Fighting frizzy hair can be a never ending battle and an expensive one as we keep forking out for fancy frizzy hair remedies that promise silky, smooth locks but don’t deliver.
Having suffered dry frizzy hair for years I had given up hope of finding a frizzy hair treatment that worked.
But then I found one that did.
The problem was NOT what I put on my hair but what I put in my gut and changing that transformed my hair!!
And changing my diet also made DIY frizzy hair treatments that never worked before really helpful.
So in this post I’ll share everything I learned about taming frizzy hair:
- Frizzy Hair Causes
- Hormones & Frizzy Hair
- Best Food For Frizzy Hair
- Frizzy Hair Care Basics
- The Curly Girl Method
- Best Masks For Frizzy Hair
- Natural Oils For Frizzy Hair
- Hair Styles For Frizzy Hair
What Causes Frizzy Hair?
Genes do play a role in frizzy hair but there are other big causes of frizzy hair we can do something about :
- Hair Care Failures
- Hormone Imbalance
- Nutritional Deficiencies
Hair Care Failures
These repeated hair care failures can cause frizzy hair and make it worse :
- Washing too often
- Sulfate shampoos
- Alcohol products
- Silicone products
- Long term colouring
- Wrong brushes & combs
- Heat styling
But fixing these haircare failures is NOT enough sadly to fix frizzy hair!
Dry unmanageable frizzy hair is a red flag warning of hormone imbalance and nutritional deficiencies. We have to fix these to fix the damage.
Hormones And Frizzy Hair
Hormones play a big role in the quality and texture of our hair.
Fluctuating levels of oestrogen and progesterone can make our hair much more frizzy during :
- Puberty
- Pregnancy
- Perimenopause
- And our menstrual cycle.
But the hormones that play the biggest role in frizzy hair are often :
- Insulin
- Cortisol
- T3 & T4
Which are common root causes of oestrogen & progesterone problems.
Insulin & Frizzy Hair
Insulin resistance from too much sugar in our diet is a common reason that naturally curly and wavy hair becomes frizzy and unmanageable.
High blood sugar increases the porosity of our hair making it harder for it to hold onto moisture.
Cortisol & Frizzy Hair
We all need the stress hormone cortisol but constantly raised cortisol can reduce hair growth and renewal leaving it thin, weak and frizzy.
T3, T4 & Frizzy Hair
Coarse frizzy hair is a classic sign of imbalance in the thyroid hormones T3 and T4. These hormones are closely tied to high blood sugar levels and insulin resistance.
The good news is these hormones can all be rebalanced with simple changes to diet and lifestyle.
Best Food For Frizzy Hair?
Frizzy hair basically reflects what we eat and we can tame it by tackling :
- Nutritional Deficiencies
- Toxic Saturations
It is really cheap and easy now to get a full blood test to identify toxic saturations like sugar and any key nutritional deficiencies like iron.
Key Nutritional Deficiencies That Cause Frizzy Hair
The key nutritional deficiencies behind coarse, dry, frizzy hair are :
- Protein
- Iron
- Zinc
- Biotin (B7)
- B12 (Cobalamin)
- Omega 3 fats
- Collagen
- Calcium
Many teenage girls and women are chronically short on these from :
- Low fat diet
- Vegan diets
- Vegetarian diets
- Not eating red meat.
Over 70% of our hair is protein so if we don’t eat enough protein we will unsurprisingly have bad hair!
We can make up these shortfalls without eating red meat and full fat dairy but as a long term vegetarian I found it very hard to get enough
I started eating red meat again for a bunch of health issues but the impact on my frizzy hair was truly amazing!!
Protein Rich Foods
The best protein rich foods to boost iron and other key nutrients are:
- Eggs (from pasture fed hens)
- Full Fat Milk (pasture fed)
- Bone broth (rich in collagen)
- Black pudding
- Liver & organ meat
- Roast shoulder of lamb
- Beef stew
More Nutrients For Frizzy Hair
Other key nutrients in our food that help tame crazy frizzy hair are :
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B9 (Folic acid)
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- PLUS Magnesium
- And Vitamin D
The first 4 are easy to get if we eat lots of leafy greens plus a rainbow of red, orange, yellow, purple & blue veggies and fruit day in day out.
But the last 2 nutrients – vitamin D & magnesium – are super easy to miss out on and are super key for our whole body including healthy hair.
Vitamin D & Frizzy Hair
Lack of vitamin D can transform naturally wavy and curly hair into a dry, brittle and weak frizz that is very hard to style without more damage.
The best foods for vitamin D are:
- Oily fish
- Red meat
- Egg yolks
- Liver
But without at least 1 hour outdoors daily we will be vitamin D deficient and will pay the price with crazy hair!
Magnesium & Frizzy Hair
Magnesium has huge impact on damaged frizzy hair as it :
- Balances hormones
- Helps us sleep
We’ve seen hormone balance is critical for healthy hair. Sleep is also critical because it is when our hair renews itself. Healthy sleep is essential for healthy hair growth.
Key magnesium rich foods include :
Now we’ve seen all the nutritional deficiencies that trigger frizzy hair we need to look at toxic saturations that can make our hair grow crazily frizzy.
Food That Causes Frizzy Hair
The two big food triggers for turning curly and wavy hair frizzy are :
- Sugar
- Processed foods
Sugar & Frizzy Hair
Sugar is just about the worst enemy of healthy hair as it triggers :
- Inflammation
- Hormone imbalance
- Oxidative stress that prevents formation of healthy hair cells.
Slashing added sugar in my diet whilst tackling nutrient shortfalls played a big part in taming my frizzy hair and helped heal an itchy scalp.
Processed Foods & Frizzy Hair
There’s been lots of talk recently about the issues processed foods cause and frizzy hair is one of them.
They are low in nutrients AND contain additives our body cells can’t process. The processing problems manifest as everything from gut pain to acne and frizzy hair.
So try to avoid processed food as much as you possibly can.
And get blood tests done so you can see nutrient shortfalls and toxic saturations and fix them.
Your hair will thank you – I promise!!
Basic Frizzy Hair Tips
After I tackled the root causes of my crazy hair I discovered I could manage it day to day with some basic hair care tips for frizziness. These tips fell into 2 categories :
- Keeping Moisture In
- Preventing More Damage
Keep Moisture In
Key tips for keeping moisture in are :
- Wash hair less often
- Use cool to tepid water
- Use a sulphate free shampoo
- Avoid products with alcohol, silicone or artificial fragrances
- Alternate shampoos to reduce build up which stops moisturising treatments from working
- Don’t blow dry soaking wet hair
Prevent More Damage
To prevent day-to-day damage that contributes to frizziness :
- Cut hair regularly to stop split ends
- Use wide tooth comb on thick hair
- Brush thin hair with a boar bristle brush to stimulate hair growth
- Loosely braid hair if you can at night to prevent wear and tear
- Sleep on a silk or satin pillow
- Blot hair dry with an old t-shirt, don’t rub with a harsh towel
These basic haircare tips for frizziness help properly curly thick locks and thin wavy or kinked hair.
But if you have super curly thick hair, the Curly Girl Method is a must know.
The Curly Girl Method
The Curly Girl Method has been around since the 2000s and is a great way to stop thick curly hair frizzing.
The key goal of the Curly Girl Method is to ditch things that dry hair out:
- Avoid sulphate based shampoos.
- “Co-wash” your hair with conditioner rather than shampoo – similar idea to oil cleansing skin.
- Focus on washing scalp not hair.
- After washing scalp saturate hair with more conditioner.
- Use wide tooth comb to detangle hair whilst conditioner still in.
- Scrunch conditioner in pre-rinsing.
- Once rinsed lightly blot hair with old t-shirt to stop dripping.
- Add silicone free gel to style.
- If you must blow dry use diffuser.
For more tips on changing your hair care routine read this curly girl 101.
The curly girl method helps tame frizzy hair but works better if we treat the causes of frizziness. Protein rich hair goes longer without washing which is the best way to stop hair drying out.
Nourishing Masks To Smooth Frizzy Hair
Nourishing hair masks can help to sooth frizzy hair by increasing moisture levels and I have a whole load of great masks here you can whip up from kitchen ingredients.
- Mayonnaise Protein Mask
- Avocado & Oil Mask
- Avocado & Egg Mask
- DIY Collagen Mask
- DIY Gelatin Mask
- Ready To Go Mask
Boosting protein in our diet can actually make moisturising masks more effective as it reduces hair porosity which makes it hard for our hair to retain moisture.
Mayonnaise Protein Mask
This is a super rich nourishing mask made from eggs, mayonnaise, olive oil and honey. Just make sure your mayonnaise is free of dodgy additives and seed oils …
If you can’t find seed oil free mayonnaise, just whip up your mask with eggs, olive oil and honey.
Avocado & Olive Oil Mask
This nourishing mask is super quick and easy made from just mashed avocado and olive oil …
Avocado & Egg Protein Mask
For an extra moisture boost add an egg to an avocado and oil mask …
DIY Collagen Mask
Collagen in bone broth and meat cooked on the bone can help us grow strong, healthy hair that curls without frizzing and you can buy collagen as a powder to add to nourishing hair masks for frizzy hair:
DIY Gelatin Mask
Gelatin is a protein made from collagen that again comes as a powder for frizzy hair masks …
Ready To Go Frizzy Hair Mask
Alternatively, if you like making your own lotions try this recipe for a frizzy hair mask you can have ready to go in the bathroom when ever you need a deep moisture treatment.
It is quick to make with :
- Shea butter
- Avocado oil
- Coconut oil
- Jojoba oil
- Argan oil
Natural Oils For Frizzy Hair
Many hair serums for frizzy hair contain alcohol and silicone which can actually be drying for frizzy hair struggling to hold moisture.
Simple natural oils are a great alternative for frizzy hair as they :
- Add moisture
- Lock moisture in
- Prevent more damage
Seven of the most nutritious natural oils for smoothing frizzy hair are :
- Argan oil
- Coconut oil
- Macadamia oil
- Jojoba oil
- Avocado oil
- Almond oil
- Grape seed oil
These oils can also be used as pre-wash treatments for frizzy hair.
Pre Wash Treatments
Massage oil into your scalp and the ends of your hair, then leave for 30 minutes as a pre-wash treatment.
Coconut oil treatments are especially helpful if you have a child with very tangly frizzy hair that it is impossible to brush without tears :
DIY Frizz Taming Serum
Use a tiny amount of oil neat as a great quality frizz taming serum free from chemical nasties like silicon.
You can also make your own simple serum by combining oils for optimal nourishment. This recipe includes:
- Jojoba oil
- Argan oil
- Olive oil
- PLUS lavender essential oil
- Peppermint essential oil
Personally I would skip all fragrances as they can be irritating and contribute to an itchy scalp.
Hairstyles For Frizzy Hair
Frizzy hair really benefits from less washing and heat styling so it is great to have a whole raft of brilliant quick and easy styles for frizzy hair at our finger tips on non-wash days.
And that is exactly what I have for you here. There are super quick up-dos, messy buns and top knots PLUS braids and super stylish pony tails.
Super Quick Up-do
A super quick up-do that works well for frizzy hair that is not too long …
Bubble Braid
This quick bubble braid is a great frizzy hair style alternative to a straight pony tail …
Multi Clip Up-do
This is another super quick up-do bun for frizzy hair you can do with great clips …
Updo With Braid
This is an easy up-do bun with a messy braid that makes the most of the texture of frizzy hair …
Messy Side Pony Tail
Great quick frizzy hair styles don’t all have to be up-dos and buns. This quick messy side pony tail is a great style for thinner frizzy hair …
Top Knots
A super quick top knot that works with rather than against frizzy hair …
This easy top knot is great when you need a super simple style for hair that hasn’t been washed for a while:
Messy Up Bun
If you have thick frizzy hair this is a clever way to do a messy up bun :
But it doesn’t work as well for those of us with thin hair so try this messy bun how to instead …
French Twist
This gorgeous French twist is surprisingly easy and works well 3 or 4 days after washing …
Messy Low Bun
This messy low bun is very pretty if you’ve got thin frizzy wavy hair rather than thick curls …
Dutch Braid Up Do
Whilst this Dutch braid up do is good for long thick curly hair and easily transformed in the evening with great clips …
Multi Braid Up Do
This similar multi braid up is great for every day crazy hair but would also look amazing for a special event …
And there you go a whole bunch of home remedies for frizzy hair covering :
- Frizzy Hair Causes
- Hormones & Frizzy Hair
- Best Food For Frizzy Hair
- Frizzy Hair Care Basics
- The Curly Girl Method
- Best Masks For Frizzy Hair
- Natural Oils For Frizzy Hair
- Hair Styles For Frizzy Hair
I do hope it helps. Let me know what works for you.
And for more natural health & beauty tips check out these posts :
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