A Hair Stylist Showed Me Exactly How to Fix Flyaways and Frizzy Hair

Ever wanted to ask a beauty editor your burning beauty questions? Now you can with our monthly series Ask Amy!

Every month, Adore's Senior Editor Amy Clark will be answering a customer beauty question. From skincare myths and hair concerns to the best beauty tools and makeup buys, there's no such thing as a dumb beauty question.

Last month, we covered how to stop foundation looking dry, patchy and flaky (you can catch up here).

This month's question? My hair is frizzy on the best of days, but how can I keep it looking smooth and healthy coming into a sweaty summer?

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When I asked you for your most pressing hair questions in an Instagram question box, the word of the day was 'frizz'.

How to stop frizzy hair. How to get rid of frizzy hair. Frizzy hair products. Frizzy hair treatments.

I could've guessed it, because it's my main hair concern at the moment, too.

A bit of residual damage combined with warmer weather and increasing summer humidity, and I feel like my hairs are constantly standing floating above my body.

So, I asked our resident AB hair stylist Millie for her best frizz tips and products.

Here's what she told me, along with some tips I've learnt along the way...

Why Is My Hair So Frizzy?

First up, frizz isn't bad.

Just like having oily skin or dry skin, you can have a dry hair type or textured hair type that's prone to frizz due to a lack of moisture in the hair.

Hair damage from colouring, heat styling or being out in the elements can also result in a lack of moisture.

If you think about your hair cuticles as tiles on a roof, they lie flat when hair is hydrated, giving it a smooth finish.

Lack of moisture due to damage makes these tiles sit up, which creates a frizzy effect.

Then add in humidity, and moisture in the air floods the roof tiles, again, creating the look of frizz.

Your hair texture can change with hormonal changes (pregnancy, post-partum, starting or stopping the contraceptive pill).

If you're taking hair supplements, you might notice more frizzy flyaways and baby hairs around your hairline - which is a good thing!

Environmental factors like the weather, humidity, rain, more exposure to the sun, sea and chlorine play a role, too.

Summer Haircare Products.

Do you need different haircare products for winter and summer? No.

Is it a good idea to make a few changes in your hair routine to combat summer heat and humidity if you have the budget, can be bothered, spend a lot of money on getting your hair coloured or you have damaged hair (or all the above)?

Absolutely.

More time spent outdoors in the elements = more damage.

So, it’s time to sub in your repairing shampoos and protein bond-building treatments like:

• VIRTUE Recovery Shampoo 240ml

• NAK Hair Structure Complex No.3 Bond Enhancer 150ml

• Olaplex Hair Perfector No.3 Home Treatment

• K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Mask 50ml

A UV hair product isn't essential, but it's a very-nice-to-have, especially to keep hair colour from fading.

Oribe Invisible Defense Universal Protection Spray is basically sunscreen, for your hair.

This lightweight damp or dry hair mist is a bit bougie, but it’s also your heat protectant, UV shield, hydrating and anti-frizz spray, and protection against colour fade - all in one.

Another pro tip: If you're a regular swimmer in the salty ocean or a chlorinated pool, apply a nourishing hair mask to damp or dry hair before you go in the water to prevent any moisture or colour stripping.

Klorane Mango Butter Mask 150ml is such a good bargain hair mask that smells so good, I'd eat it if my hair didn't need it more.

Philip Kingsley Swimcap Water Resistant Mask is a game-changer for regular lap swimmers who are worried about chlorine affecting their hair health.

It protects hair against UV, chlorine and salt water damage, and stops blondes turning green, exactly like an actual swimming cap would.

Frizzy Hair Styling Tools.

Wanna know how to get rid of frizzy hair in 5 minutes? One of these styling tools is your best bet.

I have written about how great the ghd Glide straightening brush is seventy million times, but I'll say it again.

Best hair tool I've ever used.

ghd Glide Professional Hot Brush straightens and smooth frizz, adds shine and gives hair a bouncy, swishy finish, and with zero time and effort. See?

As for that anti-frizz Dyson Supersonic hair dryer attachment everyone's on about...

Did I think the new ‘flyaways’ attachment that comes with the Dyson Supersonic Iron Fuchsia 605C looked like a gimmick (and an elephant trunk) at first? Yes.

Was I wrong? Also yes. The way this attachment instantly smooths frizz and baby hairs is unlike anything I’ve tried before.

You can see the Dyson flyaways attachment in action in our Dyson reviews YouTube video below.

Best Frizzy Hair Products.

Put in the effort to prep, style and finish your hair with humidity sprays and smoothing creams to suit your hair type, and promise, you’ll notice a difference.

Now, let's go through some of the best frizzy hair products (treatments and sprays), as rated by AB staffers.

1. VIRTUE Un-Frizz Cream.

VIRTUE Un-Frizz Cream is maybe the best product AB staffer and Hagrid hair-haver Hannah has tried for frizzy hair.

She swears this leave-in protein cream is so good at fighting frizz and humidity, she was able to air dry and wear her natural hair texture while on a humid Queensland holiday.

If you have Hagrid hair, you’ll get why this is HUGE. You can read Hannah's full Virtue Un-Frizz review here.

2. Mr. Smith Curl Crème.

Want the best product for curly frizzy hair?

Millie says a tiny amount of a rich curl cream like Mr. Smith Curl Crème 200ml will give weightless definition and hold, without weighing curls down.

Because curls deserve to enjoy beaut summer days, too!

3. Kérastase Nutritive 8hr Magic Night Serum.

Kérastase Nutritive 8hr Magic Night Serum reviews convinced me to try this repairing overnight hair treatment, but the results are why I keep repurchasing.

A small amount applied through dry hair before bed is genuinely magic.

4. Goldwell Kerasilk Control Humidity Barrier Spray.

Last but not least, Millie says this anti-humidity finishing spray is the GOAT (greatest of all time).

If your hair tends to triple in size when you step outside, try adding Goldwell Kerasilk Control Humidity Barrier Spray as the last step in your haircare routine.

Shop these best products for frizzy hair here:

Frizzy Hair Treatment.

A tried-and-tested frizzy hair treatment for longer lasting results is an in-salon keratin soothing treatment.

I had one done before going on holiday to extremely humid Singapore, and while it didn't eliminate all frizz, my keratin treatment review was that is did make hair more low maintenance.

Hannah has naturally coarser, more textured hair than mine, and she also found a keratin treatment helped by making hair more manageable.

You can watch Hannah's keratin treatment review on YouTube here.

A keratin treatment won't straighten your hair completely.

It's more like a temporary perm that will wear off, rather than chemical straightening which permanently changes the structure of hair and has to grow out.

But if you usually wouldn't leave the house without a blow dry - let alone air dry your hair - you'll notice a difference for around three to six months.

Hairstyles for Frizzy Hair.

There will be times when no anti-frizz product can fight against summer humidity.

That's when you either A) embrace the frizz or B) revert to a low maintenance hair style.

Millie says, “If in doubt, a sleek bun is a game-changer. Secure your hair into a bun or pull back with a claw clip, then add a quick spritz of hairspray and smooth down flyaways with a toothbrush to seal the deal.”

You can also see exactly how Beauty IQ writer Amelia Singson does her signature sleek bun hair look here.

One final tip…

Know there’s only so much prep and products can do.

The rest comes down to on-the-go touch ups, embracing your natural texture, and a bit of luck.

Want more hair product recommendations? Check out these articles here:

• I’m a Beauty Editor & This Is How I Get My Hair So Shiny

• This New K18 Treatment Transformed My Bleached Hair in Just 4 Minutes

• These Are Our Top 10 Best-Selling Haircare Products of All Time...

• Exactly How I Keep My Hair Soft, Shiny & Healthy After Years of Bleaching