There are many reasons you may have flyaway hair; it can be the result of breakage, new hair growth, static electricity, genes, or frizz.
What Causes Flyaways? Like many haircare concerns, there isn't a sole cause of flyaway hair. Oftentimes, flyaways indicate that your hair has undergone breakage or is experiencing new growth. Sometimes, flyaways can also result from untamed frizz or even product buildup.
Product buildup — Product build-up coats your hair so it can't get the moisture it needs. This leads to dry hair and flyaways. Poor hair hygiene — Not washing your hair enough can also lead to flyaways. Any kind of buildup on your scalp (product, dirt, cells) will coat your scalp causing surface frizz and flyaways.
But here's the confusing part: “While flyaways can be caused as a result of breakage, they can also be new, healthy hair growth. They're different,” explains Fitzsimons.
Hormones: Hormonal changes can affect hair growth. For example, during puberty, pregnancy, or menopause, hormonal fluctuations can lead to the development of baby hairs or can cause existing hair to remain in a shorter, finer state. Health and Nutrition: Overall health and nutrition can impact hair growth.
Hair growth can be caused by a hormone disturbance or a bodily influence – this is referred to as 'systemic'.
"New growth may stick out, but the hair is easier to tame and will cooperate with the style you are trying to achieve," says Izquierdo. "Flyaways that are breakage can have frayed ends that are a different texture than the hair growing from the root."
Frizzy hair is not the same thing as flyaways. Flyaways tend to move away from the head, creating a 3-D alien look no one likes. Frizzy hair may look like flyaways but is more of a direct result of dry hair. Flyways tend to be more about breakaways or even new hair growth.
Dry, Damaged Hair: Hair that's dry or damaged is also more vulnerable to static buildup. When hair is dehydrated, it lacks the natural moisture needed to repel electric charges. As a result, it easily picks up a positive charge, causing it to frizz and fly away in every direction.
Excess Friction
It's common, natural, and unavoidable, but unfortunately, it lifts the hair cuticle and causes breakage, which leads to frizz. The most common causes of friction with hair include brushing or combing, flat-ironing, towel-drying, and tossing and turning while you sleep.
On top of the head. Breakage on top of the head can be due to over-brushing, dialling up the temperature when heat styling, or harsh chemical treatments. You'll often see a halo of shorter hairs that are difficult to smooth down.
Hirsutism is linked to hormones called androgens. It can happen if the level of these hormones increases or if your body becomes more sensitive to them. The most common cause is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This is a condition affecting the ovaries that can also cause symptoms such as acne and irregular periods.
Your temples are the two patches of hair at the side of your face, just behind your eyes and in the space between your ears and forehead. Full temples are typically associated with a youthful appearance, and thick hair in this region is highly desirable.
There are plenty of factors that can cause flyaway hair, but the primary one is damage. Damage, whether it has occurred from heat or chemicals, often reveals itself in the form of unruly strands. It can be a key sign that the hair's health needs restoring and rehydrating.
The most common method of surface cutting is by slightly bending the hair and snipping off the flyaways that flip away from the section. Typically, a regular trim involves cutting off a little length and shaping layers - think refreshing or reshaping a cut you already have to keep it healthy.
This occurs mainly due to a genetic component, which explains why there are people with a greater amount of these fine hairs than others. It can also be due to a hormonal imbalance caused by the action of androgens, which weakens and narrows the strand.
Signs of hair breakage include: Frizzy, dull hairs in your hairbrush or comb after brushing. Split ends. White spots on individual hairs (they're easier to spot on brunette hair)