This hair hack will cure you of fly-aways (seriously)
Summertime can be a constant battle of expectations vs. reality. You expect to laze around in the sun and tan so beautifully you look like a Brazilian nut, but in reality, you end up with a sunburn redder than a maraschino cherry. You wish for endless days at a perfect seventy-five degrees, but get relentless thunderstorms. And don’t even get me started on hair. In the summer, all you want is mermaid hair, but thanks to humidity and chlorine-damage, you’re instead left with unruly fly-aways that are less “Ariel” and more “Mad Scientist.”
Don’t worry: I have solutions for these gaps between expectations and reality. 1. Wear all the sunscreen. 2. Learn to control the weather (obviously). 3. Dryer sheets.
Yes, that’s right! Dryer sheets are the ultimate DIY hack for curing crazy fly-away hair. You see, those little baby hairs that want to float up next to your head, instead of on it like a well-behaved hair, are being energized by static electricity. Dryer sheets exist solely to fight static electricity – dryer sheets are the Batman to static electric Jokers – which is why if you rub one down the bottom half of your hair, fly-aways will go bye-bye.
Dryer sheets cost way less than any fancy anti-frizz serum, come in boxes of 100, and smell like fresh laundry – and fresh laundry smells like having your life together. Bonus!
Fly-aways usually happen when the ends of your hair become dry and damaged. Protecting your hair from the sun and pool chemicals could prevent that Einstein look. You can also keep conditioner on your head longer in the shower or use a leave-in moisturizing product while your locks are still wet. Your follicles will thank you.
If you’re out and about and fly-away syndrome strikes unexpectedly (and you left all 100 dryer sheets at home), there are two other methods you can try. One is applying the slightest amount of hand lotion on the ends of your hair. Mostly, this weighs the hair down so it won’t look like it’s trying to escape your noggin. Make sure to keep the lotion on the ends, though, because it can make your roots super greasy.
You can also try rubbing an ice cube onto the ends of your hair. It’s refreshing, can freeze out static electricity, and maybe provide a little bit of needed moisture for those ends.
Mermaid hair, here you come.
