Tame Your Mane

Hair becomes dry, frizzy, and unmanageable as humidity levels rise. One has difficulty taming frizz and styling their hair. Here are some tips on how to manage your hair and avoid flyaways.

Styling

The air tends to be more humid during the hotter months of the year, which can make hair frizzier and reduce style retention because the high-water levels in the air reset the bonds created during styling. To reduce frizz, use light hair oil to make hair more supple; to improve retention, use a higher hold hairspray to set your style.

Condition with every wash

Conditioners are some of the best products you can use on your hair. They coat the hair and lubricate it meaning a comb can more easily reduce static build-up and reduce flyaways. Conditioners do not repair hair, but they help to reduce the signs of damage in the future.

Wide tooth combs

Using a wide tooth comb works well to reduce friction and mechanical damage when your hair is wet and much weaker.

Brush down

A good brushing technique is to brush down starting from the ends of your hair to remove tangles. Starting from the root will only tighten the knots further.

Milder shampoos: Greasy hair and scalp are caused by the build-up of the sebum produced by each hair follicle. Washing your hair often is not necessarily bad; reducing unpleasant residues such as sebum, loose skin cells, sweat and environmental pollutants. If you wash your hair every day, try using a milder shampoo; Cocamidopropyl betaine (look on the ingredients list) can help, making a shampoo less irritating and milder. There is currently no clear scientific evidence that using a pre-shampoo is needed. If you use a milder or moisturizing shampoo your hair will remain in good condition without the extra step.

Hairspray, mousse, and oil

Hairspray and mousses work like glue to help with style retention by holding the hairs together in your desired style. High-hold hairsprays change how your hair feels because the strands are held more tightly together, so your hair is less able to move around. Natural oils and silicones can be used on your hair to reduce water from getting in, keeping your style in place longer. Too much however can weigh down your hair and have the opposite effect.

Dry shampoo

Some dry shampoos can be used for styling as they give the same benefits of backcombing but without damage to the cuticle. It can help to create a beachy/voluminous look or mattify the hair. A texturizing spray, or some dry shampoos, can leave a powdered residue in your hair.

Mechanical damage

This is the most frequent form of hair damage. Examples of causes are brushing, towel drying and running fingers through the hair. If towel drying, wrap hair in a towel and let it dry naturally to avoid further mechanical damage. (IANS)