When I was young and had long, thick curly red hair, rainy weather meant one thing. Rising humidity. All the straightening and styling of my hair was in vain and my hair swelled up like crystal tips. If you’re not old enough to remember Crystal Tips and Alistair from the cartoons, just think of them as giant, fluffy triangles popping on their heads.
So why does your hair get frizzy or even dry when it rains? The bottom line is that human hair is very sensitive to humidity, so we use humidity, which measures the amount of water vapor in the air. So much so that it can be used in a device called a meter.
The reason for its high reactivity is that hair is made of keratin strands held together by three types of bonds. These include hydrogen bonds, which easily break when hair gets wet and quickly recombine when it dries. This explains why washing and blow-drying can transform your style, but it also explains why humid weather can make even the most enthusiastic heat styling a bust. Here are his five strategies for facing the elements head on and taking back control.
moisturize hair
It sounds counterintuitive, but dry, damaged hair is porous, so it easily absorbs moisture from the atmosphere. On the other hand, if your hair is smooth, supple, and has a flat cuticle, it will be less prone to dryness. There are countless moisturizing products out there. If you’re not willing to buy expensive medicines, you don’t need to stay hydrated without costing the planet. Dove’s Daily Moisture 2in1 Shampoo + Conditioner costs just £2.25 and goes a long way. However, do not use boiling water for rinsing. Lowering the temperature will smooth the cuticle.