La Niña Ready: How To Protect Your Hair From Going Full Frizz In The Rain
If the sheer thought of endless fly aways and relentless frizz is enough to give you night terrors, then make sure you’re sitting down before you keep reading.
La Niña, the climate phenomenon, is headed down under which means that it’s best to say adiós to spending summer by the sea, soaking in the sun and breathing in the salty breeze. Instead, Australians can expect seemingly non-stop episodes of rain and humidity.
While, yes, that is excellent news for our water supply, it can make taming an unruly mane somewhat impossible.
There are a plethora of tips and tricks on how to manage frizz that’s the result of dry hair or over-styling, even the occasional drizzle or two. But what happens when you’re forced to endure several months of wet weather and rising temperatures?
When it comes to battling your strands long-term, it is possible to keep your hair looking and feeling chic. And the best part is, we’ve done the research for you.
But first, it’s important to understand exactly what is in store for our tresses during La Niña, before figuring out the best styles and products to help us dodge unwanted hair dramas.
via @christopherobinparis on instagram
WHAT IS LA NIÑA?
For language buffs or Spanish speakers, the term ‘La Niña’ literally translates to ‘little girl’ in English. According to the National Ocean Service, the weather phenomenon means that ‘trade winds’—that traditionally blow west across the Pacific Ocean along the equator—become even stronger than normal, resulting in unusually warmer weather across the western Pacific and pushing moist, water-filled air onto Australia.
But what does that mean for the season ahead? Well, a summer cursed by La Niña means wetter than average conditions for northern and eastern Australia throughout our typically drier season. With the increased wet weather and rising temperatures, our hair is sure to take a hit.
As for how long La Niña will last in Australia, it is predicted to stick around for at least a few months, if not longer.
WHAT CAUSES FRIZZ?
Of course, most of us know what frizz is and have likely spent hours in front of the mirror fussing over fly aways with every tincture and potion within arms reach. But when it comes to exactly how our hair can develop such a frustrating and unmanageable look is a different story. When the level of humidity in the air becomes greater than the volume of water in your hair, that’s when frizz joins the party. The humidity in the air makes its way into your strands and then rearranges the bonds inside each hair fibre, creating sheer chaos.
One may notice an increased amount of frizz when humidity levels skyrocket past 70 per cent or when your hair becomes porous from chemical treatments or heat styling, allowing your tresses to soak up every ounce of humidity.
Depending on your hair type, the dreaded flyaways will find you in different ways. Those with fine hair can see frizz leaving your mane looking limp and lifeless. On the other end of the hair spectrum, people with wavy and curly hair can expect to endure the dreaded ‘frizz crown’, that’ll introduce gravity-defying fly aways as far as the eye can see.
WHAT HAIR CUTS AND STYLES SHOULD YOU AVOID IN RAINY, HUMID WEATHER?
When it comes to determining which hair styles and cuts will show frizz the door, there aren’t many that will do so. But rather, there are certain styles and cuts that are best to avoid if you want to make life easier for yourself and your mane. For those who are keen to debut a fringe—hello, curtain bangs—perhaps wait until winter (especially for our curly-haired friends). Naturally, sweat begins to develop on your scalp and hairline, so opting to go without something that sticks to the sweatiest part of your face is ideal. But what does a professional suggest? Anthony Nader, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Raw Hair, recommends avoiding razor haircuts when beating the heat this summer.
“You can still have texture in your hair without your hairdresser taking to the razor or thinning scissors this coming season,” he tells ELLE Australia. “The problem that these hair weapons can cause is when hair strands are over razored or thinned, and the ends will look and feel wispy and furry. Having this finish on your ends will make you look like you’ve accidentally been electrocuted while making your toast”. “Having texture in your hair is still very doable, but adding texture only with scissors will always give clean and polished ends that won’t feel frail and mostly… will last the distance between salon visits”.
When it comes to colouring your tresses, Nader says that over processing your strands can give you grief in humidity.
“Bleaching your hair will always swell up each hair strand which can be a negative, especially if your hair texture is naturally wavy/curly/frizzy,” he explains. “If you’re having highlights or freehand colour, go easy having too much bleach added into your colour this time around.
“Ask your hairdresser: ‘Can we cut back a little on the bleach and if so, how will my new colour look compared to my last colour?’ I always believe that less is always more when using bleach, and it’s always gentler on the hair.”
If you’re ready to make a chop or simply need a cropped freshen up, then bobs and pixie cuts are your go-to. Exposing the back of your neck to any form of breeze that La Niña may be so generous to offer will be a God send. “Hair out, don’t care!’ That’s what you are going to end up saying when all that humidity and summer rain comes within the stratosphere of your crown of glory, and it’s way too late even to rectify any of the damage,” Nader says.
“If you leave your hair out, it’s basically going to frizz up because the hair shape isn’t in a restricted tight clean shape (think: ponytail) here,” he explains. “Think of this as battening down the hatches. If you are not armed and prepared before you leave your front door to face the day, you’ll lose the battle.”
Tie up your tresses and keep the back of your neck free of hair, it’s bound to keep you feeling cooler. And honestly, it’s a perfect reason to take the plunge and lob your strands off.
Via @rawanthonynader on instagram
Once you have a humidity-proof hair cut and style down pat, what else can you do to fight frizz once and for all?
Luckily for you, we’ve rounded up the best—and most effective—products and tools to combat the dreaded La Niña fly aways and maintain your mane throughout the sweaty, summer season.
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Farewell Frizz Rosarco Milk Leave-In Conditioner by Briogeo
A lightweight leave-in conditioner, it works to lock in hydration and say ‘goodbye’ to frizz caused by humidity. Packed with rosehip, argan and coconut oils, Farewell Frizz seals the hair cuticle to eliminate unwanted fuzz to enhance smoothness, shine and manageability.
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Super G Series Curl Shine Styler Round Brush by Y.S. Park
“Each hair strand needs to be moulded into a smooth and polished finish, giving longevity to your hair shape,” Nadar says. “I use 100% boar bristle brushes that have lodged two different lengths on the brush’s barrel. The shorter bristles are beneficial for curly roots to straighten out beautifully, which dramatically reduces my blow-drying time.”
Super G Series Curl Shine Styler Round Brush by Y.S. Park, $92 at https://shop.rawhair.com.au/y-s-park-super-g-series-curl-shines-styler-round-brush-choose-size.html
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Cool Wind pH Perfect Air-Dry Creme by R+Co
For those who want to ditch the dryer, R+Co’s Perfect Air-Dry Creme leaves strands feeling extra smooth, soft and shiny. Thanks to its unique cold styling polymer that helps transform your tresses, frizz is also tamed and hair-related stress eased. All that’s needed is a small dollop through towel-dried hair and enjoy the fruits of your labour.
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Supersonic Black Nickel HD07 by Dyson
For those hunting for softer, shinier and quicker blowouts, look no further. Dyson’s offering checks its temperature 40 times a second to prevent excessive heat damage but its flyaway attachment is where your attention should be. Shaped like a capital ‘C’, the add-on is designed to tuck stray flyaway hairs under longer strands, ensuring your mane ends up with a smooth and glossy finish. Need we say more?
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Honey Infused Hair Oil by Gisou
Infused with Mirsalehi honey from the Mirsalehi Bee Garden, use this oil when pre-styling and finishing hair to keep frizz and flyaways at bay, polish split ends and nourish your mane over all. It also adds shine while rebuilding and repairing hair to restore natural moisture balance for the healthiest and softest locks out there.
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Rare Oil Style Perfecting Serum by Marula Oil
“This serum works a treat even on finer hair textures as it doesn’t weigh strands down,” says Nader. “I find that some serums can sometimes make those beautiful blondes look a little brassy because the serum is too yellow.”
Rare Oil Style Perfecting Serum by Marula Oil, $42 at https://www.ssshair.com.au/marula-oil-rare-oil-style-perfecting-serum-100ml.html
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The Polish Un-frizz Cream by Virtue Labs
Working to condition and smooth hair—no matter if its wet or dry—Virtue Lab’s Un-Frizz cream does exactly that and more. Complete with its patented Alpha Keratin 60ku protein, it works to bind directly to the hair to fill and smooth cracks along the cuticle, meaning that present day and future strands are well-nourished and kept calm.
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Helios Hair Dryer Wide Nozzle by ghd
The narrower your nozzle, the better the result of a smoother long-lasting blow-dry,” Nader suggests. “Glide the nozzle down the hair shaft in smooth motions and on a temp that isn’t too high. Don’t use excessive heat when blow-drying, as you’ll only do your poor hair strands more harm than good.”
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Make Me Shine Spray Gloss by ELEVEN Australia
Jam-packed with anti-humectants, Make Me Shine Spray Gloss is a go-to for locking out moisture and humidity, while working to keep your hair smooth and frizz-free. The best bit? Its lightweight texture means it feels almost weightless on the hair, making it perfect for thin to thick strands.
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Glide Smoothing Hot Brush by ghd
Tames stubborn strands and calms down frizz, the Glide Smoothing Hot Brush is a heated brush that uses its ceramic and ionic technology to create silky hair quickly. Its combination of high density short and long bristles make it easier to style large sections of hair at once, meaning less damage to your strands.
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Impermeable Anti-Humidity Spray by Oribe
A lightly textured formula, Oribe’s anti-humidity finishing spray works to protect hair from frizz even on the most steamy days and nights, shielding sleek blowouts and keeping curls perfect. Not only does it help keep frizz non-existent and hair care low-maintenance, it is suitable for colour and keratin treated hair, as well as helping to protect against UV damage.
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Good Behavior Spirulina Protein Smoothing Spray by IGK
Created as a multi-purpose hairspray, IGK’s offering aids in protecting hair from heated styling while also nuturing each strand with much-needed vitamins and minerals. Boasting 24-hour frizz control and protection against temperatures of up to 450ºC, it’s sure to keep your sleek style lasting longer.
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Frizz Ease Secret Weapon Crème by John Frieda
John Frieda’s cult-favourite styling crème replaces the natural oils lost to blow-drying and daily styling stress. Use the product on wet or bone dry hair to instantly camouflage dullness, puffiness and frayed split ends. Adding an ultra-glossy shine to the hair, it works to tame rebellious strands and protect hair from the heat without looking greasy.
