Static Hair in Winter: What Is It & How Do I Get Rid of It?

Does dry winter air have your hair crackling with electricity, full of fly-aways and literally standing on end? It’s a shockingly common problem for those of us who love our cute winter beanies!

Go inside, pull off your hat and you know what exactly what happens: full-out static attack! 

But what exactly causes static hair, and how can you put a stop to it? 

Today, with insights from our in-house Chief Chemist, Dr. Joe Cincotta, PhD, we’re diving into why hair becomes even more staticky in the colder months and sharing expert tips, along with our top anti-static products, to help you keep those flyaways under control.

What Does It Mean When Your Hair Is Static?

Static hair is hair that’s taken on extra electrons through contact with another object like a brush, a sweater or a knit winter hat.

These newly super-charged hair strands behave exactly the same way magnets do when have the same charge – they repel, and literally can’t get anywhere near each other. 

Needless to say, when static electricity turns your hair strands into wild wisps, madly flying out in all directions trying to avoid each other, there goes your smooth style. 

What Causes Static Hair? 

So, what causes static electricity in hair? And how exactly does your hair pick up extra electrons? It all comes down to friction.

Static hair occurs when your strands come into contact with another object and rub against it, causing electrons to transfer onto your hair. 

This friction can come from just about anything, including:

• A Rough Towel: Rubbing your hair vigorously while drying can create friction that leads to static buildup.
• Your Hairbrush: The bristles of your brush can transfer electrons to your hair, especially if it’s made of synthetic materials.
• Clothing: Pulling a shirt or sweater over your head creates friction, causing electrons to jump onto your strands.
• Winter Hats: Those cozy, woven wooly hats we love in winter are the biggest culprits. The friction between the hat and your hair creates static, leaving you with flyaways.

When these objects rub against your hair, electrons are transferred, leaving your strands with an electric charge. Since like charges repel, each individual hair strand pushes away from the others, resulting in flyaways that stand on end. 

The drier the air (common during winter), the worse the static can get, as dry hair is more prone to this electron buildup. Fortunately, with the right care and products, you can tame those flyaways and keep your hair looking sleek all winter long!

Why Is My Hair So Staticky In Winter?

Static in hair is all about moisture—or the lack of it. When the air has enough humidity (moisture), electric charges are dispersed into the atmosphere, preventing them from building up.

This is why summer’s humid conditions help keep static at bay. Winter, on the other hand, creates the perfect storm for static.

The combination of cold, dry outdoor air and warm, dry indoor heating leads to extremely low humidity levels. These arid conditions make your hair more prone to static.

According to scientists, static electricity tends to build up when humidity levels drop below 30%, which is typical on cold, dry winter days. The lack of moisture allows electrical charges to transfer more easily, creating staticky, fly-away hair.

What hair types get static electricity?

Although all hair types are susceptible to static, some are more at risk than others. Here’s why:

• Fine Hair: Finer hair is more prone to static because of its lighter weight. Those baby-fine strands don’t have the density or weight to stay in place, so they’re the first to levitate up and away from your head when you pull off a hat.
  
  The lightness of fine hair makes it an easy target for static electricity, resulting in those frustrating flyaways.
  
  
• Dry, Damaged Hair: Hair that’s dry or damaged is also more vulnerable to static buildup. When hair is dehydrated, it lacks the natural moisture needed to repel electric charges.
  
  As a result, it easily picks up a positive charge, causing it to frizz and fly away in every direction. If your hair is already feeling dry this winter, it’s bound to suffer even more from static flyaways. 
  
  That’s why keeping hair hydrated and healthy is key to combating static during the colder months.

Frizz vs Static: What's the Difference?

Static hair can look a lot like frizzy hair because the strands are unruly, wild, out of control and won’t stay smooth. But the physical composition of frizzy hair is actually very different.

Frizzy hair has a raised outer cuticle layer that keeps strands from aligning in a sleek, smooth way. Electrically-charged static hair can happen to any hair type, whether the cuticle layer is flat and tight, or lifted up.

The good news? There’s one important similarity between frizz and static. And that is: the products and hair hacks to stop frizzy hair in hot, humid weather can also help you stop static hair in cold, dry winter.

In fact, the key to taming wild, fly-away hair that misbehaves in winter... or anytime of year... comes down to learning how to keep hair properly hydrated.

Top Tips for How to Stop Static Hair

From the condition of your hair to what you wear, here are some simple tricks to prevent static hair and fly-aways:

1. Shampoo less often 

When you go longer between shampoos, natural oils from your scalp can kick in and do their job of naturally hydrating hair. Plus, it’s less wear and tear on your hair. 

The best way to extend time between washes is to use a safe, sulfate-free shampoo formula that rinses completely clean.

2. Never skip conditioner

Yep, AFTER you shampoo is the right time to apply conditioner. And not on your scalp, but along the lengths of strands to the ends where hair is driest.  

Conditioners actually work on your hair like fabric softeners work in your laundry dryer to stop static cling. They lubricate strands which means less friction, so less static.

3. Wrap hair in a cotton t-shirt

You can use a t-shirt to wick away moisture after shampooing. Why? Because rubbing your hair with a rough, terry-cloth towel will rev up electricity. So go low maintenance and let a wrap help dry your hair. You’ll see reduced static (and less frizz, too!)

4. Invest in an ionic hair dryer

Wet hair is a concentrated mass of positive energy (water has a positive charge). Conventional blow-dryers can add to that charge and make hair staticky.

But ionic dryers (known as anti-static hair dryers) are engineered to emit negative ions that help neutralize this charge and deliver smoother, frizz-free and static-resistant results.  

5. Apply hair spray to your brush before brushing

Celeb stylist Chris Appleton’s favorite hair hack for calming baby fines involves spraying hair spray to your brush beforehand - a genius tip for controlling winter static hair!

6. Cut back on heat styling + ALWAYS use a heat protectant

Hot tools suck the moisture out of your hair. So think about heat-free ways to style your hair. And if you use irons, wands, hot rollers etc. ALWAYS safeguard your strands with a product that includes thermal protection.

(Did you know? with Color Wow products there’s no need to add a dedicated “thermal protectant” product to your routine because all our stylers and treatments have heat protection built in.)

7. Sleep on a silk pillowcase

Cotton pillowcases can rob hair of moisture AND create friction. So silky surfaces with slip, which are recommended as anti-frizz solutions too, are the way to go to get rid of static hair.

8. Trade your knitted hats and bulky scarves for friction-free silk accessories

So cute on, NOT so cute when we take them off! Unfortunately, rough knitted surfaces, whether wool or synthetic, cause friction that loads up hair strands with static electricity. Fortunately, some clued-in hat-makers are coming to the rescue with cute caps and beanies, lined with silk or satin.

9. Regulate the atmosphere

Wrestling with chronic hair static in your house? Your hair might be telling you something. Namely that the air quality around you is super dry. Your skin, your sinuses, your housemates, your pets and of course your hair will all benefit from running a humidifier from time to time.

Our Favorite Anti-Static Hair Products

Color Wow’s got a slew of best-selling formulas that top our list of most effective anti-static hair products.

Here’s how to weave them into a simple winter hair care regime that static-proofs your hair:

1. Color Security Shampoo

The best shampoo for static hair is our Color Security Shampoo. Now, you may run across advice to use a conditioning shampoo to prevent hair static. But for us at Color Wow that’s a major no-no!

Clinical studies show that “moisturizing shampoos” formulated with conditioning agents do not rinse out.

This means they leave ingredients behind in your hair AND also on your scalp, which can cause irritation and hair loss.

2. Color Security Conditioners

Our Color Wow conditioners have three layers of heat protection so they’re the first line of defense against harsh blow-dryer heat.

Find the best conditioner for your hair type with our guide.

3. Money Masque

To prevent static hair in winter, celeb stylist Chris Appleton recommends a 3-5 minute deep hydrating treatment with Money Masque.

Its super-rich formula includes Sea Kelp and Algae which go deep into hair, then help attract and retain moisture for glossy, perfectly hydrated locks.

4. Money Mist

Money Mist - our luxe, light leave-in conditioner for instantly stronger, glossy, expensive-looking hair moisturizes + defrizzes for a smooth, silky texture.

It’s also is clinically proven to reduce breakage by 69% and frizz by 81% in the first use.* It’s an anti-static, hydrating hero! 

5. Coconut Cocktail

Coconut-Infused Dream Cocktail - is the ideal leave-in quencher for parched, thirsty hair PLUS it delivers powerful thermal protection.

Comb a quarter-sized amount through wet hair and see a massive difference in your blow-dry results!

6. Speed Dry

Want to get to the blow-dry finish line faster? (Who doesn’t??) Color Wow’s Speed Dry cuts blow-dry time by 30% - without using alcohol!*

Which means less friction, less dehydration, which is a win-win for less static in hair during winter. For more tips on how to blow dry hair faster, visit our guide.

7. One-Minute Transformation

So you pull off your hat at a party, and your hair goes airborne and berserk. How to calm the flyaways and static?

One Minute Transformation! Gone viral on TikTok, this anti-frizz fix is ideal for smoothing static hair in winter anywhere you go.

*Average results based on independent testing

Read more hair care tips and tricks on the Color Wow Blog:

• Winter Hair Care Tips & Tricks
• How to Get Rid of Frizz after Straightening
• 4 Easy Winter Hairstyles to Try