Nylon Clothes and Static Hair

Woman wearing nylon clothes
Photo: Nikuwka/Shutterstock
Q: There's static electricity on my hair when I pull nylon clothes over my head and it takes a long time before the static goes away. I like to wear shiny polyamide and polyester blouses and turtlenecks, but I hate it when they make my hair static. How can I prevent the static? Do I need a certain hair product to prevent the static caused by pulling clothes on, or do I need to treat the clothes?
 
A: Well, treating the clothes is a good option if you are averse to using too many products in your hair. There are anti-static sprays available, and many fabric softeners provide anti-static protection as well. You can also reduce static by avoiding over-drying synthetic garments and, when the air is very dry, by increasing the humidity indoors.
 

Hair Product Solutions

There is a simple, basic hair product that is useful to combat static: hair spray. After pulling on your static-causing clothes, apply a very light mist of hair spray to your hair, let it dry and brush through your hair to remove any stiffness. Aerosol hairspray is often convenient for applying a very light mist. However, there is no particular reason to say that aerosol hairspray is more effective than other types.
 
You can also use lightweight, conditioning, or silicone-based hair products to help control static. These products can form a light film on your hair, which reduces friction and helps minimize the buildup and persistence of electrical charge. When applying these products to dry hair, use a very small amount. Applying too much can leave your hair looking and feeling greasy.
 

Understanding Polyamide, Nylon, and Polyester

Just for the sake of completeness: you wrote that you have static electricity problems with nylon clothing made of polyamide and polyester. Nylon is a type of polyamide, and clothing labeled "polyamide" is almost always made from nylon-type fibers. However, polyamide is the broader chemical term, and nylon and polyamide are not completely interchangeable in every context.
 
Polyester is another type of synthetic fiber, but it is chemically distinct from nylon and polyamide and is produced from a different polymer altogether. Because polyester and nylon can look and feel almost identical in finished clothing, it is easy to confuse the two.
 
Woman wearing a polyester sleeveless turtleneck
 
Outfits made from polyamide and polyester come with plenty of benefits, so it makes total sense why you enjoy wearing them. Both types of fiber generally have relatively low moisture absorption compared with natural fibers, dry rapidly and are often lightweight, smooth and wrinkle resistant. However, because they hold so little moisture, they are especially prone to generating static electricity when the environment is dry.
 
And then there is also the beautiful visual aspect due to the sheen of these fabrics, which can sometimes complement the sheen of your hair.
 
©Hairfinder.com
 
See also:
 
Static hair and spray laminator
 
Flat iron straightening and static hair
 
Hair loaded with electricity after washing it