Frizz! It’s the number one complaint of naturals no matter the hair type, length or texture. Sometimes it can seem like no matter what we do or how hard we work on our styles, we still end up with that halo of frizz on our crowns. Some of us have learned to simply accept it, but there are things that we can do to minimize or eliminate it altogether. Read on for some frizz fighting tips to get rid of frizz near our roots.
Taming Frizzy Roots
1. Apply Products from Root to Tip
The number one cause of frizz is dehydrated hair. Dry hair that’s thirsty will draw water out of the atmosphere which causes frizz. So often we moisturize the length of our hair and forget our roots, but they need TLC too. An easy fix for frizzy roots is to try to apply product closer to your scalp so that your hair is moisturized from root to tip.
Ensuring our hair is moisturized starts from the cleansing process when we apply our deep conditioners. However, many of us naturals are guilty of only applying our deep conditioners toward the ends of our hair. By doing so, we may deny our roots of the much needed care that they need.
One useful tip is to thin out your deep conditioner with water in a bowl and apply it to your hair using an applicator brush like you would a relaxer section by section from root to tip. In doing so you will ensure that the entire length of your hair is moisturized.
2. Use Gel to Smooth Frizz
When styling our hair, many of us shy away from using hard hold gels to prevent helmet hair. While a hard hold gel may leave you with crunchy hair if used on your length, applying a little near your roots on your crown will help to tame the hair there and keep it laid down. For your next styling session, try to smooth a little onto your crown and see if it helps to tame your frizz.
MORE: How to Apply Hair Gel
3. Seal with Silicone
Since frizz is caused when the hair absorbs moisture from the atmosphere, the solution involves preventing it from doing so. One way to do this is to seal the hair with a silicone serum. These serums are water repellent and prevent moisture from getting in.
However, they will also prevent you from remoisturizing your hair once you have applied it, so make sure that your hair is well moisturized before application. Also, it is not CG friendly, so you will need to use a sulfate shampoo. Sorry co-washing curlies.
4. Remove Product Build Up
Another inconspicuous cause of frizz is product build up. We often layer heavy products like shea butter and gel onto our hair. To compound the situation, many of us do not use sulfate shampoos and instead opt for co-washing.
After a while, the products form a layer on the hair preventing moisture from entering making it dry, frizzy and unresponsive to products. This is especially true for hair nearer the scalp, since it is more prone to product buildup. A quick fix would be to try using a sulfate shampoo or a deep cleansing natural shampoo to remove all of the product.
5. Repair the Damage
Damaged hair is frizzy hair. As your hair becomes damaged, the cuticles raise and it no longer appears smooth. The best way to help fix this damage is to use protein to fill in the gaps of the hair and make it smooth again.
For severely damaged hair, use a heavy protein treatment followed by a moisturizing one. For daily damage control, try incorporating styling products into your hair regimen that have hydrolyzed proteins like hydrolyzed silk, soy and wheat protein that can penetrate the hairs cuticle.
Now that you know the common causes of frizz and ways to prevent it I hope that you can continue on your curly journey minus the frizz. Try a few of the tips and let me know how they work out for you in the comments section. While you’re there, let me know what your favorite frizz fighting tips are!
