Humidity Hair Hacks for Curly Hair

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Why Does Humidity Cause Frizz?

On hot and humid days, there’s extra moisture in the air. If your hair is porous, thick or thirsty — which curly hair naturally tends to be — it will seek out and absorb all the water it can get.

When your hair takes in extra moisture from the humid air, the hair shaft swells and expands. Your style starts to pouf and lose its shape. That’s what we call seasonal frizz.

Your Curly Hair Routine for Humidity

The good news is, the next time steamy weather is in the forecast, you can have a curly hair routine at the ready to beat the humidity. When summer heat and humidity put extra wear and tear on your curly hair and make it feel extra needy, there are plenty of products to work in your favor, including:

Sulfate-Free Shampoo

To fight unwanted frizz and dryness before it starts, wash your hair with a high-quality, sulfate-free shampoo formulated for your unique hair type. A custom formula will contain the perfect balance of cleansing and conditioning agents to give your hair exactly what it needs and keep it at its healthiest.

While most hair pros agree you should not shampoo curly hair every day, your strands and scalp might feel sweatier and oilier in the summer. It’s okay to up your washing interval to every other day or two to keep up with the humid weather and outdoor activities. End your shampoo with a cold water rinse to help protect your hair’s cuticles and feel refreshed.

Leave-In Conditioner

It may sound counterintuitive, but the key to maintaining flourishing curls throughout the summer is more moisture. When you give your hair the right type of moisture from a well-formulated conditioner, humid air can’t find its way into your hair shaft.

Rake a hydrating leave-in conditioner through your curls right after stepping out of the shower, or lightly dampen your lengths to reduce the appearance of split ends and flyaways on the go. A custom, water-based mist replenishes strands and helps keeps curls intact and manageable without weighing them down. 

Custom Curl Cream and Hair Oil

Multipurpose styling and repair products such as curl creams and hair oils can help lock in healthy, hydrated curls and prevent humid air from sneaking in.

For natural curl definition sans frizz, apply a custom curl cream to wet hair, moving up and down strands with your fingers or a wide-tooth comb. When your hair dries, you’ll have tame curls with body and shape.

Add a conditioning hair oil to your curly hair humidity plan before shampooing or as a finishing touch. Add a few drops to freshly styled hair to protect strands, settle flyaways and add extra shine. 

Hair Accessories

On hot and humid days, it’s time to reach for your trusty pins, clips and elastics and go for an easygoing updo — no need to overthink it. Simply pull your hair up off your neck, leave a few face-framing curls and finish it off with a headband or scarf for an extra-cute factor.

If you need a more polished look for work or a night out, try tying your hair up into a ponytail, braid, high bun, side twist and Bantu knot. When styled with your custom hair care products, these chic looks mask frizz and work to protect your hair from extreme heat and humidity, too. 

It’s common for curly hair to need some care and attention during the summer months. If you’re ready to try a custom curly hair humidity routine this season, take the Prose hair consultation to get your tailor-made frizz-fighting formulas.