When a few strands of hair start to curl in an anarchic and rebellious way, we speak of frizz. A real obsession for followers of smooth, well-groomed hair, frizz is nevertheless the daily lot of many people. How to tame these locks that do what they want, and avoid tearing your hair?

Our hair is covered with a cuticle made up of scales which protect it from external aggressions. When healthy and well hydrated, these scales are tightly closed and the hair is smooth. When damaged and dry, the scales split open and give hair the frothy, unruly frizz look we dread so much.

To put it simply: curly hair is dehydrated and / or damaged hair. While frizz is best suited to thick hair and curly or frizzy hair, it is likely to show up on all hair types, even very straight ones – which is where they are most likely to be. visible.

So how do we fix it?

Good hydration is the keystone of a well-sheathed, shiny and disciplined hair. The two most effective weapons for nourishing dehydrated hair are:

• on the one hand the hair mask, preferably silicone-free but rich in natural ingredients such as shea butter, vegetable keratin, coconut oil, avocado or Aloe verra;
• and on the other hand serums or oils without rinsing, to be used on dry ends.

The sebaceous glands of our scalp naturally produce sebum, a fluid fat made up of fatty acids and wax, which protects the hair from attacks and prevents it from drying out too quickly. Washing your hair frequently ends up impairing sebum production and making hair dull, dry and prone to frizz. The hair does not need to be washed daily, even if it is very oily. So as not to strip the hair, it is therefore recommended to do a “sebum cure” which consists of space washing as much as possible to promote the secretion of this fatty and protective substance.

Cowash is the contraction of “conditioner washing”, translating “to wash your hair with conditioner”, so as not to alter it with shampoos that are often too stripping. Conditioners also contain washing agents but are less aggressive and more nourishing than shampoos. This trend was born in the United States a few years ago and is recommended for thick and very dry hair, alternating with the classic wash.

Anti-frizz gesture par excellence, rinsing the hair must be neat. The hot water used during the washing allows the opening of the scales, and the good penetration of the nourishing principles. Once the hair has been washed and nourished, it is essential to properly close these scales so that it regains its hold and shine. Two effective weapons for this: cold water and apple cider vinegar, whose low pH and the presence of acetic acid make it possible to eliminate lime deposits.

Two enemies of healthy and shiny hair: energetic drying with a terry towel and a hair dryer that is too hot. When the first alters the hair fiber by abusing it, the second dries the hair by dehydrating it in depth. We therefore stop the aggressive friction of the hair, and we prefer to dab them delicately with a microfiber or cotton towel. The ideal is then to dry in the open air. Those who are short of time can use the hair dryer, but always at medium or even cold temperature and with the diffuser tip which allows uniform drying and therefore less aggressive.

Brushing too vigorously and especially too often, with a badly adapted brush is the best way to accentuate frizz.

• For disentangling: we put on a wooden comb, with wide spaced teeth, which we use on damp hair after detangling.
• For brushing: choose a brush made of wild boar bristles, which distribute the sebum over the length of the hair.

But in either case, we adopt gentle gestures and limit brushing as much as possible so as not to over stress and alter the hair fiber.

Each night, we would roll over an average of 40 times in bed, causing our hair to rub against the pillowcase just as much. Cotton pillowcases accentuate the phenomenon by promoting friction, static electricity and dehydration. Swap them with satin or even silk pillowcases, smoother and softer which preserve the hair fiber and limit nighttime friction.