How to Make Hair Less Puffy or Poofy: The Cure for Fluff and Frizz

Struggling with hair that turns puffy, frizzy, and unmanageable the second you step outside—or worse, when you brush it or blow-dry it? You’re not alone.

One of the most common hair complaints is puffiness: that rough, dry, cotton-candy texture that’s super resistant to styling and impossible to keep smooth. 

If you’ve been asking yourself, “why is my hair so poofy?” or Googling “how to get rid of puffy hair”, we're here to say, "Don't give up on your hair! It’s time to start Dreaming."

Why Is My Hair So Poofy?

Puffy/poofy hair happens when the outer cuticle layer of your hair is raised or damaged, allowing moisture to enter and swell the hair shaft.

This often results in frizz, and masses of wiry, puffy cotton-candy texture that looks dull and lifeless especially in humid conditions. 

Here are some of the most common culprits behind rough, ragged cuticles on hair's surface:

• Hair color + chemical treatments 
• Heat damage from styling tools
• Overwashing or using harsh shampoos
  
• Brushing dry, damaged hair
• Split ends and broken fibers

The problem is: once the hair cuticle is damaged or compromised, it never quite lays flat or seals out moisture—and that’s when puffiness strikes.

How to Make Your Hair Less Puffy (and Keep It That Way)

To truly stop hair from puffing up, you need to take preventive measures that help un-do damages associated with raised cuticles. Specifically, you need to: 

1.    Renew elasticity + inner strength
2.    Fill gaps and repair surface damage
3.    Seal down the cuticle to help block out moisture

And that is exactly what Color Wow Dreaming was engineered to do!

The Dreaming Difference: Visible repair + Powerful Poof-proof Fix for Puffy Hair                                            

Dreaming is our most advanced anti-damage and anti-humidity treatment yet.

Formulated by Color Wow’s legendary lab team, this multi-tasking mask renews elasticity and resurfaces rough, frizzy, uncontrollable strands that push apart and puff out.

Dreaming “melts” onto hair, filling gaps, sealing the cuticle and smoothing from root to tip so that strands can hang cohesively in smooth, swing-y alignment. 

In just one use, it delivers:

1. Ultra-smooth, glassy finish

2. Massive frizz + puff reduction

3. Anti-humidity protection that lasts for days

4. Improved elasticity and strength

5. Shinier, more manageable hair that styles effortlessly

Backed by Clinical Testing

Dreaming doesn’t just promise results—it delivers them.

In clinical trials:

• 100% of users said hair looked smoother and straighter*
• 90% reported hair was shinier*
• 87% reported less frizz and puffiness*
• 83% saw less breakage*
• 28% increase in elasticity*

Plus, in high-humidity tests, untreated hair absorbed 3.4x more moisture than Dreaming-treated hair—a key factor in long-term puff control.**

How to Use Dreaming to Fix Puffy, Poofy Hair

Want to keep your hair looking sleek, polished, and puff-free for good? Incorporate Dreaming into your routine every few shampoos, especially if you live in a humid climate or use heat styling tools regularly. 

1. Shampoo and rinse hair as usual
   
2. Apply Dreaming to wet hair, roots to ends
   
3. Leave on for 3–5 minutes
   
4. Rinse and style as desired

That’s it. No heat activation, no complicated steps—just a few minutes to transform your texture and eliminate puff.

Who Should Use Dreaming?

If your hair:

• Is frizzy, unruly and resistant to styling 
• Gets puffy or poofy after a shower
• Goes frizzy in humidity
• Looks rough or dry
• Feels weak or breaks easily
• Still looks puffy or poofy even after flat ironing

…then Dreaming is the smoothing treatment that will save you from the nightmare of puffy frizz and deliver the hair of your dreams.

For best results, start by washing your hair with a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo, like Color Security Shampoo or Hooked Curl Shampoo.

Puffy hair doesn’t have to be your reality. Color Wow Dreaming is the key to polished perfection, no matter the weather.

 No puff, no fluff.  Refined + aligned.

Your Frequently Asked Questions: Hair Puffiness 101

When I blow dry my hair it gets puffy: why is that?

If your hair is damaged or dry, blow-drying without the right product prep and protection can raise the cuticle and cause puffiness.

It’s not the blow-dry itself—it’s how your hair responds when the surface isn’t sealed. Dreaming helps smooth and seal strands to deliver a long-lasting puff-prone finish.

Why is my hair puffy when I straighten it?

Puffiness after straightening usually means the hair’s surface is rough or porous, so it can’t hold a sleek shape.

Without a smoothing cuticle sealant, even heat styling can leave hair swollen and frizzy. Dreaming resurfaces hair’s cuticle layer so strands stay straight, smooth, and swingy—no puff, no fluff! 

Why is my hair so puffy at the ends?

Split ends and surface damage are major puff triggers. Frayed, dry ends can't align with the rest of your hair, causing visible fluff and frizz.

Dreaming fills in gaps and cracks and temporarily seals the look of split ends, so hair looks healthy and polished. 

Why does shampoo make my hair puffy?

Harsh shampoos can strip moisture and rough up the cuticle, setting the stage for puffiness.

We recommend a sulfate-free formula (like Color Security Shampoo or Hooked Curl Shampoo) and follow-up with Dreaming to restore elasticity and seal strands - so hair dries smooth, not swollen.

Read more hair care inspiration on the Color Wow Blog:

• Behind the Science of Color Wow Dreaming
• How to Fix Frizzy Hair Once and For All
• Learn Why Color Wow Are the Pioneers of Frizz-Fighting Technology

*Atlanta Bionos Testing - clinical testing using consumer panel of 30 subjects

**Independent study. Average results after 8 hours in 86 degrees at 70% humidity.