Have you ever tried to wear a woolen sweater and found your hair standing on its end? Yeah, that's due to static hair. There are multiple such instances where you might have witnessed static hair. For example, when you wear a hat or a cap, when you cover your head with a scarf, when you wear a woolen sweater/hoodie or when you use a plastic comb.

Static hair can be experienced even more commonly during winter, giving rise to frizz, brittle hair and therefore hair fall. However, if you are facing this issue, you have nothing to worry about, because it can all be managed with the right tips and tricks, which this article will bring to you! But before we get into all those deets, let’s first understand what static hair is.

1. What is static hair?
2. What are the causes of static hair?
3. How to get rid of static hair?

What is static hair?

When your hair rubs against a rough surface, it causes an electric charge in your hair, which makes your hair stand on its end or become frizzy or get attracted to another surface (lots of experiments have been done by rubbing a balloon on your hair and then seeing how your hair gets attracted to the balloon). This is called static hair. Now you must be wondering, what exactly causes static hair? Read on to know more.

What are the causes of static hair?

When your hair gets rubbed against rough surfaces (more commonly in winter), the friction leads to static electricity being developed between the surfaces. It is usually caused by the flow of electrons from one object to another and an electron buildup in one of the objects. This leads to one of the objects being positively charged while another object is negatively charged. Due to the presence of electrons in your hair, the flow of static electricity becomes easy and hence, a static charge is developed in your hair which leads them to get attracted to a surface (or a balloon), stick to woollen surfaces, cause flyaways, etc.

Additionally, static hair is caused when there is a change in humidity. Since there is very little moisture in the air during winters, your hair tends to become drier, which increases the chance of static charge being developed in them. Static hair can then lead to your hair becoming frizzy, brittle, and weak which might ultimately cause hair fall. Here are some tips and tricks, to combat them.

How to get rid of static hair?

Now that you know what is static hair and what causes it, it’s time to get to the crux of the matter - how to get rid of it. Here are some hair care tips that you can follow to help fight static hair.

1. Use a good conditioner: Conditioners offer double protection to help you avoid static hair and replenish the moisture lost during colder weather. However, knowing how to use a conditioner is super important. Conditioners contain a blend of moisturizing nutrients that work through each layer of your hair. The moisturizers present in the conditioner, shield your hair from the friction that leads to flyaways.

The right way of using a conditioner is by applying it from the mid to the lower ends of your hair and not on the scalp. We recommend selecting a product from Pantene’s range of Advanced Hairfall Solution Conditioners as they contain an advanced Pro-Vitamin B5 formula along with Fermented Rice Water that strengthens your hair by forming a protective layer around your strands, thus reducing static hair. It also helps combat hair fall, which can be caused due to frizz and static hair.

2. Use a rich hair mask:

Hair masks help nourish your hair and scalp by moisturizing them. They also help you fight dry, frizzy, and static hair. Since moisturizing your hair is very important to avoid static hair we recommend using Pantene Open Hair Miracle with its oil replacement benefits. Just apply and massage thoroughly on your hair strands and leave it for about 30 minutes. Then rinse it off using lukewarm or cool water. It is a hassle-free process compared to oil, thus giving your soft, moisturized hair without the stickiness of oil!

Pantene Oil Replacement aka Pantene Open Hair Miracle can also be used as a leave-in conditioner on those days when you don't have the extra 5 minutes in the shower to apply and rinse-off your regular conditioner! Furthermore, it can also be used as a serum or as a heat protectant to prevent your hair from styling damage, when using a blow drier or an iron. Open Hair Miracle makes sure to keep frizz at bay all day long. It also gives your hair the right moisturization boost, making it harder for your hair to catch static electricity.

3. Use a metal comb:

Using a plastic comb makes the charges transfer from the comb to hair, causing static hair. Hence, you should switch from a plastic to a metal comb. Metal combs don’t just reduce the static buildup in your hair, they also make the electric charges in your hair discharge easily. This can reduce static hair, frizz and unruliness giving you more manageable locks.

4. Go for silk:

Instead of wool, use silk for your scarf and your hat lining. Wool fibers transfer static to your hair fibers very easily due to their rough surface, which leads to friction easily. But smooth silk glides easily without adding any friction, thus not leading to static hair.

5. Use a humidifier:

To add moisture back to dry, indoor air, use a humidifier. Since static hair is caused by change in humidity, this will help keep it in control. Trust us, your hair will thank you!

All in all, it’s fairly easy to keep static hair at bay and not let it get to your hair. If you follow the above mentioned tips such as how to use a conditioner, it is very easy to avoid static hair. And Pantene makes it even easier by offering a wide range of products to keep your hair frizz-free, hair fall-free and more manageable.