Why Does My Hair Stick Up? | 4 Main Reasons

You know how annoying it is to have unruly strands if you’ve ever had to deal with them. In a frustrating time, you could ask, “Why does my hair stick up?”

Why Does My Hair Stick Up?

New research suggests that the average American deals with bad hair days 96 times a year. This includes having frizzy hair, hair loss, greasy hair, and other issues.

Hair sticks up for a variety of reasons including, humidity, hair damage or regrowth, static electricity, and hair type. Let’s go down to the root of the problem and examine what makes hair frizzy and unmanageable.

1. Humidity

The quantity of moisture in the air is referred to as humidity. When there is more water in the air than in your hair, water molecules will go into your hair, dissolving the hydrogen bonds that keep your hair together.

This results in your hair inflating and taking on a new, often more texturized form as a result of the process. Because your hair is reshaping, it may begin to stick up and differentiate itself from the rest of the strands.

2. Hair Damage

Many flyaways may result from hair breakage. The term “flyaways” refers to the short, stray strands of hair that refuse to stay in place. They may make an ordinarily smooth hairdo seem unruly if they poke up or out.

They occur when a strand of hair is broken off midway down or when newly grown hair hasn’t yet caught up to the total length of your hair. They won’t feel as bogged down as the rest of your hair since they’re shorter.

Read Next: How to Get Rid of Flyaways on Your Head

3. Static Electricity

Static electricity is likely to blame if your hair still refuses to lie flat after brushing thoroughly. This will happen if you rub two materials that don’t conduct electricity together.

The plastic comb or brush and your dry hair are both non-conductors of electricity. When you use a plastic comb to brush your dry hair, the two get opposite charges. The cleaner your hair, the better it conducts electricity, and the more it sticks up.

Each strand has the same electric charge. As a result, they all move apart as much as possible. Because of the comb’s opposing charge, your hair is drawn to it.

4. Hair Type

Certain types of hair are more likely to stick straight up than others. The growth pattern of curly and kinky hair is upwards and outwards rather than downwards. Curly hair also tends to be drier, which may result in more breakage and flyaways in the hair.

How to Prevent Hair from Sticking Up

The following strategies should become part of your routine to reduce flyaways. Pick the one that best suits you, or experiment with them all. Some solutions to this “flyaways” problem include:

Moisturize

The best way to prevent hair from breaking is to keep it hydrated. Apply a high-quality, water-based moisturizer, and then follow up with a sealing oil or thick hair cream to keep in the moisture.

Be wary of using a shampoo that’s too harsh on your hair, and treat it to a deep conditioning treatment a few times a month.

Use Hair Serum

Because of their wide range of uses, hair serums are a fantastic addition to any beauty kit. They protect your hair from damaging elements like:

• Dust 
• Pollution
• Heat 

Hair serum protects your hair while smoothing, de-frizzing, and highlighting as well. It is simple to apply, and many people do so after washing their hair before styling it. After drying your hair, give the areas where it tends to fly away with a shine serum.

Because of the oiliness of these serums, a small amount is all that’s required to treat one’s hair. Applying a small amount to the region where the flyaway is located is an effective spot treatment.

Use Hairspray

You may prevent the buildup of static electricity in your hair by applying a small amount of lightweight hairspray to a paddle brush and then brushing your hair. However, it would be best if you try avoiding hair brushing too vigorously, particularly during the colder months of the year.

Use Hair Accessories

Instances in which your strands refuse to lie flat might be remedied with the help of hair accessories. You may tame unruly locks with hair clips, hair bands, bobby pins, scarves, ties, and hats. 

Just tame stray hairs with your hands and use the accessory to keep them in place. Even if it’s not a long-term solution, it offers a practical answer to the problem in the near term.

Reduce Hair Breakage

If your hair sticks up due to flyaways, the most effective and long-term approach to get your hair to lie down flat is to reduce the amount of damage your hair experiences. You can do several things to make your hair healthier and less prone to breaking.

The more you steer clear of damaging chemical treatments and hair styling, the less likely your hair will break. Use a heat protectant before exposing anything to heat, even if it’s only a little bit.

Try a Keratin Treatment

A keratin treatment may help repair hair gaps that have been damaged or have high porosity. If your hair has fewer gaps, it will be able to retain more moisture and will be less prone to break if it has breakage. However, protein treatments aren’t appropriate for everyone.

So, use caution as you determine whether or not your hair can tolerate them. Additionally, it’s best if you only use these treatments once or twice per month at the most. If you use them too often, it might cause your hair to get dry.

Protect Your Hair While You Sleep

To prevent damage to your hair while sleeping, try to sleep with a hat or scarf made of silk or satin wrapped over your head. Switch to a pillowcase made of silk or satin if you’d prefer not to bury your head in your pillow. 

These materials are less drying than cotton. As a result, they may support your hair in maintaining its natural moisture levels throughout the night. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions regarding flyaway hairs:

So, Why Does My Hair Stick Up?

One of the most common causes of unmanageable, frizzy hair that keeps on sticking up is a lack of moisture in the hair. We hope that by using our strategies, you will be able to not just keep your hair in place but also have the confidence to go outside in style.