page_title: Frizz
section_title: Perception and treatment
hierarchical_section_title: Frizz / Perception and treatment
caption_attribution_description: English: Attractive young woman with frizzy hair
context_page_description: Frizz is hair that does not align with the surrounding hairs, but stands up or curls independently, creating a fuzzy or irregular texture. The three main causes of frizz are genetics, hair damage, and humidity. Frizzy hair can be seen as a positive or a negative trait depending on the current fashion and one's personal preference. Many hair products, such as gels, pomades, and hair waxes, are designed to reduce frizz.
context_section_description: Frizzy hair has been perceived differently in different eras and cultures. Publicity photos of the silent film star Mary Pickford were often backlit, highlighting her halo of frizz, and the frizzy perm was a mainstay of 1980s Western fashion. In the 1979 film My Brilliant Career, when the frizzy-haired Sybylla threatens to cut off all her hair, her aunt Gussie replies, "It'd be a pity to lose your finest asset." Today, some people embrace their natural frizz, while others see it as a problem in need of a solution, and advertisements for hair products often present it as such.
  Those looking for ways to reduce frizz encounter a great deal of conflicting information online and in the media. Products and treatments that work well for one person may not work for another due to factors such as curl pattern, hair density, hair porosity, the amount of sebum produced, whether the individual strands are coarse or fine, protein levels (which are affected by one's diet), allergies to certain ingredients, regional humidity levels, and finally, subjective ideals of beauty. Moreover, some of the methods used to smooth frizz can cause damage, making hair even more frizz-prone than before; for example, flatirons can burn the hair (see Damage, above), and some hair gels contain drying ingredients. Some experts recommend the use of products containing silicones, while others warn that silicones can cause buildup. Myriad products such as serums, pomades, and hair waxes are designed to reduce frizz, and each has its advocates and detractors.
  Some relatively non-controversial recommendations for reducing frizz include regular use of instant, deep, and leave-in conditioners; occasional hot oil treatments; and regular trims to remove any split ends or damaged tips.
caption: Young woman with frizzy hair.
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