Why Is My Hair So Frizzy And Poofy | 5 Top Causes And How To Tame Frizz

If you’re always asking yourself “why is my hair so frizzy and poofy?” Here are some causes for frizz and frizzy hair treatments that can help you get those smooth, silky locks in 5 minutes! 

Tame the frizz and deflate the poof with our insightful guide on why your hair insists on defying gravity. Learn the causes and find solutions to smooth out those unruly locks for good.

Why Is My Hair So Frizzy And Poofy?

The only reason you are frizzy is because your hair cuticles are open and are not laying flat and smooth as they’re supposed to. When this happens, the moisture from inside your hair shaft escapes and the air molecules from outside enter the hair cortex, causing your strands to change shape. Result? Frizz! So the simplest answer to the question why your hair is frizzy and poofy is that your hair cuticles are open and your hair is dry. 

Why Is My Hair So Frizzy And Poofy

Your Hair Is Dehydrated and Dry

The hair cuticles are supposed to lie flat over one another like scales of a fish. But when hair cuticles are left open due to any reasons such as harsh product usage, heat, or excessive friction, it causes moisture loss from hair. This leads to frizz.

However, the contrary is also true. If you lose a lot of moisture from hair due to any reason you can end up with poofy hair. 

Some of the most common causes of dry hair are using a lot of heat styling tools on hair, washing hair with hot water, excessive UV exposure and also because of using too many chemical treatments on hair.

All of these reasons can lead to hair becoming. 

Another thing to remember is that naturally dry hair is more prone to frizz. Curly and wavy hair textures cannot distribute sebum from scalp on hair evenly due to their shape, this makes the hair textures more “dry” than straight hair. 

You Have Over Processed And Damaged Your Hair

Like I’ve mentioned before, the biggest reason why your hair appears frizzy and poofy is because of your hair cuticles being open. And this damage to hair cuticles can occur if you’ve been styling your hair a little too much.

Using chemical treatments like perming, smoothening, etc. or using bleach or hair color on hair can leave it dry, damaged, and cause open cuticles as well. Hence, frizz. 

So if you want to control frizziness, I highly suggest taking a break from all your flat irons, curling irons, and blow dryers. Yes, blow dryers too! It’s best to either air dry your hair or use a diffuser attachment. 

Also make sure you regularly moisturize and nourish your hair using hair masks and conditioners if you color or bleach them often. This will minimize the damage done to your hair cuticles and control frizz to a great extent. 

You Are Using Too Much Heat

I’ve mentioned above about how using a lot of heat styling tools can damage hair, leaving cuticles open and strands prone to frizz and breakage.

But did you know that tools like hair straightening irons or curling rods aren’t the only ones causing heat damage? 

Your hair can also be damaged if you use water on the hotter side while shampooing your tresses. The heat from the water might not be very direct or potent as with styling tools. But it can still lead to frizz as there can be a lot of friction on hair during a shower (we’ll come to that later!). 

Another ill-effect of using hot water on hair (and consequently getting open hair cuticles) is that your hair color fades very quickly as the dye leaches out of open cuticles easily. 

So there are plenty of reasons why you should at least use lukewarm water while washing your hair. And then for best results rinse off one last time with cold water to seal cuticles. 

There is Too Much Friction On Hair

Listen… the easiest way to damage your hair cuticles (and then get frizzy, poofy hair!) is to create too much friction between the strands.

If you’re very rough while washing your hair or are using a shampoo with harsh surfactants then your hair can get damaged and even tangled very easily. And this leads to frizz.

And it’s not just about how you’re washing your hair, it’s also about the when. If you’re shampooing your tresses everyday, cut it out. This can also lead to frizz by both causing friction-related damage and overdrying. 

Another way that most people create frizzy hair is by vigorously towel drying it after a shower. Go easy on hair after you’ve washed it. 

I recommend buying a microfiber cloth and gently pressing wet hair into it for removing excess moisture before air-drying or diffusing. 

A very common yet neglected reason for friction on hair is your movements while sleeping. Yup! All that tossing and turning in the night causes friction between your hair and pillowcases. 

So it’s better to use a silk bonnet while sleeping or invest in silk/satin pillow covers as they reduce friction. 

It’s Just The Humidity 

Sometimes, it’s just the humidity! When the moisture levels outside in the air is greater than the moisture levels in your strands, then the water molecules from the air enter the strands. 

This excessive moisture binds to the proteins in your hair that give you your hair textures and causes strands to change shape. 

A simple solution to this issue is to use something that repels moisture from outside and prevents it from getting inside your hair strands. 

You can use silicone-based leave-in conditioners or opt for coconut oil instead if you want a more natural option. 

How to Tame Poofy Hair

If you want to prevent your hair from getting too frizzy and poofy here are some awesome tips you can follow. 

• Reduce the use of heat styling tools on your hair. 
• Use the hair dryer on low setting or with a diffuser attachment
• Do not vigorously towel dry your hair instead use a microfiber cloth to gently press excess water out of hair
• Use lukewarm water to wash your hair and rinse off with cold water to seal hair cuticles 
• Avoid using harsh shampoos especially ones with sodium laureth sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate as they strip moisture from hair
• Apply a hair serum or leave-in conditioner on wet hair to seal in the moisture and prevent frizz
• Brush hair gently and detangle hair using a wide toothed comb as rough handing can lead to open hair cuticles

Why You Should Trust Haireveryday?

The author of this article, Leah Marie Priest has a degree in Cosmetology with years of experience in dealing with hair care, scalp care, and hairstyling. As someone who extensively deals with all kinds of hair textures, products, styling methods and more, hair Leah Marie knows what kind of products and procedures suit each hair type and person. We have also tested these hair products and processes ourselves to provide you an unbiased review about every product. Each of our articles are also reviewed by a team of medical professionals so that you get the most accurate and expert-reviewed information.

FAQs about the Causes of Frizzy Hair

Technically, the only reason why you have frizzy, poofy hair is because the cuticles of your hair strands are open. However, there can be several reasons for this cuticle damage to occur as I’ve listed above.

One of the other reasons for frizzy hair is a lack of moisture. If you have dehydrated hair it will appear poofy. And a quick solution is to apply some leave-in conditioner or oil.

Also, most women who consider their hair poofy or frizzy actually have wavy or curly hair. So the next time you take a shower see how your hair looks when wet and clean. 

If it forms waves or a curl pattern that means your hair might be of a completely different texture.

In this case, use the curly girl method where you moisturize your hair and diffuse and scrunch it to form curls (or wave patterns). 

Also Read:

How To Straighten Frizz

How To Style Curly Frizzy Hair

How To Get Rid of Frizzy Curly Hair

Best Anti-Frizz Serums For African American Hair

How To Deal with Frizzy Hair Male