Static electricity can wreak havoc on even the most meticulously-styled hair. When hair becomes positively or negatively charged, it tends to cause otherwise tame hair to stand on end and become a bother throughout the day. What causes static in your hair? How can you get rid of it? Can you prevent static in hair? We’ve put together some answers to the most important questions.
What is Static Electricity?
Static electricity occurs when there are too many positive or negative charges on or in an object. These charged ions have to go somewhere and this often results in a static “shock”. A common example might be walking across a carpet in woollen socks. The friction causes a build-up of charged ions that, when you touch another surface such as a doorknob, the extra charges release themselves in the form of static.
What Causes Static in Hair?
Your hair, just like the rest of your body, can build up electrical charges, too.
As another example, wearing a hat can cause electrons to build up as it rubs against your scalp. When you remove it, the negative electrons can go with it, leaving your hair positively charged. This results in your hair lifting up because your now-positive hairs are repelling each other. Generally, hair is negatively charged and there are several products on the market that can help to deionize your hair.
How To Get Rid of Static In Hair
It doesn’t take much to get rid of static in your hair. Odds are, you already have some of these solutions in your home.
Tips for getting rid of static
- Gently rub your hair with a dryer sheet. This can also be used on your brush or pillow before bed to remove excess static.
- Use hairspray or a light leave-in conditioner. This helps to moisturise your hair and reduce flyaways.
- Use a facial moisturiser on static hair. The moisturiser helps to lubricate your hair while also imparting a positive charge. Moisturising products typically work to reduce static while protecting your hair and minimising breakage.
- Put some water on your fingertips and run them over your hair. This restores the positive-and-negative charge balance.
- Use a static guard as you might use for your laundry. Spray it onto your brush and comb through flyaways. This lets you apply an anti-static product only to the areas that need it instead of weighing down all of your hair.
Can I Prevent Static In My Hair?
Using hair care products that add positive charges to your hair is one of the keys to preventing static. Typically, this involves products that contain amino acids as these are positively charged proteins. These are great at preventing static buildup in your hair.
The following tips can also prevent static in your hair:
- Reduce dryness with moisturising conditioners. Dry hair is more prone to static, so look for conditioners that contain oils or butters that help seal in moisture.
- Use a metal comb as these conduct electricity which will help remove electrical particles from your hair and onto the comb. Plastic combs can actually increase the amount of static as they don’t conduct electricity.
- Us an ionic blow-dryer to dry your hair. Since water molecules are positively charged, hair dryers that give off negative ions help shrink water particles and smooth out your hair.
- Choose hats, headbands, and scarves made from natural fibres such as cotton, silk, or wool. These don’t hold as much of an electrical charge as synthetic fibres do. Try to avoid nylon and polyester, which are more likely to induce static.
- Use a deep-conditioning treatment like a coconut or avocado hair mask once a week to keep your hair moisturised.
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