Why Is Curly Hair Frizzy?

Got frizz on the brain? Like literally?

You’re not alone. For many with curly hair battling frizz is just part of their daily routine.

To be sure most hacks for getting rid of frizz fast using involve some kind of moisturizing. The idea is to counteract the dryness curly hair is prone to naturally. Yet there is more you can do than just hydrate.

Before looking at a dozen ways to keep your hair from frizzing it might be best to start at the beginning.

Several reasons could explain why curly hair is so frizzy. Curls are naturally dryer. So they suck up moisture from the air which can cause a frizz fest. Sometimes frizz’s a result of product build up suggesting it’s time to clarify. Or your strands could use a protein boost.

Makes sense, right?

Okay then onto the ideas.

Quick Section Navigation

Having Unprotected Sleep?
Guilty of Self Induced Frizz?
Hello humidity!
You’re Holding Out On The Water
Your Shower Routine Doesn’t Have Enough Squish To It
Abusing Your Curls With Terry Cloth?
Suffering From Insufficient Hydration?
Are Curl Friendly Products and Your Curls Strangers?
You Need To Your Product Application Game
Could Your Diffusing Technique Be Off?
You Not Paying Attention To What Your Hair Is Telling You?
Are You Brush Happy?

Frizz Causing Problem #1: Having Unprotected Sleep?

Think about it.

At night when sleeping the weight of your head is pressing your hair into the pillow. Which is likely covered by a cotton pillow case.

As you naturally toss and turn at night you’re subjecting your curls to just a ton of friction. Friction means breakage.

So if you’re waking up to unrelenting frizz that’s a sign you may need to do more to protect what were relatively frizz free curls overnight.

Cotton pillow cases are out. Silk or satin only please.

Tip: If you’re worried about the cost of satin they’re about six bucks each online. Here’s a link to an option from Walmart. Here’s one from Amazon.

Or who knows? Maybe you’ll get lucky and find one at the dollar store.

Sleeping on a satin or super slippery silk pillow case fend off the frizz and cuts down on breakage.

Might be worth considering if you wake up to crazy bed hair.

Now those who really go all in sleep on satin and use a satin scrunchie for pineappling their hair overnight.

When leads me to ask … “Do you pineapple your longer curls to safeguard them?”

The Fix: Using a silk or satin pillow case plus pineappling your curls at bedtime gives you maximum friction reduction. Or something good to know when wondering how to prevent frizzy curly hair.

Frizz Causing Problem #2: Guilty of Self Induced Frizz?

Avoid any self-induced frizz with a hands off – stay outta touch approach.

Yeah it’s best for your curls if you don’t play with them all the time.

That’s because the oils on your fingers can wreak havoc on the definition of dry curls. As that’s a recipe for stretched out and hard to manage undefined curls.

Then before you know it you’ve got a frizzy mess on your hands.

No touch is all the more important when your hair is wet. Never ever touch it while it is drying. That can just kill your freshly formed curl patterns.

Some know one additional point also to be true. When your curly hair is partially dry it can look like hot mess with frizz everywhere. Then when it dries completely it’s not so bad.

It’s hard not to try to “fix” your hair in that in-between frizzy stage.

But please don’t. Resist the urge to reach out and touch it. Just let it do its thing as it dries knowing odds are it will turn out just fine.

The Fix: Hands off really is the best policy. Which is why, like you were told in kindergarten, keeping your hands to yourself is best.

Frizz Causing Problem #3: Hello humidity!

Pretty much no one can predict the weather. But one thing I can predict is if it’s humid you’re curls will show it.

If you live in high humidity like Houston TX or Miami FL God help you. It can leave you praying for help with how to deal with curly frizzy hair.

Since your hair is naturally dry it grabs moisture from where ever it can. The more humid – the more frizz. In this case that would be the moisture laden humid air. Before you know it things have gone all big and poufy on you.

The Fix: Do all you can to keep your curls moisturized. That way they can resist the urge to suck in moisture from the air going all frizzy in the process. Or create a humidity safe zone. Applied to the ends, hair serum can build a barrier that repels humidity.

Frizz Causing Problem #4: You’re Holding Out On The Water

Curls need water. Water. And more water. Who knew it was such a magic elixir for what ails your curls?

H2O alone from a spray bottle can bring hapless looking frizzy curls back to life.

You’d be amazed what a healthy spritz of water followed by a good scrunching can do as a quick mid day fix.

Proving once again the importance of hydration to gorgeous frizz free curls.

The other benefit of using water to excess? Even product distribution. Ensuring you give each clump of curls the same amount of product love.

Water and curly hair styling go hand in hand.

The Fix: Make sure your curls are wet enough. Especially if using products that are water activated.

Frizz Causing Problem #5: Your Shower Routine Doesn’t Have Enough Squish To It

I warned you a lot of fixes involve moisturizing.

Here’s another super hydrating technique. It’s called “squish to condish”.

Heard of it?

This is where you scrunch the conditioner into dripping wet hair using your hands. Driving it deep into your strands.

What you want to hear is the squishy sound as you cup your wet hair in your hands and give it a good squeeze. Over and over.

Obviously there’s more to it. But if your hair could use some serious hydration you’ll want to check out this recently updated article of mine. It’s lays out the squish to condish method step and step. Plus the demonstration videos shows how super simple it is.

Just click that link to read it now

The Fix: Learn how to squish to condish. It’s not hard and many swear it is quite effective.

Frizz Causing Problem #6: Abusing Your Curls With Terry Cloth?

Terry cloth can’t help but rough up the cuticles. There’s that friction thing again, you know?

So micro fiber or old cotton t-shirt only please.

And no vigorous rubbing. Scrunch the water into your t-shirt.

(Of course there’s always the t-shirt plopping thing too.)

For sure some have to be more gentle than others. But none should be rubbing their curls with their towel.

The Fix: Easy. Just say no to terry cloth for your hair.

Frizz Causing Problem #7: Suffering from Insufficient Hydration

Know how to hydrate curly frizzy hair?

If not then again maybe it’s time to see what condition your hydration is in?

Here’s we’re talking about products more so than water.

Cause sometimes when you hair is frizzy it’s because it needs more lipids (fats). Or if it’s lacking moisture then a treatment like deep conditioning may be the answer.

This should come as no surprise. As you know those coils prevent your scalp’s nature oils from nourishing the entire length of those strands.

So to make up for that this is where moisturizing treatments come in. With the goal of helping the ends stay hydrated.

Tip: Use a hair oil on your ends several days in a row. Repeating every 10-14 days.

You might start with doing a deep conditioning treatment once a week. Check how your hair is responding. If it feels less dry and you’re facing less frizz, or not, you can adjust from there.

Tip: Look for oils in the name such as Jamaican Black Castor Oil. Or products with oil showing near the top of the ingredient list.

The Fix: Add some sort of moisturizing routine to your hair weekly. Be it a deep conditioner or oil mask. Apply at night and sleep on it.

Frizz Causing Problem #8: Are Curl Friendly Products and Your Curls Strangers?

Products that define and tame are what you want. Ideally something that leaves you with touchably soft curls that ooze definition while leaving out the frizz.

Usage Tip: Remember you want to apply these products to wet hair.

You’re not necessarily looking for dripping wet but still want your mane to be more than just damp. Like as soon as you can after your shower. That’s because the cuticles are on maximum open and so most accepting of the product.

What this does is seal in the water while adding more lipids – depending on the product.

Some call this a match made in heaven when it comes to fighting frizz.

So don’t be scrunching anything into damp locks. That likely won’t work since doing so only encourages the frizzies. (But that’s not to say it won’t work in your hair.)

The Fix: See if you can’t find a defining gel your curls love. One that lets our rock your naturally curly hair with pride. Then eliminate products with silicone cause it’s the worst. While product ninjas also keep a sharp eye out for sulfates and avoid shampoos that include them.

Frizz Causing Problem #9: You Need To Your Product Application Game

Knowing how to apply your creams, oils, or gels can make all the difference. So you need to figure out how to best to do so to your curls. Understanding “best” is different for everyone.

Like considering when to apply your leave ins.

HINT: Best done when your hair is wet. The cuticles are at their most open and so most receptive to that hydrating goodness.

Other than that you want to up your application technique game

Raking could be your best move.

Or maybe praying hands.

Some section. Others don’t. But working in smaller sections gives you more control over the results.

Soaking wet or damp hair?

There are so many variables in the product application process.

Some like to apply their products using the praying hands method when your to run your product laden hands over your hair. Then scrunch it in.

Tip: When applying leave in conditioner or hair oil rub it in your hands first. Then start from the ends and work your way up. Doing that matches the needs of your hair more or less perfectly. Your ends are parched. The roots not so much. Bonus you avoid any unwanted weighing down of your strands.

Hang on. If you want to see how other curlies are using the praying hands method we’ve got an article that shares the 411.

Simply click that link to read more about this game changer on my site including three ways to insure near total gel dispersal.

The Fix: Experiment. Try different ways to apply your products to discover which works best with your hair.

Frizz Causing Problem #10: Could Your Diffusing Technique Be Off?

You might have problems with your diffuser if your hair ends up looking like a lion’s mane on a bad mane day.

Blasting your curls all over means your causing clump separation and creating frizz. Not good.

So what’s the most curl friendly method of diffusing?

Glad you asked.

It’s called pixie diffusing.

Basically that means you drape your curls in the diffuser cup with the blow dryer off. Push the diffuser up against your scalp. Only then do you turn on the heat and air. Keeps your curls from blowing all over which is a surefire recipe for frizz, by the way.

That’s the 15 second explanation. If you’re intrigued and want to know more we researched the pixie diffusing process from A-Z so you don’t have to.

If you want luscious curls might I suggest you click that link to find out more?

The Fix: Stop moving your diffuser up and down and all around.

Frizz Causing Problem #11: You Not Paying Attention To What Your Hair Is Telling You?

Listen to your hair. It can tell you what if needs.

Just don’t expect to learn that overnight.

It’s going to take time to see what products, techniques and ideas work and don’t work with your hair.

The good news is your curls will tell you.

You’ll be able to see it in the mirror. Are you seeing wild child hair or big, supple and bouncy curls?

Obviously articles like this and others on our site that share ideas on how to maintain your curly hair give you a starting point.

Tip: Here’s a potential mid-course correction. See if you can get away with using less products during the fall and winter when it’s cooler and possibly less humid.

But with enough time you’ll learn how to read your hair. Then you can review what you’re doing different. Or things like season changes that bring with them more humidity. Or are you inside more with dry furnace heated air.

The Fix: Pay attention to the signals your hair is sending you. Together you will find a routine that gives your curls what they crave.

Frizz Causing Problem #12: Are You Brush Happy?

I thought everyone knew a brush isn’t your curls best friend. Especially on dry hair. That’s a one way ticket to Frizz-ville if there ever was one.

Too often girls go from gung-ho to oh no when it comes to brushing their curls!

Not to mention doing so destroys your curl pattern and leaves your hair frizzled.

Now the one time to take a brush anywhere near your curls might be prior to showering to remove tangles.

A second might be right after shampooing.

Tip: After shower brushing is best done after drenching your hair in conditioner.

The Fix: The only brush some let near their wet curls is a detangler.

If you loved these tips on how to make my curly hair not frizzy then then maybe you’d like to follow our boards on Pinterest? Cause I’ll bet you’ll love the stream of hair care ideas you’ll be alerted to.