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Humidity can wreak havoc on your hair if you let it. Luckily, even a small change in your hair care routine can tame puffy hair; specially-made products as well as home remedies round out the attack. If you don’t want to settle with puffy, lawless hair on a humid day, you should be able to help matters.

Part 1 of 3: Everyday Hair Care in Humid Environments

  1. Get the right cut. If you live in an area that is known for humid weather, consider getting a haircut that caters to your hair type. Long hair and straight cuts add the weight needed to pull down hair that would otherwise puff out. An angled or slightly layered cut will remove some of the bulk. A layered cut will emphasize curls, but could result in puffier hair.
  2. Shampoo at most every other day. Shampoo is great for cleaning dirt and grime away from hair, but it’s not so great at taming puffy hair. That’s because shampoo strips your hair of its natural oils, which make your hair silken and combat frizz. Some people go for as long as a week in between shampooing.[1] The exact amount of time is up to you, but the consensus is that waiting a couple days between washes produces healthier, less puffy hair.
  3. When conditioning after shampoo, wash off conditioner using cold water. There’s some debate about how effective this is, but the idea is pretty simple: cold water causes the cuticles of the hair to contract, simultaneously adding shine and taming frizz.[2] Some scientists, however, doubt the effectiveness of cold water on the scalp, saying that since hair cuticles aren’t living cells, they shouldn’t contract.[3] The debate aside, this advice shouldn’t cause puffy hair, so try it out and see if it works. As discussed below, certain specially-designed leave-in conditioners can help fight puffy hair.
  4. Dry hair gently. If your hair is prone to fly-aways and frizzes, carefully blot your hair dry with the towel instead of rubbing. Allow hair to air-dry as much as possible to reduce the amount of puffiness in your hair. If you blow your hair dry, avoid a lot of movement with the blow dryer. Blow your hair dry slowly and in small sections on the lowest heat setting. Remember to blow down the shaft of hair instead of across it, which separates hair sections, or upward, which provides volume and lift but also adds puffiness to frizzy hair. Keep in mind that blow drying removes moisture from the hair strands, which increases frizz.
  5. Avoid over-combing your hair. It can be tempting to smooth out your hair with plenty of brushstrokes after stepping out of the shower. But brushing or combing your hair causes friction, which causes heat and breakage to the hair cuticle.[4] This leads to puffy or frizzy hair. Instead of combing your hair like you’ve entered a contest, use a wide-toothed comb or a paddle brush with ball-tipped ends. Finish off with a light pass using your fingers as a comb.
  6. Decide on a style for the day that works with your natural hair type. In humid weather, you hair will tend to do what it naturally wants to do. Fighting your hair type will probably cause you a lot of frustration; chances are you’ll end up losing every time. If your hair is straight, avoid the urge to put it in curlers on humid days. If your hair is naturally curly or wavy, work with the waves instead of opting for a straight style.
    1. Try tying your hair up in a bun or ponytail and finish off by applying some anti-frizz gel.
      If you’re having a truly tremendous hair day, never underestimate the help a hat or well-tied scarf can do for your hair.
Continue reading “How to Prevent Puffy Hair in Humid Weather”

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Bleaching can leave your hair with mild to severe damage due to acidic action of strong chemicals or wrong handling or extreme heat application during the procedure. The ruined hair might feel dry, spongy, porous, brittle or rough due to damaged hair cuticles which cover the cortex, carrying the hair’s natural color. While store-bought potion and products might help repair the condition, there are quite a few easy, natural ways to get your hair healthy after bleaching.

1. Shampoo your hair less often. In order to restore your bleached hair, you will have to discontinue washing your hair daily. When you shampoo your hair, you are not only cleaning the hair but you are also stripping the natural oils and sebum from your hair. The oils and sebum are natural moisturizers. If your hair is prone to looking and feeling oily, use a dry shampoo on the days that you don’t wash your hair.

2. Deep condition your hair one or more times per week. The amount that you condition your hair depends on how often your hair needs it. Apply deep conditioner to your hair after you have already washed it with shampoo and regular conditioner. Use a wide-toothed comb to distribute it through your hair. Warm a towel in the dryer or with a hair dryer. Wrap your hair with the warm towel. Leave the deep conditioner and towel on your hair for 30 minutes. Wash it completely out of your hair.

3. Always wash hair with lukewarm or cold water. Hot water promotes dryness in the hair. That is counterproductive to restoring bleached hair as your goal is to add moisture to your hair. If you wash hair with lukewarm water, always rinse your hair with cold water at the very end. That will seal the cuticle.

4. Use a leave-in conditioner after every time that you wash your hair. As bleached hair is often porous and prone to tangles, a leave-in conditioner adds moisture and makes hair easier to comb. That will prevent strands of hair from breaking off.

5. Do not use heat on your hair. Avoid using blow dryers, hot rollers, flat irons and curling irons. Heat is detrimental to restoring your bleached hair. If you are not willing to forego heat when styling your hair, it may be impossible to restore the hair.