‘How can I control frizz?’ is one the most common queries hairdressers hear, but we should actually start with a different question: 'What sort of frizz do I have, and why?' That's the advice from celebrity hairstylist Siobhan Haug, co-founder of Haug London Haus, where clients include Amandaland's Lucy Punch and Rivals' Katherine Parkinson.
As Siobhan tells GH, frizz comes in three distinct types, and working out which one you have is the key to better-behaved, more manageable hair.
And now is the right time to be asking the question, she says. Summer is a pertinent moment to identify your hair’s personal frizz pattern, because it’s the time of year when flyaways most commonly go haywire.
‘Frizzy hair is primarily hair that’s dehydrated, which can happen for a number of different reasons, including overuse of heat styling, and chemical damage,’ explains Siobhan. ‘But summer weather and UV damage can make matters worse, leading to flyaways, puffiness and loss of definition.'
‘Hair that is already damaged, colour treated or naturally porous is often the most susceptible to frizz because the cuticle layer is less able to regulate moisture levels within the hair.’
When frizz happens, it’s tempting to grab any old product to restore normal service, but Siobhan says this can be a frustrating waste of time and money.
‘The mistake many people make is assuming all frizz needs the same solution,’ she says. ‘In reality, frizz can be caused by different things, which is why we tailor treatments to the individual rather than reaching for a one-size-fits-all solution.’
Frizz type 1: Humidity frizz
This type of frizz is commonly known as ‘The Monica’, due to that episode of Friends in Barbados, when Monica’s hair swelled up to comical proportions. ‘Anyone with humidity frizz will relate to that,’ says Siobhan. ‘In hot weather and humid temperatures your hair absorbs the excess moisture in the air, causing the hair to swell and look frizzy, particularly if your hair is porous already.’
You can tell if your hair is porous by running your finger and thumb up the hair shaft towards the root and assessing the cuticle layer. ‘This is the scaly outer layer of the hair that should keep moisture in,’ says Siobhan. ‘You can feel if it’s lying flat or if it is slightly raised and bumpy, which makes it more frizz-prone.’
How to combat it DIY
Siobhan recommends using an anti-humidity product like Schwarzkopf Fibre Sealer to smooth down the cuticle layer and protect hair from taking on excess moisture and puffing up. 'Summer plaits and braids are a beautiful way to turn frizz into beach waves,’ she adds. ’Pat hair down by passing the palms of hands over the surface of the hair with a light oil, then use a three-strand braid or similar and secure ends with a silk elastic. Take out at the end of the day for tousled beach waves with no frizz.'
Schwarzkopf FIBRE CLINIX Fibre Sealer
How to combat it in the salon
Consider booking a semi-permanent sleek hair treatment to make your hair more manageable on a day to day basis, advises Siobhan. ‘The Sleek Treatment: Keratin Blow Dry, from £230 at Haug London Haus, will banish frizz and cut your morning styling time in half for months. It repairs and strengthens hair from within, locking out humidity and delivering a gorgeous, glassy glow that lasts.’
GH is also a fan of Wella's Smoothfiller treatment as a long-lasting option for making frizz-prone hair sleeker for months at a time.
Frizz type 2: Halo frizz
Halo frizz is surface frizz and fluff found on the top of the hair and hairline, explains Siobhan. ‘This might appear in the form of short, broken strands of hair, or fluffy raised hairs.’ It’s largely down to dehydration plus damage, which has made hair prone to breakage.
How to combat it DIY
Ultimately you need this type of hair to get stronger and to grow, says Siobhan, ‘but a few changes to how you manage your hair in the meantime will help the appearance and stop any further damage.’
Start by being more gentle with styling. ‘Wearing hair pulled too tightly back causes tension, causing hair to snap,’ she says. ‘Equally, being too rough with a hairbrush can also cause weakness and breakage, creating a frizzy effect. Use a dual bristle brush, like the detangling brush from Olivia Garden and start combing the ends first before working up to the root area.’
Bond-building products should be a cornerstone of your regime, and it’s also worth looking at your overnight haircare. Siobhan notes that ‘the material of your pillow can have a big impact as the friction causes breakage’. She advises swapping your cotton pillowcase for a silk one like Opulence Silks.
How to combat it in the salon
Look into professional strengthening treatments to complement your homecare regime. Siobhan likes Schwarzkopf’s Fibre Clinix in-salon treatment which targets inner and outer hair damage. ‘It reconstructs the hair surface and connects inner hair bonds to transform the hair fibre back to its original condition,’ she says. ‘Each treatment is personalised to your hair needs, from dry and brittle to coloured hair, fine hair or thick.’
Frizz type 3: Thirsty frizz
Thirsty frizz is caused by hair that’s been sapped dry by overprocessing and/or heat, be it electrical or sunshine. ‘If you have thirsty frizz due to overuse of heated styling equipment, the hair cuticle looks parched and dull, leading to a frizzy texture particularly found towards the ends of the hair,’ says Siobhan.
Frizz, in general, is linked to the natural slow-down in sebum production which happens as we get older, says Siobhan. 'These natural scalp oils are what keep our hair supple,' she says. 'With less of them migrating down through the hair, it can become drier, more brittle, and more prone to frizz'.
For this reason, thirsty hair is a very common frizz types for mature hair, she says. 'However, it varies across hair types, so don’t assume this is you – see which one is most recognisable.'
How to combat it DIY
Siobhan has three words: ‘Hydration, hydration, hydration! Your hair is thirsty, so look for products like a leave-in conditioner or light hair oil, and swap your conditioner for a richer mask.’
Tweak your shower technique too. ‘Rinsing your conditioner with cool water at the very end of washing your hair helps seal the hair cuticle flat’ she advises. ‘When the cuticle is smooth, light reflects off it better. But ultimately, you need a haircut to deal with thirsty frizz. Once those ends are frizzy due to dehydration it’s a sign the split ends need to be cut.’
How to combat it in the salon :
Once you’ve lost the dead ends, you want to focus on getting hydration and shine back into your hair. A new treatment that comes highly recommended by GH beauty is Hair.TOXX Cryotherapy, available nationwide, which literally freezes goodness into the hair. As Siobhan explains, ‘It locks essential nutrients and hyaluronic acid directly into the hair cortex using styling plates at -16 degree temperatures. Just one treatment can increase shine by up to 264%!’
Colour can also be a very effective way to offset thirsty frizz in mature hair, says Siobhan. 'As a professional colourist I often see that hair that has colour woven throughout looks glossier and less frizzy than hair that has no colour at all. At Haug London Haus, we offer a grey blending service using Igora Absolutes, with a pro-age complex of siliamine and collagen. Its long-chain polymers essentially wrap around the hair cuticle, creating a sleek, even surface that restores the moisture, tone and shine that mature hair needs, where needed. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a full head of coverage; think babylights woven over particularly coarse or wiry strands.'
Finally, a word on curls
Siobhan stresses that naturally curly and textured hair shouldn’t be seen through the same frizz-fighting lens, or as a problem to ‘fix’. As she notes, ‘a certain amount of fluffiness or volume is a natural, beautiful characteristic of curly and textured hair types. It isn't something to fight! Instead, the goal is simply to find the right hydrating products and a consistent routine that complements your specific pattern.’
Textured and curly is hair naturally thirstier because scalp oils have a longer, twistier route to the ends, she says. ‘To manage this and keep your pattern defined and strong, try these three essential steps.'
1. Apply products to soaking wet hair
Always apply your leave-in conditioners, creams, or gels to soaking wet hair right in the shower. This locks the moisture into the hair shaft before the air can get to it, sealing the cuticle down smoothly.
2. Ditch the towel
Traditional bath towels create rough friction that disrupts the curl pattern and damages the delicate cuticle layer. Instead, gently pat your hair dry with a microfibr towel or a clean cotton T-shirt.
3. Activate with heat
Most haircare products are heat activated and so some degree of drying with a diffuser is actually optimal for setting the hair's shape, locking in moisture, and maximising the performance of the product's ingredients to reduce frizz and enhance definition.
