So, Why Does Hair Get Frizzy In Hot Weather?

I don’t know if you’ve noticed but we’re going through something of a heatwave in the UK right now and if you’re anything like us, you’ve probably found yourself complaining about everything from excess sweat to sleepless nights.

Summer really does sound better in theory.

However, one thing a lot of us seem to forget is just how much this weather affects our hair. As if this heat wasn’t bad enough, for many of us, our hair suddenly becomes completely unmanageable in this weather. We spend so many pounds and hours perfecting our hair year-round to make sure it sits nicely just to immediately be humbled by the sun, of all things.

Instead of resorting to shoving my hair in a scrunchie and rocking the Miss Trunchbull look for the rest of the summer, I did a deep dig into this frustrating experience to see why it happens and what I can do to keep my frizz at least a little at-bay. 

Why does humidity make my hair frizzy?

So, according to Pantene, Frizz happens when the level of humidity in the air is greater than the level of water in your hair. We do always have a little bit of moisture in our hair, it turns out! 

However, on these muggy days, humidity goes into hair and rearranges the bonds inside each hair fibre which changes our usually manageable hair into unmanageable chaos.

Great.

How to manage frizzy hair

It looks like we’re going to have to just put up with our hair frizzing out for the next few months so how do we make it even a little bit more manageable? Here’s what I found.

Keep hair hydrated

If you usually shy away from conditioning treatments, the summer could be your time to make the most of them. If your hair is textured, leave-in conditioner a couple of times a week will make a huge difference and, if like me, you find that conditioners are often too heavy for your hair, lightweight hair mists will work for hydration!

Avoid heat styling 

I don’t know why you’d want to be touching something hot during THIS weather but according to experts at Boots, “Not only do heat styling tools cause damage and thus increase chances of frizz, but the humid air can cause hair to return to its natural state regardless.”

Style hair when wet

If you use any mousses, creams, etc, in your hair for styling, do so when it’s wet to lock in that extra moisture and for those with textured or curly hair, this can also help with definition!

Wear your hair up

Not only will this help with sweating and overheating but wearing your hair up during summer also protects it from absorbing humidity in the air that leads to frizz. Just don’t forget to wear suncream on the back of your neck when you do so!