GRRRR…..Why is my hair so staticky?
You’ve just come inside from a cold winter day, unwrap your scarf from around your neck, take off your coat and pull your hat off and immediately feel your hair stick to your lip gloss, your neck, and almost touch the ceiling. You glance in the mirror and WOW, your hair is standing straight out in all directions! EWWWW!
I’ll give you a few tips on how to tame that wild mess but first, let’s understand what just happened.
Hair static happens when two, unlike objects, rub together like your hair and that cute beanie you were wearing. This friction causes the electrons from one object to transfer to another. The object that loses the electrons will get a positive charge and the object that gains electrons will get a negative charge. When the electrons swap and there is no moisture in the air like on a cold crisp winter day, this causes an electric charge to build up in your hair making your strands repel each other. Hence the Einstein coiffure.
Here are a few helpful tips to “tame the staticky mane”.
Invest in an ionic hairdryer. They emit negative ions to break up water molecules to dry the hair faster from the inside out, leaving the hair cuticle (outside layer of the hair) smoother and shinier. This also means less time blow drying and less heat on the scalp and hair.
Swap out hats lined with wool, cotton, or acrylic for ones lined with silk or satin. This will cause less friction between the hat and hair strands.
Travel with a metal comb and hairspray and or hair oil. Spray the comb with hairspray or hair oil and comb through your strands. The metal will attract some of the electrons and the hairspray or hair oil will tame the flyaways.
Condition your hair more often. A weekly moisturizing mask during the winter months would help replenish the hair with some much-needed moisture. Using a leave-in conditioner would be beneficial as well. Rub a small amount in your hands and apply to your hair from the mid-shaft to the ends after you take off your scarf and hat.
Braid your hair or put it up in a bun. This will keep your strands together and not rub against each other.
Run a humidifier. Running a humidifier not only adds moisture to the air to calm hair static it also hydrates your skin and nasal passages leaving your nose a little less stuffy.