Causes of Wet Frizz & Webbing + How to Fix It!

Does your hair frizz up instantly after you wash it? Does it tangle, stick together, and feel dry even when it’s wet? I’m sharing some of the most common causes of wet frizz and how to get rid of it.

What is Wet Frizz?

Wet frizz typically occurs after washing your hair, and can happen after rinsing out your conditioner and wringing out excess water. Wet frizz can also occur while you are applying your styling products and/or when air drying.

Causes of Wet Frizz

Dry Hair

Dry, thirsty hair is in search of moisture, which leads to flyaways and frizzy hair even when wet. Hair can be dry from damage, improperly moisturizing it, and harsh surfactants.

Harsh sulfates to avoid:

• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
• Sodium Lauryl Sultoacetate
• Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
• Sodium Laureth Sulfate
• Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
• Ammonium Lauryl Ether Sulfate

If you’re not properly hydrating and moisturizing your hair, hair can become dry and brittle. Oils do not hydrate the hair. Instead, oils help lock in moisture. Thus, if your hair is already dry underneath, oils such as coconut oil can just make it feel more dry and brittle and block other moisture from entering.

So how do you properly moisturize the hair? Use conditioners, leave-ins, and creams that add moisture. Look for ingredients such as:

• Water
• Glycerin
• Honey
• Sorbitol
• Cetyl, Stearyl, and Cetearyl Alcohol

Damage and Breakage

Another common culprit of wet frizz is damaged hair from heat styling and chemical damage. Damaged hair is parched, and due to the raised cuticle it is less likely to lay smooth and form clumps.
Breakage is also a common cause of wet frizz due to the shorter length compared the majority of the hairs, making it difficult to group into curl clumps. Damage and breakage take time to grow out, so focus on strengthening your hair for length retention. More on breakage here.

Buildup

Hair that is coated with product buildup blocks moisture from absorbing into your hair. Clarifying often is key to a healthy scalp and moisturized hair. These are common ingredient types that can cause buildup:

• Insoluble silicones such as dimethicone
• Heavy butters such as shea butter (can cause buildup on fine hair without proper cleansing)
• Co-washing only
• Heavy oils
• Polyquats

Porosity

High and low porosity are the most problematic and can lead to wet frizz. Porosity refers to your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture. High porosity hair has a raised cuticle, and low porosity hair has a tightly bound cuticle. Medium porosity hair is the least problematic porosity type due to the functioning cuticle that swells and lowers when needed.

I have high porosity hair, so no matter how many precautions I take to prevent wet frizz, it is still bound to happen. However some there are some things that can help seal the cuticle and lock in moisture. Due to high porosity hair having a raised cuticle, it has a “velcro” effect that causes tangles and wet frizz. Focus on detangling with conditioners that have slip, deep conditioning frequently, using leave-in conditioner and/or curl creams, and lock in moisture with gel, mousse, and/or oils.

Low porosity hair struggles to let moisture in so it easily becomes dehydrated. Low porosity hair is often shiny, but can easily get buildup since products sit on the surface. Clarify often, use heated caps when deep conditioning, and “squish to condish.”

Imbalanced pH

Our hair is naturally on the acidic side of the pH scale, and the goal is to keep the pH low so the cuticle stay in tact.

Shampoo typically is more alkaline, so it is higher on the pH scale. It is designed to remove product and oils. However after our hair has been shampooed, it’s crucial to lower the pH back to its natural state. Conditioners are designed to be more acidic and help seal the cuticle, reducing wet frizz and providing slip. Do not skip conditioner unless you are going to be using a deep conditioner instead!

These are ingredients that can help seal and lower the pH:

• Aloe vera
• Pectin
• Polymers
• Shea butter
• Citric acid
• Apple cider vinegar (ACV)

Raw apple cider vinegar has many benefits for the hair, including both clarifying and sealing the cuticle. You’ll notice after rinsing with ACV your hair will feel softened and smooth. Always dilute your ACV with water and rinse thoroughly. Learn more about how to do an ACV rinse here.

How are pH and porosity related?

Low porosity hair can actually benefit from more alkaline shampoos that slightly raise the cuticle layer, so that conditioners can be absorbed. High porosity hair already has a raised cuticle, so using a shampoo that is too harsh will only make tangles and wet frizz worse. Use pre-poo treatments to help seal the cuticle before shampooing, and always follow up with a deep conditioner or conditioner.

Imbalanced Protein and Moisture

Another VERY common cause of wet frizz is excess protein or moisture in the hair. In this video here, I show how to tell if your hair has protein overload and how to fix it.

Hair is made up of protein, and using products that contain protein can help strengthen damaged hair and provide structure for defined curls. However there can aways be too much of a good thing, and using too much protein (especially if you have coarse hair). If your hair is not damaged and healthy, it’s not necessary to use protein treatments frequently. Protein overload can cause dry, brittle, frizzy hair. Protein overload can also lead to excess shedding and breakage. Not fun!

Common protein ingredients:

• Hydrolyzed wheat/rice/soy/silk protein (strong proteins)
• Hydrolyzed casein
• Hydrolyzed collagen
• Keratin
• Amino acids (gentle proteins)

Hair can also become overly moisturized, aka “hygral fatigue.” Hair that has never had protein, been washed too frequently, or if you often sleep with your hair wet, you can experience over moisturized curls. Common signs of this are limp, mushy feeling hair that never seems to dry, and wet frizz.

A good clarifying wash and deep conditioner can typically get you back on track from protein overload or hygral fatigue. Use a deep conditioner and stylers with protein if your hair is over moisturized. Use a protein-free deep conditioner and styler if you have protein overload.

Flash Drying

Another cause of wet frizz is the “flash drying” effect. Have you ever applied styling products that instantly made your hair frizz up and start to air dry quickly? This is usually caused by applying products that are heavy in proteins or denatured alcohols to dry hair. Gels and mousse can also cause wet frizz.

The best way to prevent flash drying when using protein-rich products, gels, or mousse is to first start with a protein-free leave-in conditioner and or a curl cream. If you have dry hair and/or high porosity hair, moisturize it first with creams before applying gels and mousse.

Uneven Product Application

The final cause of wet frizz is simply not applying your styling products evenly. It helps to have very wet hair when applying styling products for even absorption and optimal clumping. However if you have low density hair like mine, opt for damp styling, but be sure to comb your products through.

Patchy wet frizz can be tamed by combing your styling products through evenly. Also, watch this video to learn more styling tips and how to scrunch without causing wet frizz.

Favorite Products for Cleansing & Moisturizing

Get 10% off Bounce Curl with code GENAMARIE.

That’s my round up of the most common causes of wet frizz! Do you have any tips to share for reducing wet frizz? Please share!