As amazing as womanhood is, it can be tough. With all the stress about makeup, stylish clothes and ever-changing hormonal mood swings, the last things we want to worry about are split ends and pesky flyaways. But, as much as we might want to wish these miniscule concerns away, they frequently make an appearance... especially when it’s time for a workout! With all the heat and sweat, no girl's hair is gonna stay in place, but you can use these tips to tame the frizzies and help keep flyaways under wraps.
Why flyaways fly away
To find a solution for your flyaways, you need to know why they occur, and there are actually a surprising number of explanations for flyaway hair:
- You've got new hair growth that's pushing out the old
- Your hair grows brittle with age
- You've overdone it on those styling products -- many products leave behind chemical residue that makes your hairs separate from one another
- There's static electricity in the air that's causing your 'do to stand tall!
Dealing with dryness
The most common cause of flyaways, however, is dryness. When your hair gets dry, each strand separates and goes its own way. It’s very important that you keep a bit of moisture in your hair. The moisture makes it stick together and also weighs it down a little. If you're naturally prone to dry locks, you'll want to look for products that help add moisture to your hair. While there are lots of options on the market, expert stylist David John suggests John Frieda's Secret Weapon Flawless Finishing Cream, “Start with a pea size amount in your hand and work evenly through blow-dried hair to keep hair controlled and smooth."
Don’t worry though, if you can’t hit the store to buy new, magical products, there are other ways to keep your hair moist. For instance, simply use a dab of body moisturizer on your hair or spray it with water. Choose conditioners and shampoos that are especially designed for moisturizing dry hair. Or, for a fun alternative, give yourself a 10 minute scalp massage each night with wet fingertips to help increase circulation to your scalp and moisture to the root of your hair. Not only does this help solve flyaway problems, it feels great!
Reducing static
When your hairs are positively charged, they repel each other. This is the finger-in-electric-socket effect, only not quite as dangerous. Sometimes, using a new brush is enough to reduce this friction. Try a brush with natural bristles and not something plastic or metal. There'll be less friction and it'll also be gentler on your hair, which will help keep your hair from splitting or breaking.
The way you blow dry your hair may also have an effect. If you're pointing the blow dryer upward even just a little bit, your hair may start trying to lift off. When you blow dry your hair, make sure you hold the dryer over your head and point the nozzle downward toward you as much as possible.
One tip that you probably haven’t heard before is to use dryer sheets to keep your hair in place. David John elaborates on this wacky idea, “It’s your secret weapon for combating static. Use a dryer sheet on your fully blown-dry hair and without weighing your locks down, the electricity will be taken out. To avoid doubling up on fragrances, find unscented sheets. Simple and small, these static-stoppers are easy to throw in your pocket or purse.” Unbelievable aye? Well, believe it. Dryer sheets are the secret to a jaw-dropping finish.
Give it a rest
Over-styling, as I said before, can also negatively effect your luscious strands. Cut down on the curlers, flat irons and straighteners for a while. Too much heat can really dry out and damage your hair, which in turn will lead to split-ends, flyaways and an overall frizzy mess.
If you're getting a lot of fly away hair suddenly, this might mean that your hair is damaged. This is one of the symptoms of split ends, which means it might be time to get a trim. When those split ends get trimmed away, your hair will be able to lie down more naturally. Remember though, once you get back from the salon, don’t get ahead of yourself on the all the fancy styling products. All that gunk can turn your newly-trimmed hair into flyaway heaven.
There's no one perfect flyaway hair solution that works for everybody. Try a few of these tricks and see which one works best for you. So next time you hit the mall, the gym, or stop for a quick coffee, you’ll have all the heads turning. It’s time to take control and send those flyaways packing.
Header image credit: http://www.photl.com/379439.html
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