Flyaway Hair Happens to Everyone: 10 Hair-Taming Tips

Is flyaway hair ruining your #lewk? It does tend to do that, doesn’t it? Flyaways are hair strands that stick out or stray from the rest. For this reason, they're described as “rebellious” — just not the sexy kind. Flyaway hair can happen to any hair type or texture. Hair growth, dryness, and breakage are usually the reason behind this normal yet sometimes frustrating situation. If you want to know more about managing your tikwas, read on.

Sometimes, flyaway hair is simple baby hairs that are too short to stick with the rest of the hair. If this is the case, you just have to ride it out until they grow longer. Pat them down with hairspray during the awkward length phase. Unfortunately, managing tikwas is not always as simple. Sometimes, flyaway hair arises from breakage or split ends, which require a more long-term approach to their rebellion. Humidity and dryness may also factor in your flyaway strands. 

Ultimately, your hair will react to the weather and products you use, depending on its condition and health. You may find it challenging to pinpoint a single cause, but luckily there are many ways to address it while you work on making your hair healthier. 

The drier the tips, the higher they fly. Dry hair cuticles open to take moisture from the air and swell, resulting in frizz and so-called flyaway hair. It happens more often when you have wavy hair, which is more inclined to dryness. It also tends to swerve in different directions. Curly hair and even fine hair can experience flyaway hair, but it’s usually less noticeable.

The key to preventing dry ends is to get a regular trim or dusting. A trim will take off about an inch off the length, while a dusting will take off much less if you want to keep your current style and hair shape. These keep the tips of your hair in top shape and less prone to flyaways.

Everyone gets frizzy hair from time to time. It’s natural, especially when it’s hot or humid. However, if you want to get rid of frizz to avoid flyaways, you can address this quickly with anti-frizz products. 

TRESemmé Keratin Smooth KERA10 Conditioner, for example, has heat and humidity protection, apart from frizz-fighting, detangling, flyaway-taming, and moisturizing benefits. Both the shampoo and conditioner have KERA10 Protein Complex that penetrates hair 10 layers deep for salon-quality smoothness.

If your hair is reasonably healthy, but it's still wayward, try swapping your regular towel for a microfiber one. Any fiber with a single denier or less is microfiber. It’s 1,000 times finer than human hair and 200,000 fibers per square inch, therefore absorbing more water faster. Because of this, you don’t need to ruffle or squeeze your hair that much, which is what causes frizz and flyaways.

This type of friction disrupts the flat cuticles, strains the hair, and can lead to damage over time. Instead, wrap your wet hair with microfiber for 20 to 30 minutes to completely dry it, or wrap it for 10 minutes and air-dry.

Are you using a brush on wet hair? If your hair is prone to unruliness, using a brush when your hair is still wet or damp may worsen the issue. Wet hair is more fragile, so pulling at it with a brush may cause damage. Instead, manage wet hair with a wide-tooth comb, which will easily glide between wet strands and detangle without friction or tension.

If you have long hair, you can try using a paddle brush. It has a wider base and fewer bristles to smoothen your hair out and reduce frizz. However, use it only when your hair is dry!

If you're already doing the previous tip yet you still have flyaway hair, consider the tool in your hand. Plastic combs tend to create more tikwas and make your hair prone to static. Switch to metal or wooden combs or brushes. They are softer on your strands and help prevent breakage.

Static makes your hair shoot up all over your head. Not-so-scientifically, it's when your hair picks up an electric charge from friction or the weather. The strands begin to repel each other, causing the directional shift. This usually happens during colder months. You can manage it by ensuring your hair is properly conditioned. You should also avoid other habits that can increase static, such as using heat tools and plastic combs (read earlier tip).

Even the most well-behaved hair gets bad days. That's life. When you have those unruly hair days or you're just too lazy to make the effort, you can hide your flyaways with a hairstyle, such as tying your hair back in a bun or simply braiding it. You can also use a headband or play up your style with a bandana.

Do you want smooth hair? Try this hair-taming hack. Take any spray-on styling product and spray a generous amount on your comb or hairbrush before combing it through your hair. Think of the style you want. You can either start at the very top of your head or from the middle part of your hair. If you have more frizz on your hair, comb it from the root. However, if your concern is more on taming your flyaway hair, you can start from the middle, making sure to brush inwards to counter tikwas.

You can also use TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Shine Serum. It has keratin and marula oil to smoothen hair and fight frizz and stubborn flyaways. Make sure to apply only a thin amount of serum from the middle part of your hair to the tips.

When your hair strands are on the thinner side, a toothbrush might be more effective in taming those stubborn flyaways. Similar to the tip above, simply spray the toothbrush with hairspray or apply a leave-on conditioner. Gently glide it over the petulant strands and enjoy a sleeker look. You can also use a clean mascara wand.

You've probably been in this scenario before. You did all the right steps, so your hair looks tame and well-managed. The moment you step outside, it's flyaway hair city. It's not like you can come back home and do everything all over again.

Don't fret when tikwas happens outside your home. The solution is just inside your purse. For example, you can use lip balm, petroleum jelly, or lotion as your flyaway first-aid. Rub the product on your hands then pat it on the wayward strand.

Tikwas is not your destiny! Manage flyaway hair with these easy-to-follow haircare hacks and products.