How to Stop Frizzy Hair After Washing – Follow My Wash Day Routine
Written by Tina Moretti
Updated on
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Hair washing can often lead to frizz.
The type of shampoo you use, water temperature, frequency of washing, lack of conditioning, how you detangle and brush your hair during and after shower, and how you dry your hair are all factors that can contribute to post-shower frizz.
Nonetheless, the main cause of frizz after showering is the disturbance to the cuticle layer on the individual hair strands.
This disturbance is often exacerbated by using sulfate-based shampoo, a rough towel, or high heat from a blow dryer, causing friction to lift the hair’s cuticles. The elevated cuticles not only create a roughened texture but also make the hair more vulnerable to environmental humidity, static, and frizz.
To prevent frizz during and after your shower, it is crucial to approach your hair washing and drying with care – considering every variable from product selection to styling techniques.
In this article, I will explain how to stop your hair from getting frizzy after washing with essential hair care tips that cover water temperature, shampoos, conditioners, detangling and brushing, and hair drying techniques.
Additionally, I’ll provide insights on styling practices that can help seal in moisture and maintain smoothness throughout the day.
With each step carefully curated to address the common pitfalls that lead to frizz, you’ll be well on your way to achieving that coveted, sleek, polished look, even after the most routine of showers.
So, here we go:
1. Set the Correct Water Temperature
The ideal temperature to wash your hair is 100°F/38°C, just above normal body temperature.
At 100°F/38°C, water is warm enough to effectively dissolve and remove oils and dirt without being overly hot. Hot water, though often comforting, can become a root cause of hair frizz. It tends to strip the hair of its natural, protective oils that keep the cuticle layer smooth and sealed.
By sticking to the optimal temperature for hair washing, the hair cuticle remains flat and smooth, preventing frizz.
2. Get a Hard Water Softener
Hard water can be a significant contributor to frizz because it contains high levels of minerals like calcium and magnesium. These minerals can deposit on the hair shaft and form a film that makes the hair feel rough and straw-like. When the hair cuticle is coated with this mineral build-up, it can become brittle, leading to breakage and a frizzy appearance.
Moreover, hard water tends to make it more challenging to form a good lather with shampoo, so you might not be washing out all the product and oil build-up from your hair and scalp. This residue can weigh hair down and cause it to look lifeless, yet paradoxically, it can also contribute to frizz because the hair shaft isn’t smooth and sleek.
To minimize the effects of hard water on hair, use a shower filter or a get a whole-house water softening system (if possible) to remove excess minerals from the water.
3. Comb Your Hair Before Shampooing
Combing your hair before washing helps remove tangles, making it less likely to become excessively tangled afterward, which means less damage and less frizz when you comb it out post-shower.
When your hair is free of tangles, it can be more evenly and thoroughly cleansed because the shampoo and water can reach every part of the scalp and hair.
Another benefit is the distribution of sebum from the scalp to the hair. Combing spreads the scalp’s natural oils (sebum) down the hair shaft. This natural oil is the body’s conditioner and can help protect the hair during the washing process, which might otherwise strip the hair and scalp of these oils, potentially leading to dryness.
4. Use a Sulfate-Free Shampoo
A sulfate-free shampoo is less likely to strip your hair’s natural oils. It provides a gentler cleansing action, which is especially beneficial for individuals with frizz-prone hair.
Typically, sulfate-free shampoos produce less lather due to the absence of sulfates, which are surfactants that cause shampoo to foam. Formulated with alternative surfactants (like coco glucoside, decyl glucoside, or others derived from coconut oil or sugar) milder than traditional sulfates, sulfate-free shampoos clean while retaining the hair’s natural moisture.
The ability to retain moisture within the hair shaft is a crucial aspect of preventing frizz, a common concern for many individuals aiming for smooth and manageable hair. Sulfate-free shampoos, by their nature, support this moisture retention due to their milder cleansing agents, which cleanse the scalp and hair without stripping away the natural oils that preserve moisture.
5. Use Hair Conditioner
Hair conditioner plays a pivotal role in the hair-washing process by combating frizz through its moisture-locking capability. It is a specifically designed hair product used immediately after shampoo to seal in hydration, which is key to preventing frizz.
When the hair cuticle absorbs moisture from the conditioner, it swells slightly and seals shut, trapping moisture inside. This hydration barrier not only preserves moisture but also ensures that the hair shaft remains smooth and less prone to the rough, raised cuticles that characterize frizz.
The fundamental property of a hair conditioner is its cuticle-smoothing effect. By depositing conditioning agents like silicones or natural oils, conditioners lay down the hair’s outer layer, promoting a sleek, smooth surface. Cuticle smoothing reduces mechanical friction between hair strands during and after washing, which is the root cause of frizz and tangling. This smoothness is also essential for light reflectivity, giving the hair a glossy, frizz-free appearance.
Hair conditioners also provide humidity resistance to the hair after washing. They often contain ingredients like anti-humectants to help prevent the hair from absorbing excess moisture from the environment, which is a precursor to frizz.
So, do not skip the conditioning process, and be generous with your hair conditioner.
6. Detangle Your Hair While Conditioner Is Still In
Detangle your hair when it’s saturated with conditioner. Conditioners provide plenty of slip that allows your detangling comb or brush to glide without pulling and snapping at your hair.
Detangling your hair can be a challenging task, particularly if you face knots and tangles that resist combs and brushes. However, the process can be eased with the application of conditioner, which lubricates the hair, making it slippery and smooth for your brush or comb to glide.
Detangling is about easing apart knots and aligning hair strands. A hair conditioner’s effectiveness in detangling comes from its ability to soften and relax the hair fiber. This softness makes it easier to separate individual hairs that have become intertwined.
Additionally, the moisturizing agents in conditioners penetrate the hair cuticle, improving elasticity and making the hair more pliable, essential for removing knots without causing damage.
I recommend using a wide-tooth comb when detangling hair in the shower. A wide-tooth comb has larger spaces between its teeth, which allows it to gently detangle without pulling on the hair too much. The wide gaps in the comb allow it to move through the hair with less friction compared to brushes or fine-tooth combs. The smooth movement reduces the stress on each hair strand, lessening the chance of snapping or pulling hair out from the roots.
Starting at the bottom (the tips of your hair) and moving up towards the roots when detangling. If you start combing from the roots down, you may push tangles together, making them tighter and more difficult to remove. By starting at the bottom, you untangle the ends first, allowing knots further up to be loosened without compounding them.
7. Rinse Your Hair with Cold Water
A final rinse with cold water contracts the hair’s cuticles, leading to less friction between strands and a notable reduction in frizz.
Cold water creates thermal contraction, causing the tiny scales on the hair strand to lie flat and tighten, akin to the pores on our skin closing in response to cold.
The hair cuticle comprises overlapping layers of cells that can open and close. Warm water tends to swell and open up the cuticle, while cold water causes it to close. When the cuticle layer contracts, it clamps down along the hair shaft, securing the underlying cortex and helping to prevent moisture from escaping, as well as limiting moisture (like humidity) from penetrating the hair shaft.
A tightened cuticle layer means less chance of frizz developing in your hair after showering.
Do not skip this step.
8. Dry Your Hair the Right Way
Drying hair correctly is an essential step in managing frizz for several reasons, particularly for those with a tendency toward frizzy hair after washing. The method you choose can significantly affect the amount of frizz and overall hair health.
Here’s how to dry your hair after washing it:
Microfiber Towel:
A microfiber towel is often recommended for frizzy hair because of its gentle nature. Microfiber towels have fine threads that are softer and more absorbent than regular cotton towels. They reduce friction on the hair cuticle, which can otherwise lift from the harsh rubbing of a regular towel and lead to frizz. The smooth texture of a microfiber towel helps to draw out water while minimizing disturbance to the hair’s surface, promoting a smoother hair shaft with less frizz.
Air Drying:
Air drying is a technique where you allow your hair to dry naturally without heat or vigorous rubbing, both of which can cause the cuticle to roughen and create frizz. By letting hair dry at its own pace, the cuticle stays flatter. Additionally, the natural air flow helps to keep strands aligned and reduces the likelihood of frizz and static forming.
More: How to air dry hair without frizz.
Avoid Blow Drying:
While blow drying can speed up the hair drying, it often comes at a cost, especially if done incorrectly. The high heat from a blow dryer can strip the hair of its natural moisture, leading to dryness and roughened hair cuticles – prime conditions for frizz. When blow drying is necessary, it should be done with a diffuser and on a cool or low heat setting to minimize damage. However, for frizz management, avoiding it altogether or using it sparingly is best.
The correct drying methods (microfiber towel and air drying) support the health of the hair’s cuticle and maintain its natural moisture balance, which is critical for preventing frizz and keeping hair smooth and manageable post-shower.
Tip:
Always dry your hair away from the bathroom. After a shower or bath, your bathroom will be humid because of the steam and evaporating water. The excess humidity will make your hair swell and become frizzy.9. Experiment with Post-Shower Hairstyles
Experiment and find a better hairstyle to hide the frizz if your hair tends to be frizzy naturally after washing.
Look for low-maintenance wash-and-go hairstyles that don’t require heat and any styling tools that manipulate and stretch the hair.
Top knots, Chignons, low buns, and textured layers, for example, are excellent wash-and-go styles you can wear at home.
Low-maintenance hairstyles don’t require a lot of styling products apart from a leave-in or serum, and they relieve your hair from being overloaded with chemicals every day.
Product to Stop Frizz When Washing Hair
Redken Frizz Dismiss Shampoo
Redken Frizz Dismiss Conditioner
Paul Mitchell Pro Tools Detangler Comb
Redken Frizz Dismiss Instant Deflate Hair Serum
Aquis Microfiber Hair Towel
Banish Post-Shower Frizz
If you want to stop frizzy hair after washing, remember it all starts in the shower. Not after. What you do with your hair when wet will determine how it behaves when it’s dry.
Maximize moisture from the outset, and think about how to dry and style your hair without causing friction.
Once you get this balance right, with the right mix of hair products, you’ll breeze through your wash days with sleek, smooth, fresh, and free-flowing frizz-free hair like you’ve just bounced out of a L’Oreal commercial.
About the Author
Tina MorettiTina Moretti, a passionate hair care enthusiast with over a decade of expertise, dedicates herself to empowering women with proven hair care advice. Recognized for her hands-on experience and trusted guidance, Tina turns every strand into a statement of beauty and confidence.