Winter hair care – static hair solutions

Everyone seems to bemoan their hair, however nice it is. Some would prefer curly hair, others would like straight. On the whole I don’t mind mine, but it would be nice to have less grey without dying it, be less flyaway, and not get as greasy so quickly.

If you have fine hair like mine, you probably find it a pain across the year.  I’m lucky in that I have fine hair but lots of it, so it does have a bit of body, although has a tendency to be a bit triangular as it grows out.  It’s not really wavy, but has a few kinks in it, and straightening it doesn’t keep it that straight for long. The joys of having to step outside the front door sees the end of that, whether it’s raining or hot. As for the wind, I look like I’ve been dragged through a bush backwards.  How people who live on the coast manage their hair, I have no idea.  Actually, hats are the answer but then you get flat and static hat hair.

Static is my current bugbear. As a child and older, I would be the person who could rub a balloon on my hair then stick it to the wall.  I would get electric shocks from metal coat hangers and shopping trolleys. Thankfully that’s lessened over time, but I still get static hair in winter.

Why static hair?

Static happens when 2 opposites rub against each other and electrons swap and transfer from one object to the other.  Negative charged electrons leave and are replaced by the positive, while vice versa for the object that loses positive electrons.  Hair static often happens when clothes rub against it.  It mainly happens when there’s cold air and low humidity, so on dry winter mornings, the charges force hair strands to repel from one another like a magnet, so causing hair to be unruly and stick up.

How to reduce static hair

1, Reduce the friction

Rubbing clothes against hair when taking scarves and coats on and off.  If you wear a hat, find one with silk or satin lining which gives less friction when removing it, compared with cotton or wool.

2, Don’t use plastic comb or brush

Change to a wooden brush or metal comb and avoid styling or touching your hair more than necessary.

3, Use leave in conditioners

These can smooth and keep hair moist, so increasing conductivity and spreading the charges out along the hair for longer, meaning less static.

4, Wipe your hair with a tumble dryer sheet

5, Condition hair regularly

Try deep conditioning, or a really good rinse out as part of your normal hair washing routine, to keep your hair moisturised and less likely to have charges build up.

6, Comb through hair spray

It coats the hair meaning more moisture

7, Rub a tiny amount of moisturiser on your hands then add to the ends of your hair or use water

8, Use an ionic hair dryer

They increase negative electrons when drying which should reduce static

9, Live in a permanently mid temperate location without dry winters.  Unrealistic for most people and a bit drastic.

I have to say that even if I use hair spray or leave in conditioner, sometimes I still get static hair. I think a lot of the time, it’s just luck of the draw.

Do you suffer from static hair?  How do you cope with it?

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