The Secret to Frizz-Free Hair, According to Top Stylists

Elle

14 hours ago

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Some days, you feel like 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, 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 expert advice from these two pros and get your frizz under control in no time.
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 various shampoos and conditioners. Noble urges the frizz-prone to stay away from sulfates, as they can further dry out your hair. Dueñas recommends looking for products with silicone, argan oil, camellia oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, hydrogenated castor oil, and sebacic acid.
Dueñas suggests 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 Dueñas. 'If you're blow-drying your hair, use a dime-sized amount, spread it throughout your hair in the shower, and leave it in.' He advises against applying the product at the root and instead suggests applying it from mid-shaft to the ends of your strands.
For added protection, once you finish washing your hair, add a serum or cream. Dueñas recommends applying a leave-in treatment before styling to help fight frizz, enhance shine, and soften the hair.
Dueñas offered a quick science lesson that might convince you to put down the straightener. 'Laying off the heat is never a bad idea,' he says. 'Frizz happens when your hair lacks moisture. To compensate, it spreads out, increasing surface area to draw moisture from the air. The more hydrated your hair is, the less frizz you'll see. So if you use less heat, your hair retains more natural moisture—meaning less frizz.' Simple as that.
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.
The consensus among stylists? If you're prone to frizz, limit washing to once or twice a week. It's all about balance. 'Washing your hair too often strips it of natural moisture, leading to frizz,' says Dueñas. 'Too infrequently, and you risk flat strands or product buildup, depending on your natural oils.' As the saying goes: everything in moderation—including moderation.
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.