Why Your Hair Is Always So Staticky & What To Do About It
Have you ever been brushing out your hair, only to realize that your hair strands are sticking straight up? What is that about, anyway? Having electrically-charged hair seems like something we should worry about, right? Even if hair static isn’t necessarily a cause for concern, it can be downright annoying when those pesky strands of hair are insistent on not laying down flat.
Battling staticky hair will depend upon a few different factors and circumstances. Weather, your hair care routine, and the health of your hair can all play a role in having staticky hair.
Here at Better Not Younger, we are going to dive deep into figuring out what you can do to prevent staticky hair. After all, your time and energy are precious! Spend less time smoothing down your hair from static with our tips on what you can do about staticky hair.
Why Do I Have Staticky Hair?
Static in your hair can be seen when your hair strands are sticking out even after you have brushed your hair or when your hair seems to be so unmanageable no matter what you do. Static hair builds up an electrical charge you may even witness by getting “shocked” when you touch something after handling your staticky hair.
With a lot of things, we can look to science for the answer to help demystify the joining of hair and static. An electrical charge can build up in our hair. If this sounds like something that may be a cause for concern, don’t fret!
Our entire bodies are capable of building up an electrical charge as well. At its baseline, our hair contains a negative charge. But when met with different electrons, this can change. For example, if you wear a hat or brush your hair, electrons can be swapped, and your hair's charge is now positive.
During certain times of the year, like winter, you may have been zapped when reaching for a car door handle or petting your cat or dog. This is an example of static electricity at play! The common thread through all of these things is that dryness abounds. So by that logic, does having staticky hair mean it's dried out?
There is a very high likelihood that if you are struggling with staticky hair on a routine basis and not after scooting around the carpet in socks during winter, the underlying culprit of your hair static is hair dryness.
What Causes Dry Hair?
A few specific factors can cause dry hair. If you experience a dry scalp, which can especially occur for aging people, there aren’t enough oils being produced to soften and moisturize down to our hair shaft and ends.
The individual hair strands themselves can be damaged where the protective layer is missing, which holds in moisture. This can impact the amount of hair static we experience.
Our hair strands are made up of a few different parts: the cortex, the medulla ( only those with thick or coarse hair strands have a medulla as a part of their hair), and the cuticle. The cuticle of our hair protects the interior of our hair shaft from becoming damaged. If the integrity of our hair cuticle is compromised, this can lead to dryness.
Some ways that our cuticles can become damaged or impaired are:
- Heat styling, either at a higher temperature or without heat protectant
- Salon services such as bleaching or other chemical treatments
- Washing our hair in water that is too hot
Outside interference from the elements can also cause issues and exacerbate staticky hair. Environments like hot, dry climates, spending a lot of time in chlorinated water, wind, and even the winter months spent indoors with a heater can all dry out our hair.
There are many reasons why one might have staticky hair. Heat tools like curling irons, flat irons, and blow dryers can severely dry out your hair, especially when used without a protectant.
Salon treatments like coloring, bleaching, and perms are rough on the hair and can strip away oil and moisture. Using shampoos that aren’t made for your hair type or needs can also do more harm than good, especially if you’re washing your hair more than needed.
Generally speaking, age can play a big factor in how the body changes. This is especially true with hair since the body begins changing, and nutrients to the hair can be lost.
Is Having Staticky Hair Unhealthy?
Now that we understand what may impact whether or not you have to deal with hair static, is having staticky hair unhealthy for you? The short answer is no, not exactly.
The electrical static itself isn’t necessarily the issue or a cause for concern, but it is an indicator. Static won’t do anything to damage your hair, but the cause of hair becoming staticky is likely due to hair being dry. Having dry hair can lead to some issues. Dry hair can be brittle, prone to breakage, have split ends, and can appear dull or lack shine.
Checking for dry hair is quick and easy to do. By brushing your hair, you may see small strands of broken ends that differ from strands that fall out naturally. Broken hair will be missing the root end, usually white or light in color, when it falls out naturally.
Split ends are easy to look for and are what they sound like. The end of a split strand of hair will look like it is turning into smaller threads of hair. Checking for dull or hair lacking shine is easy enough with a mirror. Dull hair will lack a reflective look and instead appear flat.
So while staticky hair itself isn’t unhealthy, it can be a window into a needed change in routine. Some things can be avoided if you notice more pesky static within your hair — most of the time, that will involve addressing the root cause of dryness being the catalyst.
How Do I Get Rid of Static in My Hair?
When tending to the static in your hair, there are some easy ways to help so that your hair doesn’t look like you have rubbed it with a balloon! The solutions can be fairly simple since staticky hair is caused by dryness.
Dry hair needs moisture on a routine basis, and the best way to help it is through products made for your needs. Aging hair is typically drier than what products off the shelf are designed for. With off-the-shelf conditioners, you may use more than what could be needed.
Aging hair that has become dry also needs nutrients that some store-bought conditioners may not have. For a conditioner swap or every other shower approach for treatment, our Hair Redemption Restorative Butter Masque can help resgtore moisture to dry tresses.
Our Second Chance Repairing Shampoo and Conditioner are great swaps for your current shampoo and conditioner. Combined, they can support strong and moisturized locks.
Better Not Younger’s products were made with aging hair in mind — with the goal of helping you age better. We’ve also made it easy to determine the best products for your unique hair goals and needs. Our Better Hair Quiz offers personalized recommendations to help you achieve what you seek regarding your hair health.
What Products Hydrate Hair and Prevent Static?
Preventing your hair from drying out or being dry is the best way to prevent static. And the best way to prevent your hair from being dry? Replenishing moisture through conditioners, deep-conditioning treatments, and hair masks can help!
With aging hair, the right conditioner makes all the difference. That’s why we made our conditioners for people entering a new phase of life. For those with damaged and dry hair, our Second Chance Repairing Conditioner for Dry or Damaged Hair will hydrate and help to repair dry hair.
If you’ve got a sensitive scalp, then Full Transparency Shine Revitalizing Conditioner will gently clean while moisturizing your dry strands. Mongongo oil is rich in fatty acids and aids in adding softness and shine, while ginseng helps support strong and smooth hair.
If conditioning feels like it needs a boost or you are still seeking more hydration, our Hair Redemption Restorative Butter Masque can help. The Hair Redemption masque works to support the natural repairing of dry and brittle hair so that it is soft and more manageable.
Better Not Younger offers an array of products that target dryness and frizz. Your hair care routine will be complete when implementing shampoo, conditioner, heat protectant, conditioning treatment, and serums to target dryness and banish staticky hair once and for all.
ConclusionStaticky hair may feel strange, but it isn’t harmful. Since it’s so easily dealt with, it can be seen as an indicator that your hair may be dry. Conditioning hair is the best way to treat both the static issue and the dry hair associated with it.
At Better Not Younger, we aim to support you in aging better and feeling confident every step of the way.
Sources:
Static Electricity Can Cause Way More Than a Bad Hair Day | HowStuffWorks