If you tend to have frizzy hair all year-round, chances are that flyaways are an even bigger issue during the summer. Yes, we’ve found the best hairstyles and products to lay our manes down, but there are still common mistakes that keep us from smooth, sleek strands. The two main culprits? Cotton towels and the timing of applying styling products.
“[The most common mistakes are] using a cotton towel and not applying product when your hair is still very wet,” says Alex Brown, a celebrity hairstylist and salon owner in Chicago. “Not everyone realizes that the rubbing and friction from a cotton bath towel can create frizz. It’s also common to just apply hair products whenever we get to it, but making it a point to apply them to very wet hair post-wash makes a big difference.”
After a dip in the pool, many of us dry our bodies off with a towel and then run the same towel through our wet locks, right? But just as we said goodbye to cotton pillowcases in favor of silk pillowcases for bedtime, the same logic (should) apply to our towels. Brown recommends using a microfiber towel to reduce friction and prevent frizz and breakage. Thanks to the highly-absorbent material, it will also cut your drying time by half, so you don’t have to spend all day with soaked locks.
Aside from upgrading your linen closet, adjusting the timing of when you apply your styling products is important, too. Oftentimes, we try to smooth down frizz when we see it but it’s better to catch it before it actually happens. Brown suggests investing in a smoothing product and a hair oil to combat any potential poofiness.
“First, I recommend brushing your hair and applying a smoothing cream and oil while it’s still very wet so the product is better absorbed,” Brown tells us. “I use a hair oil because it moisturizes and adds shine to frizzy hair. The smoothing cream (or leave-in treatment) conditions and smooths down hair, thereby eliminating frizz and blocking humidity in the process.”
Consider trying a combo of the two products as Brown suggests or use whichever product is best suited for your hair. In general, hair oils are great for fine hair and thicker strands respond better to a smoothing cream. Regardless of which product you choose, remember to apply it when your hair is wet so it smooths strands and acts as a heat protectant.
Now you can rock beachy locks on your next vacay without worrying about a fuzzy ‘do.
