Countering Low with High ... Humidity That Is!

It really does feel like a gamble, when dealing with high-humidity-hair. Humph.

Before beginning, I'd like to note 2 main differences between low-humidity hair and high, other than the simple fact that, well, one is waaaaay easier than the other. On that note:

1. You'll notice that I have only one category for high-humidity as opposed to the multiple for low. "Frizzy & Stringy." That's right. Even upon exiting the shower, you're hair will tell you that it's humid by donning a frizzy and stringy exterior. As you progress throughout your wash-cycle, your hair will only assume variations of the above 2 textures. Below is 1 long guide that you can apply to all of those variations.

2. There are a bunch of hidden tips in this post. At the end, I will try to summarize!

Enjoy...


High-Humidity Hair -
Put away the garlic and crucifixes... There are ways to style during even the most horrifying of days.

Frizzy & Stringy - higher-humidity, after your first wash or rinse or non-rinse...

Definition: Oh man. I hate when this happens. It's usually around 6:30am, when I wake-up late but haaaave to wash my hair, and before I have a chance to glance outside, let alone fully open my eyes. There it is: Humidity. Personified by my hair. (If that's possible). Ugh, it is the worst!

For one, I've done everything right. Foundational (great cut and maintenance). Shampoo & Bb Super Rich. Leave-in. T-shirt Dry. Everything! I cannot fully describe the knot that I swallow as I untie my T-shirt towel to see a "fresh-palette" of frizzy and stringy. What happened to sleek and glossy??? I ask indignantly. I know they're there, somewhere!!! Humph, the worst.


Styling: I'll be honest. I haven't yet perfected the art of styling humidity-drenched-tresses. Straight-up, my number 1 defense is actually "set-it" techniques, which come last. Namely: diffusing and setting with an anti-humidity spray. (Oribe's Impermeable!!!! Even in winter. Yes - it can be humid in the winter!). Here, my point is to stress that even if throughout styling, your strands look ragged and haggard (... they might), do not lose hope. Diffusing will make it work.

1. leave-in: Because I typically don't know that it's humid until I unravel and free the curls that be ... I typically follow the same routine. Dab of conditioner directly following my shower.

However, on particularly humid days (aka very frizzy, stringy strands), I might spritz 'er down with a bit more water and add either more conditioner or a different leave-in. Currently, I use Neutrogena Triple Moisture for back-up. (It's thick, so a bit will go a long way, especially in already damp hair.)

2. style-it: Coat those strands with some gel. I emphasize gel because here, as I've found with my hair in the past, mousse is not dense enough to weigh down the follicle. In fact, I've found that in higher-humidity weather in general, mousse sometimes dries-out hair faster than gel. Important distinction: "to dry-out" and "to dry" and "to have low-moisture content" all differ drastically. Quickly -

To dry-out: means to extract needed-moisture from the follicle and cuticle when, in fact, this moisture is what prevents frizz. "To dry-out" is never good.
To dry: simply means to use a heat source (be it natural sunlight or added electricity) to remove excess moisture that lays atop the hair follicle
To have low-moisture content: means to balance absorbed moisture (to maintain follicle smoothness) with excess moisture (brought on by humidity). This is always good.

**Warning!: Please note. I am not a hair stylist nor a hair-care professional. Hell, I haven't even done formal research on this. The above distinctions are from what I've observed and are deducted based upon my own experiences with my own hair. Please do not take them as scientific or even aesthetic maxim.** Moving on ...

In short, use gel. Coat the strands, perhaps more than you would with a low-humidity scrunch. From here, oscillate between scrunching at the roots, to provide lift, and twirling at the base, to add shape. Believe me. It might not look pretty. It might look flat and string and ugly and hopeless. It's not.

3. set-it: Diffuse. You might even need to alternate between adding water (via faucet to finger-tips or spray bottle to hair) and adding heat. Does this slow down the process? Yes. Does this make sense? Yes. I like to think of the clay-analogy. Don't potters continually, though gradually and in a controlled manner, add water to the clay of which they form, in order for it to ultimately dry? Yes. Remind you of curls? It does, me. Sometimes, while diffusing, you need to add moisture, in a controlled manner/environment, to shape the curl the way you see fit. I promise that as you keep with it, you will begin to see the formation of shapely, defined curls. After this: spray. Spray each layer of hair with anti-humidity spray. This will coat each curl with to shield them from lingering moisture, and it lends a flexible hold (if you buy a good spray)!

The only other tip I can give is this: Silicone. Silicone products are widely used in the curly-hair industry. Check-out any John Freida. You will see that this is true. While some critics shun silicone, for its propensity to accumulate onto the hair follicle thereby drying-it-out in the long run, others extol it. Truly, it builds a protective barrier against unwanted moisture while maintaining and adding shine. In my experiences, and based upon advice from my hair stylist, silicone is great if you care for your hair regularly.

That is: shampoo thoroughly, but not overly (2-3 xs/week even with exercise!); maintain moisture within the cuticle via regular conditioning and leave-in treatments; lovelovelove your hair. Also, if you find extra build-up on your hair while shampooing, ABSTAIN from using a clarifying shampoo. This can strip your hair of its natural conditioning agents. Instead, double shampoo with your normal product. In fact this morning, when I felt residual build-up on my strands after the first shampoo, I did just that. A second shamp. It will cleanse and hydrate.

Back to the silicone. After applying so much product and diffusing ad nauseum (b/c it might feel that way), your strands will look shapely and defined. But they might also look super dry. Desert-like. A high-quality anit-humidity spry like Oribe's will add the luster you're looking for, and so an additional silicone product isn't necessary. However, if you're out or if you're not using it, I've found that any available drug-store hair serum--(check the ingredients: I bet one of the first is silicone!)--will provide a similar sheen after a few pumps placed from fingertips to roots to tips.

Whew! Hot, Hazy, & Humid is Hard Work! Here are some Tips to make it more manageable...

High-Humidity Hair Tips:

1. Know your Terms: Understand the difference between "to dry-out," "to dry," and "to have low-moisture content"
2. Have Hope: Stick with your styling even if frizzy and stringy look imminent. The real definition will come with diffusing.
3. More Gellies: Gel is denser than mousse, so I've found that gel adds more defining weight to my curl as I style through the frizz and the fray. Whichever you use, use more than you think necessary.
4. H to the Frizzo: As in H20 + Frizz ... Anyhow: it's the opposite! You might need to add spritzes of water, in controlled amounts, as you style your curls, and even as you diffuse, to counteract the frizz. It will take longer to style and set, but it will also give you greater control.
5. Silicone Valley: You've all heard me tout the incredible, miraculous Oribe Impermeable. Best anti-humidity spry going. Seriously. Spray this on strands--all over strands--to add shine (and a distinctly delicious fragrance) and to hold your curls. However, if you've run-out or you have-not, buy a hair serum. Pump a few dollops onto your finger tips and massage throughout curls to obtain a similar effect.
6. Clearly Don't Clarify: Actually, it's not so clear. When using all of this product, especially with curls which require at least a leave-in at best, one might assume the a clarifying shampoo is curls-best-friend, or mother, or something. ... It's not. However, especially with the use of silicone products, residue will build. Instead of using a clarifying shampoo, which can strip hair of its natural moisturizing agents, double your current shampoo. That's right. When you find residue lingering on your tresses after the first shampoo, give 'er another. That'll do.
7. High Low New Combo: Omg! I've never divulged about diffusing. How silly of me. When I say high, I mean use the highest heat possible, especially in cooler temps. This will ensure that your hair actually dries sometime that day. When I say low, I mean use the lowest setting possible for blow-intensity. (Wow, I'm really lacking on the terminology here.) For instance, my blow-drier has 2 intensity settings: high and low. I use low. If yours has 3, ie. a medium, decide which is best for you. However, I've found (and my stylist has concurred) that the high-intensity setting often causes more frizz than fab. So there it is: high & low.

Happy Styling Ladies and Lads! (Ya never know...).

<3