It's a bird, it's a plane, it's — your hair defying gravity! And not because you have bouncy curls, either. You've got a hair-raising case of static. The positive charge emanating from your head could light up Las Vegas. And your fly-aways are completely out of control. How do you manage your electrified strands? You've probably already heard about rubbing your head with a dryer sheet. Here are 10 other methods for preventing — and stopping — hair static.
1. Blow dry with an ionic dryer. These special dryers are not only supposed to neutralize the charge of your hair. They're also supposed to break down, rather than evaporate, water. Your hair is more moisturized and less dried out, so it shouldn't fly away so much.
2. Dry with paper towels instead of a blow dryer. Better than blow-drying, try blotting dry with paper towels. Or at least do half of the drying with paper towels. The less time you spend with the blow dryer, the better.
3. Smooth on an anti-frizz treatment. There's a growing army of hair products that give your hair some moisturizing weight so it won't rise above. Even a little oil (argan or almond) on the ends will help.
4. Wash your scalp, not your hair. When you shampoo, focus the scrubbing on your scalp, and just let the suds run over your hair as you rinse out. That way you're not over-drying the ends.
5. Shampoo less frequently. During dry weather, wash your hair less frequently. If your hair has a lot of static, chances are you don't need to wash as much as you do.
6. Smooth moisturizer onto your ends. Just a little dab will do. Smooth on a little after you moisturize your hands. This weighs down your strands without turning your whole head into a greaseball.
7. Turn on a humidifier. If you spend a lot of time in a dry climate, plug in a humidifier. The moisture in the air will help cut the static.
8. Use an anti-static comb. You could try to find a metal, wood, or bamboo comb. But I've seen a lot of "anti-static" plastic combs at most drugs stores.
9. Use a little water. If you don't have access to any of the above, just wet your hair down a little. Dampen your fingertips and run them over your locks for a quick fix.
10. Braid your hair. As a last resort, you can always just braid it all away. Be sure to hairspray everything well so you don't get any strays.
Do you have any other suggestions for controling static-filled hair?
Image via 68/Steve Wisbauer/Ocean/Corbis
