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.
Definition: Flyaways are short, fine strands of hair that stick up away from the rest of the hair. They are often referred to as ``baby hairs.'' Causes: Flyaways can be caused by static electricity, lack of moisture, breakage, or simply the natural growth pattern of hair.
When your hair is floating around your head, there is an imbalance of power. This was caused by friction or contact with other objects. Electrons go on the move and stay in the brush, for example. As a result, it has too much negative charge and your hair, on the other hand, has too much positive charge.
There are many reasons you may have flyaway hair; it can be the result of breakage, new hair growth, static electricity, genes, or frizz.
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.
Dryness — When hair is dry, it absorbs any excess moisture from the environment leading to flyaways. 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.
"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."
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.
Fluffy and frizzy hair can result from humidity, damage, or insufficient moisture. Combat this by incorporating anti-frizz products into your hair care routine and regularly deep conditioning to restore moisture balance.
Take some strands of hair from your brush or comb (be sure to use clean hair as products can alter the results) and drop them into a glass of water. Let them sit for a few minutes, and if the strands float after the time is up, you likely have low porosity hair.
See Where It Lands. If your hair immediately sinks to the bottom, then it's highly porous. If it floats in the middle, then it's in the medium to normal porosity range, and if it sits on top, then it has a low porosity.
A person gets head lice because the insects crawl from person to person by direct contact or by sharing items — including combs, brushes and hats — with another person who has head lice. Poor hygiene doesn't cause head lice.
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.
All hair goes through a shedding and regrowth process, so it's completely normal to have some shorter hairs around your roots as newer hairs grow in. But when you have a noticeable amount of short frizzy hairs that are a different texture to the rest of your hair, this is likely due to hair breakage.
Use anti-frizz products if you have flyaway hair.
Getting smooth hair starts in the shower. If you're always dealing with flyaway hair, switch to a shampoo and a conditioner that is designed to tame frizz and flyaways.
“Look for products with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, or aloe vera, which hydrate without leaving a greasy residue,” says Garshick. “Use a lightweight conditioner and avoid heavy oils or creams. A leave-in conditioner spray or a volumizing conditioner can also help add moisture without making hair flat.”