I love the rainy season, with its cloudy skies and frequent showers, but I definitely don’t love the effect that the tropical heat and humidity has on my hair. This year I decided to take some expert advice from my go-to hair guru, Saman Nomani of Saman’s Salon, and she had some great tips. If you find beating frizz and hair styling a challenge during the monsoon , read on.
Monsoon Hair Care – why your hair becomes so difficult to manage
One word – humidity. The amount of water moisture in the air (i.e humidity) sky rockets during the rainy season and that means curls and frizz. This is because humid air causes hydrogen bonds to form between water molecules and the proteins in your hair, triggering curls and frizz. …curly hair gets even curlier and even straight hair goes wavy – and the frizz factor affects just about everybody.
Hair Expert Saman Nomani on Monsoon Hair Care
Saman Nomani: I think the key thing to remember in this season is don’t fight nature. Embrace the change in texture in your hair and enjoy the wave or the curl instead of torturing your hair with repeated heat styling. No matter how diligently you iron or tong your hair, the high humidity means that you cannot maintain that the effects of heat styling. Even worse, the more you heat style your hair, the more dehydrated it becomes and this makes it more prone to frizz. Focus instead on fighting frizz by nourishing your hair.
There are some simple tips you can follow to care for your hair and look great during the rainy season.
Top tips for great Monsoon Hair Care
Prep & Nourish
Start giving your hair some TLC before the rainy season even starts. Remember dehydrated hair is more prone to frizz. Treat your hair to some pre-season protein treatments or masks. You can even do this at home as there are some great protein treatments available in stores.
Choose the right shampoo
You may need to change your shampoo to suit the season. Look for words such as moisturising, nourishing and de-frizzing when choosing a shampoo for the rainy season.
Smoothing products
Good finishing products are essential after washing and conditioning your hair. Opt for an anti-frizz serum or a leave-in conditioner. If you have unruly hair that you must heat style, then be sure to use a heat-protecting product first.
Updos
Updo’s are every style insider’s secret weapon to handle the hot humid rainy season. That wavy, curly Monsoon hair texture is actually an advantage with many updos and putting your hair up keeps you cool and eliminates the need for battling with a hairdryer or straightener. An updo can instantly bring your look together with minimum effort. You can sweep your hair into a chignon or a tight bun for a formal look or keep it casual with a slicked back ponytail, loose braids or a messy bun. Add a trendy headband for a cool, contemporary vibe.
De-frizzing long-term treatments for the rainy season
if your hair is unruly, you may want to opt for a long-term protein smoothing treatment that will lock away the frizz and reduce or remove the need for heat styling.
Brazilian Blowout
The Brazilian Blowout is a great treatment for unruly hair. It’s a less intense smoothing treatment than keratin but, like keratin, is a deep protein treatment. With a Blowout you’ll just need to finger dry your hair for a smooth frizz-free result without the need for blow-drying or applying a hair iron. A Blowout lasts 2-3 months, after which you get your natural texture back. Even if you don’t get it touched up, there’s no obvious line between the previously treated hair and new growth, unlike with intense relaxing or straightening methods.
A Blow Out is a smoothing treatment not a straightening treatment so you can still get bouncy curls for a special occasion. The treatment takes about 90 minutes and, unlike keratin, doesn’t require you to return to the salon three days later for your first wash. However a blowout may not be the best choice if you have very curly or frizzy hair so it’s best to consult a stylist who can assess the texture of your hair properly.
Keratin
For truly unruly hair, Keratin may be a better option. A deep protein treatment, Keratin nourishes your hair while smoothing and defrizzing. A Keratin treatment takes about 2-3 hours and lasts 2-3 months. It’s not a straightening treatment so you can still have curls for a special occasion but Keratin minimises the need for heat styling and locks away frizz. You can finger dry or air dry your hair and get a smooth, frizz-free result. A Keratin treatment does require some care for the first three days. You can’t wash your hair and have to avoid tying it back or doing anything that may cause a kink in your hair. Like a Brazilian Blowout, Keratin treatments last only a few months so you won’t see an obvious line between new growth and previously treated hair.
Colouring your hair during the monsoon
Try to avoid chemical treatments during this season as they can dry out your hair, leading to more frizz. If you do need to cover grey, opt for an ammonia-free colour. Not only is it kinder to your hair, but ammonia-free colour is oil-based so it keeps your hair softer and more nourished than regular hair colour.
It’s not a great idea to add highlights during this season as they will dry out your hair more – go for low lights or a partial colour if you want a change.
Managing fine hair in the rainy season
The trick with fine hair is how to nourish it without weighing it down. It’s very important to use the right products and know the tricks of the trade.
Pick the right shampoo
Opt for a clear, gel based shampoo instead of a milky one that may weight your hair down.
Apply a volumising product before styling
There are lots of options including sprays, mousses, gels and serums. Get an expert to help you choose the one that’s right for your hair texture.
Give your roots some volume
Dry shampoo isn’t just for greasy hair. Apply some to your roots after finger-drying your freshly-washed hair for an instant volumising boost at the roots.
How to beat monsoon frizz in a nutshell
The rainy season doesn’t have to mean crazy, frizzy hair. With a little TLC and some expert knowledge – your hair can be shiny, nourished and glossy all year round.
