How to get rid of puffy hair?
Hi! I like my hair but I feel like recently it has gotten reallyyyy thick, frizzy, and puffy. It just doesn’t look good and always has little frizzy flyaways. I haven’t changed my shampoo or conditioner. I’ve been using the same brand for the past few years. Do you know how I could get my hair to be naturally more silky and smooth instead of puffy and frizzy? Is it genetics or could changing my shampoo/conditioner brand help?
I want to know what hair products are good for puffy hair.
Though puffy hair boasts lots of volume, many of us are not really happy to have it. Taming the frizz may turn into a constant struggle, while some TLC could change the situation drastically. We’ve dug into scientific studies and talked to hair experts to compose a nice list of solutions.
What Causes Puffy Hair?
Let’s start by exploring the science behind the puffiness. Our hair looks smooth and shiny when its outer layer made of microscopic scales lies flat and tightly closed. When our locks are dry, any humidity around makes the scales open since the hair seeks moisture. So, the outer cuticle bristles up and swells as the tresses absorb moisture from the environment, and this results in frizz. Another scenario is damaged hair with its cuticle disrupted and raised due to harmful effects other than dryness. However, hair damage and lack of moister often go hand in hand, spurring each other.
Here are the main factors leading to puffy hair:
– Eating habits. If a woman doesn’t consume enough nutrients to build healthy hair from inside, she runs the risk of getting weak and dry hair that puffs up.
– Health issues. Hormonal disorders and some other diseases related to poor production or absorption of the elements required for healthy hair may hide behind your hair appearance.
– Friction. When we brush our locks fiercely or strap them in tight ponytails, we actually damage the cuticle, leaving the hair without its protective layer.
– Heat styling. Frequent and extensive heat applications damage the hair surface and contribute to frizziness.
– Chemical causes. From dyeing your tresses to swimming in chlorinated water, there are plenty of opportunities to let certain chemicals devastate the cuticle.
– Weather factors. While the link between puffy, frizzy hair and humid weather has been already explained, sunlight turns out to be not that hair-friendly either since it affects hair proteins and melanins.
– Excessive cleansing. When using your shampoo too often and without customizing your hair care routine to the type of your tresses and scalp, you can easily deprive it of natural sebum, which lands in puffiness.
Now, let’s see what we can do to calm puffy hair.
How to Fix Poofy Hair?
It’s quite obvious that we need to avoid the above-mentioned triggers or at least play them down. While your diet and health condition require visiting a specialist, you can manage other issues on your own.
– Shampoo wisely. Try to wash your fir poofy hair not oftener than twice a week and choose moisturizing products designed specifically for dry and damaged locks.
– Deep-condition. Applying a conditioner after shampooing is a must, but you’d better bank on leave-in products to get rid of frizz faster.
– Pamper your locks. A hair mask rich in nutrients and moisturizing ingredients will make the strands stronger, smooth the cuticle, and tame the poof.
– Ensure proper protection. The range of solutions varies from using heat protectants and SPF sprays to wearing a swimming cap in the pool and a headwear – in the sun.
– Be gentle. Here you will need a special brush for detangling, soft elastics to put you strands away from damage, and no rubbing and combing through the hair when it’s wet.
– Rethink hair processing. While shifting to air-drying can be tricky for thick hair, going for a blow-out, coloring, and straightening less frequently will certainly help make your hair not so puffy.
– Avail of styling products. Various gels and mousses contain silicones and oils to flatten puffy hair by sealing the cuticle. Make sure to pick products according to your hair type so that it could hold the chosen hairstyle and enhance the texture without weighing the tresses down.
How to Keep Curly Hair from Getting Puffy?
Indeed, puffy curly hair is quite a frequent case, as spirals are naturally more prone to dryness. This is because it’s more difficult for sebum to travel from the hair roots to its end along all those bents and curves. Being less protected with the natural oil, the cuticle loses moisture, becomes fragile, and tends to get damaged at a touch. Black puffy hair is the toughest scenario because of the coiled pattern common in people of African ancestry.
So, if it’s your case, it’s smart to take extra steps for getting the locks less frizzy than destined by mother-nature:
– Switch to washing with warm (not hot!) water and back it up with cold rinses.
– Wear protective styles, yet make sure they are not too tight.
– Join the natural hair movement to steer clear of hot tools and chemicals.
– Barter cotton for silk or microfiber to reduce friction when toweling and sleeping.
– Find a pro at cutting and styling curly hair specifically.
Best Products for Puffy Hair
Before jumping to the best products, let’s point out what you do not need in them.
– Alcohol-based formulas absorb moisture from hair.
– Harsh products stuffed with sulfates strip hair of sebum.
That aside, we have plenty of styling products to make hair not puffy depending on the hair type, for example, lightweight hairsprays for fine tresses and texturizing crèmes for curls. But if you want to get an anti-frizz effect in the long run, look for the following ingredients in store-bought products and home remedies:
– Natural oils (argan, avocado, jojoba, almond, olive, coconut, and castor oils are the best ones)
– Honey
– Amino acids
– Panthenol
– Sea algae
– Keratin
– Silk proteins
– A, C, and E vitamins
– Zink, iron, and other hair-friendly minerals
Puffy Hair Hairstyles
In conclusion, we’d like to say a few words about how to style puffy, frizzy hair. Hair experts recommend sticking to mid-length hair with layering to add some movement and shape to the poof.
Yet, you can opt for topknots or braids for longer puffy straight hair.
Girls with short locks will look great with a stylish pixie cut or a bed-head bob.
Hopefully, we’ve managed to convince you that puffy hair can be tamed if approached correctly. Whether you have short puffy hair or long tresses, you will be able to get them under control by following all the above steps.
If you have what to add, please comment below! We would love to hear your tips and tricks for puffy hair.
Featured Image: master1305 – www.freepik.com
