Hair Loaded with Electricity

Woman with static hair
 
Q: My hair is loaded with electricity after washing it, making it difficult to comb. Is there any easy solution?
 
A: Many people find that their hair becomes loaded with static electricity after washing, making it difficult to comb, style, and control. Instead of lying smoothly, the strands seem to repel each other, causing flyaways and making the hair feel unruly. This is a very common problem and often becomes even more noticeable during the winter months.
 

Why Clean Hair Gets Static

Freshly washed hair is especially prone to static because shampoo removes dirt, oil, and product buildup from the hair. Clean hair has less of the natural oils that help keep the hair shaft smooth and reduce friction. As a result, the strands can easily become electrically charged as they rub against each other, your towel, your clothing, or your brush. If you blow-dry your hair immediately after washing, the moving air and friction can add even more static.
 
Environmental conditions also play a major role. Drier air, extra layers of clothing, and the friction created as you move through these environments generate a lot of static electricity. Heated indoor air during the colder months removes moisture from both your hair and the surrounding air, making static even more likely because moisture is needed to help dissipate electrical charges. Fine, dry, or chemically treated hair tends to be affected the most.
 

Neutralizing Static

One of the easiest ways to combat static after washing is to use a smoothing serum or leave-in conditioner on your hair after towel-drying it, but before using a blow-dryer. These products coat the hair shaft with silicone or cationic (positively charged) ingredients. Because freshly washed hair carries a net negative electrical charge, these positively charged conditioning molecules actively bind to the strand to neutralize the static, seal in moisture, and smooth the cuticle.
 
Using a moisturizing conditioner every time you wash your hair can also make a noticeable difference. A good conditioner helps replenish moisture, smooth the hair's outer layer, and drastically reduce the friction that leads to static.
 
Woman with healthy looking, curled hair
 

Drying and Styling Techniques

When drying and styling your hair, keep friction to a minimum:
 
• Gentle Towel Drying: Avoid rubbing your hair vigorously with a rough towel, as this creates excess friction and static. Instead, gently squeeze or blot away excess water with a microfiber towel or a soft cotton t-shirt.
 
• Smart Blow-Drying: If you use a blow-dryer, choose a lower heat setting and finish styling with a cool shot to help seal the hair cuticle.
 
• Choose the Right Tools: Swap out plastic combs and brushes, which readily collect electrons and generate static. Opt for wooden or bone combs, or a boar-bristle brush, to glide through hair without building up an electric charge.
 
©Hairfinder.com
 
See also:
 
How to get rid of static hair
 
Nylon clothes and static hair
 
Flat iron straightening and static hair