How To Avoid Humidity Hair: A Southern Woman’s Tips To Loving Your Hair In The Summer

If there is one thing that a southern woman complains about in the summer it is her humidity hair. The heat is one thing. However, when the humidity kicks in that is when the hair battle begins. It doesn’t matter if you have straight or curly hair, fine or thick hair, the humidity in the South can wreak havoc on your blowout. You have to know how to battle it with the right products.

As the daughter of a hairdresser, keeping my hair looking its best has always been a priority in my life. Once I moved to the South after college, I quickly learned a few things about humidity and hair. Yes, I have been dealing with hair battle for over 30 years now. Over the years I have learned several things, so I thought I would share them with you. Just so you know I have fine, straight hair.

Before we dive into how I battle summer humidity, I have written a few other posts about hair you might want to check out.

• Shampoos That Keep Fine Color-Treated Hair Healthy
• Hair Over 50: How To Stop Your Hair From Aging You
• Best Sun Hats To Protect Your Face From The Rays

This article may contain affiliate links; if you click on a shopping link or picture and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. Thank you for shopping thru my links.  Beth

Winning the Humidity Battle

We start our day by making sure our hair is looking its best and that’s how we want it to stay. Am I right? It’s just part of our getting ready for the day process. Many here in the South refer to it as “our crown and glory”. Well, there are so many days that the weather just likes to throw a wrench in our beautifying routine. It doesn’t even have to rain to be humid. That’s what happens in the spring. The summer is just hot and humid. Downright sticky outside. That’s where having the right tools and products makes a difference in the staying power of your blowout or hairstyle for the day.

Why Does Humidity Affect Our Hair?

Our hair strands are porous. The more porous are hair is, the more moisture it absorbs. Humidity creates a weak hydrogen bond with our hair. Thus, allowing in more moisture and resulting in frizz or flatness. Yes, depending upon your hair type your will either get frizz or your hair will be flat and stick to your head.

I am one of the lucky flat hair ladies when the humidity levels are high. That is not a look that I prefer. I don’t go for curls. I just like a nice fullness to my hair to make it look thicker than it really is.

Things You Can Do To Reduce The Effects of Humidity On Your Hair

Here are a few things that you can implement that will help with your humidity battle.

• Wash your hair in cooler water. Not only does it help with frizz, but it will help you make your hair a little shinier. Think about when you get your hair done at a salon, they always do the last rinse with cool to cold water. They want you leaving with your hair looking its best.
• Use an Ionic hair dryer. Because of the ionic technology, this type of hair dryer locks in the moisture leaving your hair smoother and sleeker. You need to make sure that your hair is completely dry before leaving home too. I have used this Ionic hair dryer for years. What I love is that I can adjust the heat levels so that they are not so hot for my fine hair. You can find it at Sephora, Nordstrom, or Amazon.
• Use heat protectant and styling products that are made for your hair type.
• Make sure you keep your hair moisturized.

My Favorite Hair Products To Fight Humidity For Fine Hair

Knowing the products that work for your hair is keep to keeping your hair in tip top shape. Sometimes it is trial and error. Each of us is unique and so is our hair. These are products that I have found that work for my fine, straight hair in humidity season.

Shampoos/Conditioners

A good volumizing shampoo and conditioner is a must for me when humidity season rolls around. My hair needs all of the extra help it can get. I do switch my shampoo and conditioner up. Something that is referred to as hair cycling. This shampoo and conditioner are my favorite “clean” brand. You can find it at Sephora and Amazon.

My other favorite for helping with volume for my fine hair is this shampoo and conditioner. It does not weigh my hair down and keeps it moisturized. You can find it at Sephora and Amazon as well.

Year-round, I swear by this mask on my hair once a week to keep it moisturized. I only get my hair cut every eight weeks and it keeps the split ends away. It also makes my hair feel very silky. You can tell that your hair has had an extra drink of moisture.

Anti-Frizz Treatment

Wowza is all I’ve got to say about this product. Yes, you dry this into your hair for it to do its job. You can tell a difference when your hair is ready for another round. I recently added this one into my routine and not only does it help with the humidity, but it also adds some extra shine. You can find it at Sephora and Amazon.

Trust me, if you have fine hair add to bag and checkout now. You will write me a thank you note for this addition to your bathroom cabinet.

Styling Products

I find that applying mousse to the roots of my hair works best. Since I only apply it at the roots it does not take much at all. Most of the time I will use this mousse. However, this one seems to hold up better for me when the humidity is at its peak in July, August, and early September.

I try not to weigh the ends of my hair down with product so I have been making my own little tonic for years with this thickening cream and this styling mist. It just takes a large pea size amount of the cream and a couple of pumps of spray to work into the ends of my hair.

When I am drying my hair I always use a root boost. This also helps with that dirtying up of my hair so that the blowout will hold better. Honestly, I alternate between this one and this one. Both work well for my hair year round to give me the fullness that I like in the crown of my hair.

Hair Spray

I will admit that I never leave the house without hair spray. The man who cuts my hair has taught me that fine hair holds a blowout better if it has some grit to it or is a little dirty. So once you have finished your blowout or styling your hair for the day add a little grit to it. You can either use a little dry shampoo or a texturizing spray. I just pull up sections of my hair and spray it into the roots and kind of work it in. Then I will put my hair into place and spray it. Personally, I find that the texturizing spray gives my hair more volume.

I have tried so many hair sprays over the years. With fine hair there is a balancing act between getting your hair to stay put and weighing it down. The other issue is that some hairsprays are almost sticky to the touch when humidity season sets it.

There are two hairsprays that I turn to in humidity season. This one is my everyday go to. It does not take much at all. When I need to pull out the big guns like on photo shoot days or days I am on camera, then I use this spray. Yes, it is pricey. That is why I don’t use it daily, but when you need something that you know is going to work thru multiple changes of clothes and touching your hair it is worth every cent. You can find it at Sephora and Amazon.

Styling Tips For Fine Hair In The Summer

I have learned that embracing the natural texture of your hair is the best way to style it in heat and humidity. If your hair is straight, then let it be straight. It can still have a little shape to it and volume but don’t break out the curling iron or curlers. If your hair is curly, let those curls do their thing.

You can always wear your hair back or up if you feel comfortable with that. Last but not least, put on a cute hat and just cover it up. Sometimes that is the easiest answer.

Thanks

Thanks so much for stopping by and reading this post. I really appreciate every read, share, and forward. If you have a friend who needs some help fighting humidity hair in the summer, please pass this along. Also, if you have any products you swear by I’m always open to trying new things and sharing them with others. We all want to look our best all summer as we battle the heat and humidity.

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