In humid conditions, it can seem like our hair takes on a life of its own and behaves in a way no one expects! This is because the moisture in the hot and humid air attaches to the hair shaft, resulting in very common flyaways during the hot summer months. While a little bit of seasonal frizz is quite normal, it's good to know that there are plenty of ways to reduce the effects of humidity on your curly hair. Here are our seven tips that will help make your dreams of reducing the effects of humidity on your hair a reality.
1. Adopt An Effortless Hairstyle
Even when properly cared for, curly hair tends to be dry due to its shape. This makes it more difficult for the natural oils from your scalp to descend and coat your curls which might be in the form of waves, coils, or spirals, resulting in curly hair being more prone to frizz.
Also, because it is inherently more porous than straight hair, curly hair is especially prone to damage when exposed to high humidity. Exposing dry, curly hair to an extremely humid atmosphere can cause its cuticles to swell up with water molecules. Curly hair that has become swollen from excess water can lose its curl pattern, resulting in frizz that is both shapeless and undesirable.
So, selecting a hairstyle that can embrace higher humidity levels is best. Go for low-manipulation protective styles like space bun puffs, a half up, half down bantu knots style, or flat-twist pigtails that can help you go with the flow, even when your curls decide to frizz.
2.Choose Styling Products To Reduce The Effect Of Dryness
Ensuring that your hair is well nourished and moisturised will make your curls less thirsty for the water in the air, making it more resistant to the effects of humidity. Leave-in conditioners, applied to the hair after a shower, can help lock in moisture in addition to using a shampoo and conditioner set designed to add moisture to the hair.
Make sure that your styling routine also includes the use of hair oils. For instance, coconut oil and black castor oil can act as sealants for your curly hair, protecting it from humidity. Sofnfree’s Curling Creme With Coconut & Jamaican Black Castor Oils can help you do this as it seals moisture for a curl or wave style and restores shine and definition.
3. Revamp Your Washing And Conditioning Routine
The road to healthier curly hair in the summer starts in the shower. Use the combination of an anti-frizz shampoo and conditioner to keep your curls clean, hydrated, shiny, and smooth. However, you should avoid washing your hair too much in humid conditions to reduce moisture loss. So, try to wash your curly hair every two to four days. If you wash your hair less frequently, you can also preserve the natural oils in your hair for longer. This means that if your natural hair is properly moisturised, it will have less frizz, which is an essential step toward achieving humidity-resistant hair. Additionally, washing your curls with cooler water can improve blood circulation on your scalp, reducing breakage and frizz.
4. Focus On Gentle Drying
After you leave the shower, use a microfibre towel to remove as much water as possible from your hair before you go outside. Microfibre towels are a gentler way to dry curly hair when compared with cotton towels, as they can naturally absorb more water without causing too much dryness, resulting in less breakage and frizz. Then leave your curly hair to air dry while still inside.
On the other hand, if you're in a hurry and need to go for the blow dryer, use it with a diffuser attachment to dry your hair. This attachment helps manage hot air flow on curly hair, meaning it can dry it gently yet quickly. Just remember to use a heat protectant before using this tool.
You can also dry your curls by plopping them if you have more time to spare. After applying your styling gel or mousse to your curls, use a T-shirt to wrap them up and 'plop' them on top of your head. This drying technique will give your curls more definition and volume without frizz. If you want longer curls with definition following your wash day without using any heat tools, use our Curl Elongating Gel With Flaxseed Oil & Rosewater before you plop.
5. Maintain The Right Protein-Moisture Balance
When your curly hair has the right amount of hydration, nutrients, and strength, it has a protein-moisture balance. This balance helps to prevent breakage in the hair shaft. On the other hand, maintaining this equilibrium is tricky, as an overload of moisture or protein may cause your curly hair’s structure to break. How can you tell if your hair's protein and moisture balance is correct?
To do this test, separate a few strands of your hair, pull them down toward the floor, and then let them go. You have healthy, well-balanced hair if your curly hair can return to its natural state once let go. When you stretch it, and it feels limp, weak, and dead, it could indicate too much moisture. On the other hand, if it stretches more than usual and breaks, it could indicate inadequate protein.
It may be beneficial to use a protein treatment or conditioner that contains protein to restore balance to hair that has too much moisture. At the very least, you should do this once per month. Consider using a clarifying shampoo to remove the initial protein build-up if your hair has excessive protein. Clarifying shampoos can remove debris and product buildup from the hair follicles. Also, if you condition your hair after every shampoo and perform deep conditioning at least twice a month, you can achieve well-moisturised curls.
6. Aim To Get Your Best Beauty Sleep
As well as the right hair products and tools, healthier hair growth also depends on the recommended amount of sleep every night, between six and eight hours. Silk or satin pillowcases will help you sleep better as their material results in less friction with your curls and less frizz when you wake up. In addition, silk or satin pillowcases maintain a cooler temperature than pillowcases made of cotton, which you'll appreciate on hot summer nights.
7. Choose Haircare Products That Can Act As A Protective Barrier And Provide Hold
It may take a few extra minutes before leaving the house, but adding smoothing products to the hair, such as hair milk, leave-in conditioners, gels, and serums, provides a barrier between the hair and the moisture in the environment, preventing the hair from becoming frizzy and unmanageable. They achieve their effects by creating a barrier over the cuticle of the hair, which stops the expansion and frizzing of your curls in response to the presence of moisture.
If you want to ensure your hairstyle will remain intact despite the high humidity levels, your best bet is to apply hairspray or gel to keep your hair in place for the entirety of the day. You can also control flyaways by applying hairspray to an old toothbrush and running it through your hair. Just brush away any stray hairs, and then finish the look by using a smoothing spray or holding hairspray on your hair and softly running over it with a brush.
When there is a lot of humidity in the air, frizz can occur, which causes your hair to become dry and brittle. While humid conditions make it difficult for most of us to have a good hair day, there are easy solutions to prevent humidity from affecting your curls.