When it comes to hair, we’re all about embracing what you got. Whether it’s fine hair, straight hair, or hair so curly you could bounce a coin off it, you should feel blessed by whatever your mane game is.
But it’s also SO natural to want what you don’t have (damn you, grass-is-greener syndrome), which is why keratin treatments, wigs and styling tools were created for those who find their frizz more foe than friend.
So no matter if you’re looking to free your frizz, or would rather see it burn in hell, this is your ultimate expert-guided handbook…
Less shampoo = less frizz
Frizz can be caused by so many different things, from humidity to the wrong hair cut, and dry or damaged hair. And one thing that can exacerbate the latter, is over-cleansing. Particularly with fine hair that’s prone to flyaways.
If you’re looking for a smoother finish post-wash, “Make sure you only shampoo light, do not vigorously rub the hair and finish with a cool water rinse after your conditioner,” says Antony Rawlings, Creative Director at Lockonego for Redken.
He also recommends adding a mask into your routine once a week (or more often if you have a course or curly hair type).
Air dry vs blow-dry
A huge debate when it comes to frizz is whether blow-drying or air-drying gives smoother results, and the answer usually varies from person to person.
Larry King is team blow-dry, recommending those with frizz to “use a smoothing nozzle on your hairdryer and always finish with the cool shot to smooth down the cuticle. Invest in some great products to help; adding Redken’s Frizz Dismiss Rebel Tame before you start your blow-dry will make a real difference to how long it lasts.”
If you prefer to air-dry, Antony says to style the hair while it’s still wet so that it dries smooth, rather than trying to shape it once it’s dry.
Don’t brush your hair
Or rather, try not to brush it too much.
“Overbrushing can damage the ends and cause them to frizz”, says Larry, who recommends a round brush for when you do use one, so that “you’ll have more control over the ends and can get in tighter to the root to smooth.”
If your hair starts to go frizzy halfway through the day, Larry says to reach for the hairdryer rather than a brush. “You can run the hair dryer back over your hair during the day. It doesn’t have to be wet to smooth it over, just add a little smoothing product and re-smooth using your round brush and hairdryer. I love the Dyson Supersonic (£299) because it doesn’t cause heat damage, so you don’t have to panic about going back over it again.”
As for the bristles of your brush, Antony recommends going for boar bristles to prevent breakage and defrizz. Try the Denman Pro-Tip Boar Bristle Round Wooden Brush (£12.99 from Superdrug).
The secret to serums
Ever tried smoothing your frizz with a serum and ended up looking like a grease monkey?
Larry advises: “distribute the product thoroughly through your hands first, then start at the back of your hair and apply to underneath, leaving that final top layer til last.” This way you’ll only be using the smallest amount of residue.
Antony also recommends trying the new Redken Frizz Dismiss Oil Mist, “because it’s light and in a mist form, so it smoothes flyaways and static without weighing hair down.”
And if you’re heading out on a particularly humid day, he says to follow your serum with a humidity spray on top. “But always spray on to a brush and then brush through the hair instead of spraying directly on top.”
