wake you up in the morning!

2. You’re Washing it Too Often

Something I pride myself in is my ability to resist washing my hair every day; instead opting for a more sleek (well, that’s what I tell myself) hairstyle every other morning. Over-washing hair strips each strand of it’s natural oils, leaving it dry and brittle. If your hair is used to a daily wash it will take a little time for it to adjust and produce less oil, so stock up on dry shampoo. And if you really can’t deal with the loss of a daily shampoo session, try to replace your hair products with sulfate-free ones. These are much less harsh on your hair and will leave them feeling less stripped. My favourite sulphate-free shampoos and conditioners belong to the Maui Moisture lines – I actually found a dramatic decrease in my hair’s natural greasiness when I started to use these products. My frizz reduced significantly, too.

3. You’re using a Plastic Hair Brush

Plastic definitely increases the appearance of frizz in hair, causing static and fluffy strands. Investing in a wooden hair brush will not only give you shinier hair, but also help out the environment – it’s a win-win situation! My favourite hair brush is the Kent Brushes ‘Woodyhog‘, it has a rubber base and wooden bristles to keep my hair looking soft and smooth (when I, for whatever mad reason, decide to actually brush it).

4. You’re Damaging it with Heat

Yep, it’s time to face the truth. Heat damages hair. Us frizzy curly hair pals will relate to the fact that straighteners are just impossible to resist sometimes when we want nice, shiny hair without any frizz developing through out the day. However, it’s a well known fact that heat causes split ends – increasing the appearance of frizz immensely. If you want to keep using heat on your hair, maybe do it less often. And, for the love of God, please use a heat protectant.

5. You’re not Conditioning Properly

When I was younger, I remember researching this very topic: How do I make my hair less frizzy? One result encouraged me to leave conditioner in my hair after a shower, stating that rinsing just 75% of it out is a better option than all of it. I’m not so sure I agree with this – who wants to come out of the shower with greasy, limp hair? – but I have received better advice regarding conditioning since then.

When you’re in the shower, ring (gently! Hair is weakest when wet) most of the water out of your hair and then apply your conditioner. Leave it in for a few minutes, too, almost like a mask, and rinse it out after. This should leave your hair much more hydrated and less frizzy. I have heard that conditioning hair before washing it is much more effective as the conditioner locks in the natural oils that the shampoo would wash away. I’ve never tried this, though.

6. You’re Bleaching It

I have very dark hair, so if I want to change to any other colour the only way is lighter. I’ve only ever dip-dyed it, but I definitely noticed the negative effects bleach had on my ends. Anyone who has had their hair fully bleached to a platinum level – mine was honey blonde – definitely ends up with hair that looks a bit fried. If your hair cannot be worn in its natural shade, maybe just dye it a little darker than you normally would. You’ll be surprised at how much healthier it will become.

7. You’re Drying it with a Regular Towel

You probably had to read that twice – why wouldn’t someone use a regular towel? Truth is, a microfibre towel is a much better option to reduce frizz in hair. It causes less tension than a traditional towel, and therefore won’t damage or cause split ends over time. I absolutely love my Soap & Glory ‘Up In The Hair’ towel; I’ve had it for years and it’s never let me down.

I’ve also heard that wrapping your hair in a T-shirt post wash is a great way to keep hair smooth and soft, but again, I haven’t tried it personally.

8. You Brush your Hair when it’s Wet

Stop. It.

As I mentioned before, hair is most fragile when it’s wet. Whether you have frizzy curly hair or not, brushing hair when damp is just going to break it and damage the strands. Anyone would end up with frizzy hair after an amount of time doing this. Instead, brush your hair pre-shower when it’s dry, and very gently detangle it with your fingers during or after washing it. If your hair is anything like mine, doing this will probably help keep your drains clear, too…

9. You’re not Using the Correct Products

I have to say I’m pretty lazy when it comes to my hair; I don’t enjoy spending much time or money on it. I’m currently waiting on a Space NK order of some IGK products to review for you, but as of now I haven’t tried a tonne of anti-frizz serums.

I will tell you, though, that OGX have some fab ones in their range. I love to run a bit of the ‘Nourishing Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum‘ through the ends of my hair post styling, as it brings the strands together and hydrates them to reduce the appearance of frizz. I also really like the Maui Moisture ‘Curl Quench + Coconut Oil Hair Smoothie‘ – I mentioned this product before in my ‘3 Small Changes you can make to be more Ethical in your Beauty Regimen‘ post – to smooth out my natural curls and prevent them from separating throughout the day.

Go easy on these products, though! Hydrating, anti-frizz products tend to be quite oily, and applying too much will instantly leave you with a greased up appearance. use a small amount and build up from there. Once you’ve applied too much, there’s no going back…


Those are the 9 likely reasons that your hair is frizzy, and hopefully by making a few changes you’ll have smooth silky locks in no time! If you’re interested in hearing more about hair, I’m planning on writing about my experience with IGK. You can follow my blog (under this post) or my Instagram account to keep up to date. Do you have any good tips for frizzy curly hair? Let us know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading,

Eve

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