9 Steps for Managing Frizzy Hair, Once and for All

Some days you’re the glamorous Princess of Genovia. Other days, frizz makes you feel like a pre-makeover Mia Thermopolis. Blame humidity or DNA (shoutout to my fellow curly-haired queens), but whatever the source, the frizz requires management skills.

Los Angeles-based hairstylists Michael Dueñas and Caile Noble shared some of the best tips, tricks, and products specifically engineered for getting rid of frizz and living that silky-smooth lifestyle.

Dueñas is the founder of Hair Room Service and you’ve most likely seen his work gracing the heads of Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, Padma Lakshmi, and Lea Michele to name just a few. Noble is also a celebrity hairstylist who has worked with Bella Hadid, Bebe Rexa, and Olivia Culpo. These are two bonafide frizz-fighting veterans.

Read on for some expert advice from these two pros and get your frizz under control in no time.

1. It all starts in the shower.

The drier your hair, the more prone it is to frizz. The shower is a great place to apply intense moisture and hydrating ingredients readily available in a few shampoos and conditioners. Noble urges the frizz fam to stay away from sulfates because it will only dry out your hair more. Michael recommends looking for products with silicone, Argan Oil, Camelia Oil, Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, and Sebacic acid.

Shampoos to try...

Conditioners to try...

2. Leave your conditioner in all day.

Duenas suggest leaving a small amount of conditioner in your hair after washing. "If your hair is curly, leave enough on so your hair feels like seaweed, (very slippery and soft) then diffuse dry," explains Duenas. "If your are blow drying your hair, use a dime size and spread throughout your hair when in the shower and leave in." He advises against using the product at the root and instead suggests applying from mid shaft to the ends of your strands.

3. Go above and beyond.

For added protection, once you finish washing your hair, add a serum or cream. Duenas recommends Evo Lockdown to fight frizz. "This is a leave-in smoothing treatment that you apply before styling," says Duenas. "It can be used before heat or without heat and helps fight frizz, enhance shine, and soften the hair."

4. Lay off the heat.

Dueñas gave us a quick science lesson that should persuade you to put down the straightener for a bit. “Laying off the heat is never a bad idea,” says Duenas. “The reason your hair gets frizz is from lack of moisture. Your hair spreads itself out and takes up more surface area with frizz, to expand its reach into the atmosphere and gather moisture. The more moisture your hair has, the less frizz you will have. So, if you use less heat, your hair will retain more of its natural moisture, thus, less frizz!” It’s that simple.

5. If you can't quit the heat, go Ionic.

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If you like to keep it hot, hot, hot, though, there is an alternative. “Ionic heat tools help your hair lay smoother and/or dry faster,” says Dueñas. “An Ionic blow dryer that I like to use is the Conair 3Q, It helps break up the water molecules into smaller clusters, therefore, drying your hair faster with less heat. Your hair is positively charged, so using the negative charges of an ionic tool, say for straightening, help reverse the your hair, and help it lay down smoother.”

6. Look in your own kitchen.

Both Noble and Dueñas preach the benefits of coconut oil, which you can buy at the supermarket (or Amazon) if you don’t already have it laying around. “Using raw coconut oil from your pantry is a great mask for hair to help give it shine and fight frizz,” says Noble. Don’t go crazy with it, though, because the product is heavy and you can overdo it.

7. Get a haircut every two months.

Dueñas recommends his clients get a haircut “about once every two months,” he says. The benefits of getting more frequent haircuts is twofold, says Dueñas. Split ends are major culprits in causing frizz. The frayed hairs lose moisture quicker and contribute to frizz. Plus, split hairs just looks fuzzy, making it appear as if your already frizzy hair is worse than it even is. In other words, it might be time for you to schedule an appointment.

8. Wash your hair, but not too much. It’s all about balance.

The consensus among stylists is that those prone to frizzy hair should wash just once or twice a week. It’s really about balance here. “Washing your hair too often will strip it of its natural moisture, creating a frizzy look,” Dueñas says. “Washing too little can cause your hair to look flat or have build up, depending on your natural oils.” As the old saying goes, everything in moderation including moderation.

9. Sleep on it.

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There are ways to fight the frizz while you’re resting, giving true meaning to the phrase "beauty sleep." Dueñas recommends sleeping in a hair mask covered by a shower cap once a week and says to invest in a silk pillowcase, like ZIMASILK's silk pillowcase for hair and skin. “A cotton pillowcase acts like velcro, latching onto the fibers of your hair and pulling it apart, making frizz worse,” says Dueñas.

Another recommended product is the Kokostar Home Salon Hair Pack. A super hydrating hair mask from a K-beauty brand? Say no more.