Are you tired of dealing with frizz that just won’t quit? You’ve doom scrolled curltok, spent your unborn child’s university fund on hair products, cut a Denman brush out of your hair… NOTHING WORKS. Your hair is STILL frizzy.

*sigh*

Well…. I hate to break it to you, but first and foremost, we have to recognize that FRIZZ in all of its GLORY is just … a reality for non-straight hair. For some textures, more frizz is the norm, (and brings with it VOLUME!), while for other hair patterns, flatter, silkier smooth hair is (at least temporarily) achievable.

Wherever you fall on the curl chart, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Here is a comprehensive checklist of the tips and tricks you can use to control your curl pattern and reduce the level of frizz you have in your finished style.

Sulfate-Free

First things first, let’s talk about washing your hair. The key to controlling frizz is to keep your hair moisturized. That means you should be using a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner, and you should avoid washing your hair too frequently. Over-washing can strip your hair of its natural oils, leading to dryness and frizz.

Clarifying

Clarifying your curly hair is an important step in maintaining healthy, frizz-free curls. Over time, product buildup, hard water, and environmental pollutants can all cause your hair to become dull and weighed down, leading to frizz and lack of curl definition. To combat this, you’ll want to use a clarifying shampoo once a month or as needed to remove buildup and restore your hair’s natural bounce. Look for a clarifying shampoo that’s sulfate-free and gentle enough for curly hair, as harsh sulfates can strip your hair of its natural oils and cause further damage.

Conditioners

Squish to condish, or “S2C” for short, is a super popular technique in the curly hair community for enhancing curl definition and hydration. Here’s how it works: Apply conditioner to your hair after shampooing. Next, use your fingers to squish the conditioner into your hair, making sure to distribute it evenly from the roots to the ends. Once your hair is fully saturated with conditioner, cup some water in your hands and “squish” it into your hair to help the conditioner penetrate even further. This technique is great for adding hydration and defining your curls, and it’s perfect for all hair types, from loose waves to tight coils. So go ahead and give S2C a try – your curls will thank you!

Detangling

If you want to avoid frizz, you should avoid brushing or combing your hair when it’s dry. Instead, use a dedicated detangling brush or your fingers to detangle your hair while it’s still wet. I love to detangling my wet hair while there is conditioner in it in the shower! If you HAVE to detangle dry hair, use a smoothing cream and get ready to rock your brushed out waves OR rewet your hair after detangling to redefine the curl pattern.

Leave-in Styling Products.

If you’re struggling with frizz, leave-in styling products can be a real game-changer. These products are specially designed to provide long-lasting moisture and hold, and they can help to tame frizz and enhance curl definition.

Apply styling products to soaking wet hair after shampooing and conditioning. Be sure to evenly distribute! Frizz can sometimes be caused by lack of moisture, which is helped by leave-in conditioners and some moisturizing curl creams. Other times what LOOKS like frizz is actually a lack of DEFINED curls or waves. If your hair is lacking DEFINITION, (you know – those ‘individual’ curl clumps?), try adding a gel to your routine!

Wet frizz=Dry frizz

After applying your styling products to soaking wet hair, if you notice wet frizz, you need to address it NOW before you proceed with drying your hair. Wet frizz will later become dry frizz! If you have no wet frizz, then skip this section and proceed to drying!!

There are many techniques that you can use to smooth wet frizz, ranging from straight forward to complex, depending on your preference! Experiment with multiple different methods, as no method is universal, and everyone’s hair will end up preferring a different method of smoothing and defining the wet curls.  Here are some of my favorite techniques :

• Rake and Shake
• Rake/Praying Hands/Scrunch
• Brush Styling (Ribbon Curls, Brush Curls, brush coiling)
• Shingling
• Simply brushing! It can be as simple as brushing through the wet hair to smooth the wet frizz!

Time to Dry

Next up, let’s talk about drying your hair. It’s important to be gentle with your curls, so avoid rubbing your hair with a towel. Instead, use a microfiber towel, paper towel or an old t-shirt to gently squeeze out the excess water. And whatever you do, don’t use a hair dryer without a diffuser attachment! Diffusers help to distribute the heat evenly and prevent frizz.

Diffusing

Ah, the diffuser. A curly-haired girl’s best friend! But did you know that the way you diffuse your hair can make all the difference in controlling frizz and enhancing your curl pattern? First off, start with damp, not wet hair. If your hair is too wet, it can take forever to dry and lead to frizz. Now… the way you actually WIELD the blowdryer & diffuser attachment is KEY!

AVOID immediately and repeatedly scrunching your hair with the diffuser, moving the diffuser ever few seconds, and touching your hair excessively with your hands (aka MANIC PIXIE DIFFUSING)! This is just TOO MUCH movement while your hair is still very wet and before your curl pattern has had a chance to set. On most hair types this will create a lot of frizz. Instead –

Here are two different techniques that you can experiment with combining to create the perfect blowdry routine for your hair!

• Hover diffusing: hover the diffuser 10 cm away from the hair. This creates an effect similar to an ‘accelerated airdry’ with minimal frizz, and allows the curl pattern to start to form with minimal disruption. This technique will not encourage or tighten your curl pattern the way pixie diffusing will, but it willcreate the least amount of frizz.
• Pixie diffusing: Flip your head upside down and lower your curls into the mouth of the diffuser. This will help to lift and define your curls while adding volume. Hold the diffuser in place for a 20-30 seconds, then turn off the diffuser and move on to the next section of hair. Turning the diffuser off while you move its position will help reduce frizz during these transitions.

SplitEnds

Regular haircuts and split end trims are essential for maintaining healthy, frizz-free curls. Over time, split ends can cause your hair to become damaged and frayed, making it harder to control and style. By getting regular haircuts, you can keep your ends neat and healthy, and prevent frizz from taking over.

So there you have it! With these tips and tricks, you can say goodbye to frizz and hello to fabulous, luscious curls. Just remember to be gentle with your hair, keep it moisturized, and use the right products and styling techniques. Happy styling!

Author: Gal, Chat GPT 

*Disclosure: Hi Friends! I use Chat GPT to create the outlines for my blogposts, and extensively revise the outlines to reflect my personal knowledge and experiences styling and caring for wavy and curly hair. The information in these blog posts will never be limited to the knowledgeChatGPThas scraped from the web, but I felt it important to acknowledge that components of some sentences and the general structure/layout may be AI assisted!