WHAT CAUSES FRIZZY HAIR?

Frizz is not created equal. For fine hair, frizz can mean falling limp and lifeless. For wavy & curly hair, frizz may mean poodlesque hair. Even if frizz shows up in different ways for different people, we can agree that frizz gets in the way of having a great hair day. It’s SO frustrating to spend precious minutes (or hours!) styling hair to perfection, only for it to poof and be ruined before lunch time that same day.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. The key’s to defend your hair against frizz causing enemies like a lack of moisture, humidity, rain and other external factors.

So, if you’ve been asking yourself, “why is my hair frizzy?” for what feels like an eternity, keep reading as we help you on your way to smooth and shiny hair that behaves itself.

What causes frizzy hair?

Frizz appears when there’s a perfect combination of two elements: your own hair health/condition (damaged hair’s more prone to frizz) and external aggressors (like humid weather).

Frizzy hair is caused by humidity. Most hair is not smooth in its natural state, but with the right haircare products, blow dryers, and hairstyling products, hair can be smoothed into a variety of defined styles. This hairstyling process arranges the internal temporary bonds of each hair, known as hydrogen bonds, into the uniform pattern required to achieve a smooth style. Humidity, the great enemy of smoothness, can rearrange this pattern very quickly. Humid conditions mean a higher water vapor content in the air, which disrupts the hairstyling bonds and returns hair to its natural pattern, which for most of us, means frizzy hair.

Why dry and damaged hair is prone to frizz

Damaged hair compounds the issue, as it is more susceptible to moisture moving in and out of the strand, uplifting the cuticle, and making hair less smooth. Healthy hair has a dense structure and can absorb 30% its own weight in water, however, dry and damaged hair’s more porous and will soak up almost double this amount, making it frizzy and unruly. So, anything that damages or dries your hair just makes it more prone to frizz. But all hope is not lost! Hairstyling products specifically formulated to combat frizzy hair can make a very big difference.

Too much heat styling

The high temperatures from your straighteners and curlers lead to loss of hair moisture and cause damage over time, which in turn leads to frizz.

The fix: By cutting down your hair’s exposure to high temperatures, you’ll be doing it the world of good:

• Start letting your hair air dry instead of blow drying, or try popping your straighteners away for a week or two and embracing your natural style.

• If your stylers have the option, turn down the temperature setting when curling or straightening, and try the cool function on your hair dryer.

• Use a good heat protectant before using any heat tool.

Your showers are too hot

Washing hair with water that’s too hot can be very relaxing to your body but not to your hair and scalp! It can dry out your scalp and elevate the cuticles of your strands meaning weakened and more prone to frizz.

The fix: Turn down the water temperature (it will flatten cuticles and also add shine) and will definitely keep you awake!

Too much colouring

Colouring can cause cuticles to lift and the hair’s structure to change leaving it weaker and more vulnerable to dryness and frizz.

The fix: Moisture! Never skip on conditioner, pamper your hair once a week with a deep treatment and cut down your colouring sessions by grabbing colour protect products such as Pantene Repair and Protect Deep Repair Masque.

External aggressors

Summer humidity
Ever noticed that your hair frizzes up when it’s humid? It’s the hot moisture in the air that causes frizzy hair to appear. Humidity is microscopic water droplets in the air that’s easily absorbed by dry and damaged hair as it fills the gaps in hair’s structure. So, the more moisture your hair has, the less likely it is to absorb humidity and get frizzy. In short, healthier moisture levels lead to better behaved hair! Damaged hair’s going to be dryer and so, it’s more prone to frizz.

By ensuring your hair’s moisture levels are topped up, you’ll reduce how much humidity your hair can soak up.

The fix: Always use a conditioner, like Pantene Pro-V Repair & Protect 3 Minute Miracle. This intensely nourishing treatment instantly melts into tresses, leaving hair deeply conditioned down to the core. Perfect to protect tresses against frizz-causing humidity, this deep treatment repairs and protects so strands can fend off damage caused by styling and external stressors, like sun damage and frizz. Used with every wash, Pantene Pro-V Repair & Protect 3 Minute Miracle will transform dry, damaged hair for visibly healthier, shinier and stronger hair against styling damage. When travelling, or even as a treat in your gym bag, use Pantene Pro-V Rescue Shots to repair summer damage in as little as 1 minute! This antioxidant-rich deep treatment’s small, but mighty with a powerful cocktail of restorative ingredients. Wave goodbye to damaged hair and hello to luscious, hydrated locks in an instant. With Pantene Pro-V Rescue Shots, you can give strands damage therapy no matter where you are; holidays, gym or post-swim.

For added protection on-the-go, work Pantene’s Smooth and Sleek Dry Oil into the lengths and ends of damp or dry tresses. Infused with Argan Oil, it’s the perfect remedy for a quick touch-up that’ll help to keep humidity on the outside, where it belongs! For a lasting frizz fix, give your style a spray with our Pantene Pro-V Styling Spray Volume to protect hair and hold it in place.

Winter dry weather
Static hair can be seen as frizzy. Going from outside to inside creates static and frizz – this is because the air’s very dry, no humidity or moisture. It charges your hair with electrons which creates a magnet effect (the hairs repel each other).

The fix: A little Smooth and Sleek Dry Oil will go a long way! This lightweight oil will relax those supercharged strands and put unruly hair back in place. For a deeper repair and nourish, work Pantene Pro-V Repair & Protect Mask into your weekly haircare routine, a little more often if you find your hair’s really dry in the winter months. The intensely hydrating Pro-V formula with active nutrients, tested by the Swiss Vitamin Institute, leaves hair looking healthy, shiny, smooth and protected. If you have a little more time on your hands, keep it in for a few hours, or even overnight. You can use a shower cap to keep the conditioning treatment on strands and off your pillows. If you’re short of time, that’s okay too! Pantene Pro-V Repair & Protect Mask works deep into strands in as little as 2 minutes, so you can work it into your weekly shower routine.

Everyday wear and tear
After washing, resist the temptation to give your hair a good old rub with a towel – the friction can cause damage and even micro tears to your hair.

The fix: Use a micro-fiber towel or tee-shirt to dry your hair; use a wide-tooth brush to comb your hair. Start detangling from the ends and work your way up.

Wind-blown hair
We’ve all been there. Precious time spend perfecting that style only to walk outside to have it blown in every direction. The morning commute ‘s stressful enough without those wind tunnels and staircases causing havoc to your style. While you can’t predict the wind, luckily, you can protect your hair against it.

The fix: Once you’re happy with your style, you ideally want it to stay that way -definitely longer than your morning commute! Set it in place to protect your hair against frizz, especially if your hair is going to be exposed to any kind of wind. The Pantene Pro-V Satin Smooth Hairspray was created with frizz prone hair in mind. Spray all over your hair from a 30cm distance to create a smooth shield against high levels of humidity and stop your style spinning out of control, and you’re ready for the day.

So, you see, frizz doesn’t have to be keeping you from achieving the style you want and great hair days. Once you know the main offenders behind this unruly finish, you’re better arm follow our frizz-free commandments and you’ll soon see smooth hair isn’t impossible.