The Ultimate Guide to Frizz-Free Hair

Straight, wavy, curly or coily—frizz is a universal challenge. We’re especially prone to it when our hair is dry and brittle, and sometimes all the product in the world can’t control it. To support you in your pursuit of beautiful, healthy hair, the team at Madison Reed has put together a comprehensive guide of everything you need to know about frizz, and how to tame it.

First things first. Why do we get frizz in the first place? Hair is complex—it's made up of three layers and thousands of cells. The hair's outer layer, the cuticle, looks like a shingled roof. When hair is smooth, the shingles lie flat. But when a brush is run through dry hair, those “shingles” will lift. Frizz is most prominent with curly and coily hair, but it can take over straight or wavy hair types, too. Here are some other common reasons we have frizz:

Drying Process
One of the biggest reasons we get frizz is not drying our hair properly. Avoid these three key frizz inducers:

-(don't) overheat the follicles with a blow dryer

-(don't) use a round brush on wavy hair

-(don't) skip the diffuser on curly or coily hair

Make sure to dry your hair properly according to your hair type. (See expert tips below.)

Styling Process
When you skip the heat protectant and blow dry serums, or use a shampoo and conditioner that contains sulfur or other harsh chemicals, your hair is more prone to drying and developing lifted shingles. Even over-brushing and overheating can cause the hair to break and cause more shingles, because it burns as you run the straightener or curler through your hair. And many products that claim to fight frizz only work temporarily by coating the hair cuticle with silicone. This doesn’t fix the root cause, and can make the hair even more dry and frizzy in the future.

Hair Color with Ammonia
When you use hair color with ammonia, your chances of developing frizz can be higher. Ammonia can increase hair porosity, which can weaken hair, causing frizz and split ends, and lead to color fading. This is one of the many reasons Madison Reed Hair Color is formulated without harsh ingredients like ammonia, PPD, resorcinol, parabens, phthalates, gluten, SLS and titanium dioxide. On top of that, we've packed our formulas with nourishing ingredients like argan oil, keratin, and ginseng root.

Moisture
It could be as complex as the products you’re using, or as simple as not drinking enough water. When hair is stripped of moisture, the shingles come out more often. When the cuticles lock in moisture, they can retain it for a longer amount of time. You can learn How to Fix Dry, Dull Hair & Get Your Luster Back, but right now, we're focusing on the frizz!

How can we get rid of frizz? Luckily for us, frizz can be easily tamed. With just a few tweaks to your daily routine, your hair can go back to its moisturized, flowy, bouncy, and natural self again. Here are a few ways to fight the frizz for every hair type.

Straight Hair
When blowdrying straight hair, it’s best to set the heat to medium and to dry the hair 75%. Since naturally straight hair will smooth itself out eventually, it’s best not to add extra heat to it. When styling, make sure to apply a heat protectant serum before running it through any more heat (like a straightener or curling wand). As for products, don’t skimp on the quality of the hair color or sulfur-free products you use—Tame  is formulated specifically to manage frizz and dry, unruly hair. It contains Madison Reed's Triple Care Complex to infuse and nourish hair, plus that all-important UV protection. Washing hair 3-4 times a week is recommended. Want to know more? Here's a great read on All You Need to Know About Straight Hair.

Wavy Hair
Wavy hair is best dried naturally, with a tiny bit of leave-in conditioner or a spritz of smoothing spray. If you want to go the all-natural way, try putting a dime-sized amount of macadamia nut or avocado oil in the palm of your hand and rubbing it gently through the ends and mid-shaft of your hair. Then, braid and let air dry. When you let your hair out, you’ll be amazed at how tamed it will be, since the oils will lock in with the moisture and infuse into the follicle naturally. Washing hair 2-3 times a week is recommended. Want to know more? We've got you covered in our post on How to Style Wavy Hair.

Curly Hair
If you like to wear your hair natural, but don’t have time to let your natural curls dry on their own, try a diffuser. After using a curling cream and heat protectant, you can use a diffuser to dry the ends without damaging the structure of the hair. After drying, you can use a moisturizing serum or some oil to keep the shingles in place. With this hair type, it’s especially recommended to use shampoos and conditioners free of sulfates and with UV protection. If it has natural oils, even better—Madison Reed's Nourishing Color-Enhancing Shampoo and Conditioner is a great example. Washing hair 1-2 times a week is recommended. What curly hair type are you? Find out when you read our article on Curly Hair Types.

Coily Hair
Be extra careful when drying and styling coily hair, as it’s most prone to frizz. Since it’s naturally already dry and difficult for the natural sebum to reach the ends of the hair, it’s important to keep coily hair conditioned at all times. That means sleeping with a silk or satin pillow, using a diffuser (if you must use a blowdryer), and using a good amount of leave-in conditioner and oil to keep the shingles at bay. When coloring coily hair, make sure that the color product is free of ammonia, resorcinol, PPD and parabens. Avoiding those drying ingredients will work wonders for coily hair. Washing hair only once a week is recommended. Are you a Type 4b Coily? Here's All You Need to Know About Coily Hair.

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Get personalized recommendations by calling the Color Crew, our team of certified colorists and professional stylists. They love listening to your hair history and tailoring suggestions to suit your hair and style. At Madison Reed, we love to help people look and feel their very best!