How to Style Frizzy, Curly Hair

While frizziness alone isn’t genetic, you may notice your curls get frizzy quite easily. You may also have oily roots, but the rest of your curls tend to be on the drier side. This is because natural oils, or sebum, in your hair follicles have a more difficult time traveling down the length of your hair.

Ironically, humidity can also make frizz worse. This is a direct result of water molecules in the air that penetrate your hair cuticle and cause it to reconstruct its shape. Humidity can make any hair type frizzy, but when you have dry, curly hair, the effects may be more pronounced.

Excessive sun exposure and swimming in chlorinated pools can also lead to more frizz because of damage to the cuticle.

The way you take care of your hair may also cause more frizz. Such habits include:

• skipping conditioner
• shampooing the whole length of your hair, rather than just the roots
• rubbing your hair dry with a towel
• using heated tools too often
• pulling your hair back in tight styles

In general, you can keep your hair looking less frizzy by:

• shampooing your roots only and conditioning the length of your hair
• using a conditioning spray to remove tangles as needed
• using a wide-tooth comb on wet hair
• brushing only to style — the need for 100 brush strokes per day is a myth

For extremely dry hair, consider shampooing a few times a week only. Overwashing can cause more dryness, which may damage the cuticle and lead to even more frizz. Consider touching up oily roots with a dry shampoo in between washes.

If your curls are extremely dry and brittle, it’s best to let your curls air dry after each wash. You don’t want to use heated tools every day. These can damage the cuticle, leading to even more frizz.

You should also avoid scrunching your hair with mousse or gel if you have curly hair. This can inadvertently break apart your natural curls and lead to more frizz.

Apply an alcohol-free leave-in conditioner or moisturizing serum as your final step. This helps to seal your hair cuticle to prevent further dryness and damage, thereby reducing the risk of frizz.

While the above styling tips may help eliminate frizz in the long term, sometimes excessive frizz needs immediate taming. Consider the following home and professional remedies to help eliminate frizz.

At home

For immediate frizz relief, consider adding a plant-based oil to your hair, starting at the middle of your locks to your ends. The following remedies may help:

• argan oil
• avocado oil
• coconut oil
• jojoba oil
• olive oil

Professional treatments

Sometimes the way your hair is cut can also make a difference. For curly hair, consider asking your stylist for a dry cut to help control volume.

Ironically, some professional hair treatments, such as coloring and relaxing, may also lead to frizzy hair if you use them too often. As a rule of thumb, you should wait several weeks in between sessions, especially during the dry winter months.

If you’re interested in straightening your hair rather than adding more volume, consider a keratin treatment.

Performed by a professional stylist, keratin treatments use formaldehyde to straighten your hair for several months. Talk with a dermatologist about the potential side effects before undergoing this procedure.

For the best results possible, it’s important to choose products designed for curly hair. These tend to have more moisturizers in them to support drier locks and don’t contain sulfates and preservatives that can potentially cause more frizz.

Shampoo and conditioner

First, consider a shampoo and conditioner duo, such as:

• Ouidad’s Curl Quencher Shampoo and Conditioner, which moisturize curls and prevent frizz without weighing them down.
• You can also check out the Pure Nature Argan Oil collection for both men and women.

Detangler

• For an added boost of moisture and protection, try Redken One United All-in-One Multi-Benefit Treatment, which is suitable for all hair types.
• To prevent frizz and lock in moisture for curls, consider Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner.

Protectant spray

If you do choose to incorporate heated styling in your routine once in a while, be sure to apply a protectant spray ahead of time, such as Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Heat Styling Spray.

Otherwise, apply a serum before letting your locks air dry, such as OGX Locking & Coconut Curls Air Dry Cream or Bumble and Bumble Curl Defining Creme.

Dry shampoo

Be sure to touch up your roots in between washes with dry shampoo, such as:

• Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo
• Ouidad Clean Sweep Moisturizing Dry Shampoo

If you’re still experiencing excess frizziness at home, or are interested in professional treatments, consider seeing a stylist for advice.

Ideally, you’ll want to work with a stylist experienced with curly hair care. To get started, try this free locator tool for curly hair stylists in your area.

Curly hair types are more prone to frizz, but there are steps you can take to help manage it. In most cases, changing your hair care and styling habits can help address frizzy hair. This is true whether you want to accentuate or straighten your curls.

However, if your hair continues to be frizzy despite making changes, you may consider seeing a dermatologist for advice. If you have a vitamin deficiency, a nutritionist can help you create a food plan for the overall health of your body and hair.