Frizz gets a bad rap, especially in the curly–coily hair world. Whether your client’s unique texture was compared to unrealistic beauty standards, or there was pressure to fit in with damaging chemical straighteners—frizz makes people feel some type of way. 

Contrary to popular belief, frizz is not always a bad thing—it might even be by design. 

not all frizz is created equal

Humidity isn’t the only thing to blame for frizz (looking at you, Florida). It can come from natural hair’s texture or shape, or environmental factors that are worsened by damage. Here’s what we mean…

Frizz from natural texture and shape happens when strands aren’t in formation with the rest of the curls and coils. They break free from the crowd and stand on their own, creating a soft halo around your client’s crown—a one-of-a-kind accessory. Sometimes I create it on purpose, using a hair pick to shape their hair to new heights. Embracing these voluminous, less-defined locks are one of the many modes of curly–coily expression. 

Then there’s not-so-intentional frizz. What I like to call “wet frizz” in humid environments. Hair picks up water molecules in the environment, which causes different points along the hair fibers to swell unevenly. This changes the shape of the hair, straying away from the patterns we expect. 

So avoid humid environments and you’re good…right? Well, frizz can happen in dry environments too, from charge buildup. You see, hair naturally carries a negative charge. In cold, dry climates, like charges repel and push strands away from each other. This is what we call “dry frizz” or staticky flyaways.