1. Hydrate your hair
The biggest reason you’re experiencing flyaways and static is due to dryness in the air. You may remember from high school chemistry class that static occurs when two unlike objects rub together, and the electrons from one item are transferred to another. That’s why when you remove your winter hat, your strands stand up (they are trying to steal back electrons from the hat fabric). Your hair can also pick up electrical charges from dry air, causing your strands to go astray. Using a shampoo and conditioner packed with moisturizing ingredients can counteract the dryness in the atmosphere and keep hair smooth and settled. Some of our favorite moisturizing ingredients to hydrate strands without weighing them down include hyaluronic acid, glycerin and plum oil.
2. Smooth your strands with hair oil
Prose custom hair oil can be used as a pre-shampoo treatment or a finishing product to control flyaways and smooth hair. It’s a combination of custom-blended oils specifically designed to meet your hair needs, and each of the oils is hand selected for its unique benefits. For example, shea oil has reparative properties; rice bran oil heals split ends; pequi oil reduces frizz; barbary fig oil nourishes hair; raspberry oil acts as an antioxidant and protects against UV rays; and Siberian pine nut oil boosts shine. Squeeze a few drops of the oil into your palms and gently run your hands over your hair to calm stray strands.
3. In a pinch? Use lotion
If you’re struggling with flyaways—and don’t have hair oil handy—you can use your body lotion or face cream instead. Simply apply the cream to your face and/or body as usual, and then lightly run your hands over your head, to transfer the cream left on your hands onto your hair. The moisture in the lotion will coax flyaways to lay flat.
4. Swap out your brush
Brushing your hair when it’s dry helps distribute oil from the scalp down to the midshaft and ends, which helps keep strands hydrated. But since plastic bristles can exacerbate static, it’s important to use a brush with tourmaline ion technology. “These brushes hydrate the cuticle, add more shine, eliminate frizz and flyaways, and are anti-static,” says Alex Mish, a hairstylist at the Maria Livesay Salon in Old Greenwich, CT.
5. Squeeze—don’t rub—wet hair with a towel
Hair is most fragile when it’s wet, and aggressively rubbing your hair with a towel post-shower can cause it to break off and frizz. Instead, gently press the water out of your hair with a towel—or even better, use a microfiber towel, which is softer and gentler on hair. Vigorously brushing wet locks can also cause damage, so use a wide tooth comb to detangle your hair after you get out of the shower or pool.
6. Ease up on hot tools
Hot tools like blow dryers, curling irons and flat irons can fry the hair’s protective cuticle, leaving the shaft exposed and prone to breakage. Keep hair healthy and intact by using heat tools sparingly. When you do use hot tools, follow these tips to prevent damage.
• Spritz a heat protectant product (that protects up to 450 degrees) onto your entire head prior to using any hot tool.
• Use the attachment nozzle that comes with your blow dryer—it helps protect your hair from high temperatures and concentrates the air flow, which keeps hair smooth and prevents frizz.
• Point the nozzle of the dryer down when blow drying. “It helps to keep strands lying flat,” says Mish.
• Curl your hair quickly. “I like to tell clients that they should never hold hair in a curling iron for more than three seconds—and to always do the ‘touch test’,” says Mish. “The touch test is basically wrapping your hair in a curling iron, touching the outside piece of hair, and keeping your finger on that hair until it is just about too hot to keep your finger on. That’s when you know the hair is ready.”
• Be quick when flat ironing, too. To prevent frying your hair, do fast swipes instead of slowly moving the iron over your hair.
Ready to create your own customized, flyaway-fighting regimen? Get started by taking the Prose consultation here.
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