Frizzy Straight Hair: How To Care For And Style Your Hair

You have straight hair, but it's always frizzy. It feels like you've tried every product out there, but you can never seem to get rid of the frizz.

Sound familiar? You're not alone. In fact, many people with straight hair also experience frizz.

What is frizz?

We wanted to get the scientific answer to this question so we went straight to the frizz expert, Dr. Joe Cincotta. Dr. Joe is a renowned chemist and creator of the first ever product to treat frizzy hair.

Dr. Joe defines frizz as, “when a percentage of someone’s hair strands do not fall in cohesive alignment, but instead go in all different directions.

Misaligned strands can be a big percentage of hair, which can result in unwanted, difficult-to-control volume or a small percentage of broken hair fibers, which creates a halo of fuzzy bits.”

What causes frizzy straight hair?

First, let’s make clear that no hair type is immune from frizz. Whether hair is straight or curly, fine or coarse, thin or thick it is possible to have frizz. It all comes down to the condition of your hair’s cuticle.

Straight hair is typically smooth because the cuticles (the outer layers of the hair shaft) lie flat.

There is no misalignment of the strands so hair appears smooth and sleek - straight. But if the straight hair becomes damaged, the cuticle can become lifted leading to misaligned strands, aka frizz.

How does your hair’s cuticle become damaged?

Genetics - Some of us are born with, or develop naturally a rough cuticle over time. It’s not caused by any external factors.
Harsh hair products - Many products that appear harmless are actually frizz-producers in disguise.
Hot Tool Styling - If you’re styling with a hot tool without using a heat protectant get ready for frizz.
Coloring your hair - When hair is color-treated, the high pH and peroxide can damage the outer surface of the hair causing the cuticle to become lifted, making the hair more porous and more prone to frizz, especially in high humidity environments.

Okay so now that we understand what causes straight hair to become frizzy, let’s get to the good part: the solutions.

How to reduce frizz in straight hair

Dry hair gently, preferably with a microfiber tower. Using a microfiber towel eliminates the friction of a typical cotton towel which can rough up the hair cuticle and create a frizzy texture. This is a small change that can make a big difference for anyone with frizzy straight hair.
Choose your products carefully. Two key ingredients to avoid when looking for hair products are salts (Sodium Chloride) and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. Excessive use of products containing drying alcohol should also be avoided. They dry out the hair making it frizzy, and susceptible to breakage. Learn more about why certain alcohols can be bad for your hair.
Use a heat protectant! Heat protection is crucial for frizzy straight hair! It’s essential to use a heat protectant before blow drying or hot tool styling in order to keep hair healthy, protected from damage, and thus frizz-free! We have built heat protection into every single Color Wow treatment and styling product to protect the quality of your hair and the integrity of your color.
Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. If your cuticle is damaged it becomes much harder to maintain the proper moisture level. The open cuticle layer allows the moisture to seep out of your strands leaving hair dry and brittle and susceptible to humidity-causing frizz. To avoid this, you need to use products that help to lock in moisture.

Color Wow’s multi-award winning humidity blocker, Dream Coat Supernatural Spray contains a specialized polymer that, as your hair dries, begins to create interlinking polymer chains that coalesce into a humidity barrier on the surface of the hair.

This weightless, molecular sheath locks in moisture and locks out humidity (think raincoat). Your hair stays hydrated and frizz-free!
Apply a nourishing treatment once or twice a month. To maintain the health, strength, and hydration levels of your hair we recommend adding a nourishing treatment at least one or twice per month to your hair care routine. Hair masks are great for this.

Chris Appleton x Color Wow’s Money Masque’s powerhouse formula penetrates deep into the hair to help strengthen, repair and renew suppleness.

The bottom line is if you want to get rid of frizzy straight hair, you must be kind to your cuticle. Fortunately, we have a range of products designed to help you overcome frizz while caring for your cuticle.

Our Favorite Products for Frizzy Straight Hair

Dream Coat Supernatural Spray - The frizz fighter that has taken over the haircare world. This lightweight, groundbreaking formula stops humidity from wrecking your style and lasts through 3-4 shampoos.

Money Mist - a luxurious, lightweight leave-in conditioning spray that gives you 82% less frizz in just one use, and leaves your hair looking glossy and expensive. Spray evenly on clean, damp hair before styling as usual. Read more about the science behind the product here.

One-Minute Transformation Styling Cream - This is simply your instant on the spot frizz fix for straight frizzy hair. It smooths, tames and de-frizzes in 60 seconds.

Color Security Shampoo - This is the best shampoo for straight, frizzy hair. Unlike most other shampoos, every ingredient rinses off to provide optimal hair and scalp health, including the all important cuticle!