Women’s Health UK – September 2019

WEAK SPOT

DEHYDRATION
Dehydration is a curly girl’s
nightmare because it leads to
frizz. ‘Curly hair by its nature
is drier than straight,’ says afro
hair stylist Charlotte Mensah.
‘This is because curls’ coils
make it harder for hair’s natural
oils to coat and moisturise
each strand. When curls are
dehydrated, this leads to frizz,
which occurs when the cuticle
layers of the hair are raised,
allowing moisture to pass
through and swell the strands.
As a result, your hair appears
dry and frizzy instead of smooth
and defined.’ The higher the
humidity, the more moisture
seeps through, so curls and
dry, damaged hair tend to be
affected most.

STRENGTHENING MOVES
To keep coarse curls in check,
you need to hydrate hair from
the inside out so that excess
moisture doesn’t sneak in.
Reach for a leave-in conditioner
or serum to prevent frizz and
breakage. IGK Hair Thirsty
Girl Coconut Milk Leave-In
Conditioner, £24, uses
hyaluronic acid to form a
protective moisture barrier that
lasts 24 hours. ‘I’d recommend
product cocktailing,’ adds
Mensah. ‘Oil plus mousse or
curl cream will hold without
leaving your hair dry and
crunchy.’ Seek out We Are
Paradoxx Hangover Hair
Elixir, £30, and Shea Moisture

Coconut & Hibiscus Frizz-

Free Curl Mousse, £8. While

those with fine hair suffer from

the same unruly ‘frizz halo’ of

their coarser-haired friends,

often smoothing products prove

too heavy. Thankfully, John

Frieda has developed Frizz

Ease Weightless Wonder

Featherlight Smoothing

Creme, £6.99. It harnesses

humidity-fighting polyols that

support the internal hair

structure, helping to fight frizz

internally and giving your hair

a solid foundation that stops

frizz from forming in the first

instance. Think of it like building

a strong core at the gym. It’s

this protected ‘core’ that helps

stop frizz in its tracks. Plus,

because it uses less than 3%

silicone (compared with other

serums that use as much as

70%), it delivers all the

smoothing benefits of silicone

with none of the drawbacks

for finer hair.

Bicep

curls

Women’s Health SEPTEMBER 2019 | 79

B E A U T Y

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