Can't control the frizz!

[SexyWitch]

I have 3a/3b, m/c, iii hair. I have done everything to control the frizz, short of using silicone, which my hair hates. This includes, gel, various oils and shea butter. I CO once a week and deep condition once a week. I am at my wit's end! Halp!

[meteor]

I'd recommend LOC for styling and sleeping on silk/satin with hair contained (under a silk scarf/bonnet).

It's important not to brush, not to over-detangle, not to disturb the natural curl pattern to limit frizz... Also, occlusives (oils, silicones, butters, waxes) are good for preventing humidity-induced frizz (though they can build up over time), and I think pre-poo oilings are a good option .

Also, how do you dry your hair post-wash? It's best to either use a diffuser on cool/warm setting with a good technique or just let it air-dry naturally without touching. When you let your hair air-dry naturally but manipulate it or let it rub on things, it can frizz up from that.
If you don't like the shape of your natural (or scrunched, if you like) curls as they air-dry on their own, you could try wet-setting them with a bit of conditioner + oil or setting lotion in foam rollers, flexi-rods, curl-formers, bun makers, etc... This can provide a more uniform and defined texture, if that's what you are after.

Also, if there is any damage accumulated on hair, it can sometimes present itself as frizz, but it should get much better with micro-trimming in this case. And if you heat-styled, color-treated, chemically straightened or otherwise damaged your hair, things like hydrolyzed protein treatments should be of help.

[SexyWitch]

Wow thanks for all the tips!

What is LOC styling? I will try containing it when sleeping. I never brush it, only detangle when it's wet with conditioner. I've use shea butter, almond and coconut oil. Will try prewash oiling.

I dry it with squeezing with a towel and I don't rub it. I let it air dry without touching it. And I don't have any damage in my hair, I haven't dyed it or used heat on it few years, except steam rollers once in awhile.

[meteor]

I think LOC is probably what you already do... It's just a form of sealing in moisture in 3 steps:
- L - liquid/leave-in;
- O - oil;
- C - cream (styling cream, conditioner, some use gel at this stage).
You can change up order of the steps any way you want and experiment with different products.

I'd experiment with roller-setting for styling, pre-poo oiling and maybe conditioning way more heavily (many people have great success with double conditioning, for example) and leaving some rinse-out conditioner in, before you get to leave-in products.
Honestly, I don't know, it really sounds like you already do everything right in terms of frizz prevention. :flower: Did you notice increased frizz at different times? For example, at different humidity levels or after a specific way of styling or drying hair or styling hair overnight or something? There might be some patterns to analyze...
Also, you say that your hair hates silicones... have you tried using just some light, water-soluble ones or the ones that aren't supposed to build up much, like amodimethicone? I find that silicones can really help with occlusion and frizz prevention... but of course, it's very YMMV and it takes experimentation...

[lapushka]

The link to the LOC method is in my signature. This way you won't have to search the forum. ;)

The rinse-out oil method (ROOM) might be good to look into as well. That's in my signature too. :D

[meteor]

Another thing I forgot to mention: maybe it's build-up? When was the last time you clarified? Since you use gels, butters and oils and you CO-wash as your cleansing step, it seems like clarifying relatively frequently might be a good step.
If you notice significantly *more* frizz than usual and your hair is acting strange, unmanageable, brittle, dull or feels somehow "off", clarifying could help.
To clarify, use a shampoo marketed as "clarifying"/"cleansing"/"weekly"/"detox"/etc. - usually (but not always), SLS/SLES or ALS/ALES based, silicone-free, with no/minimal botanical extracts, oils, butters or other ingredients that can build up easily. (And apply it to length, as well as the roots and massage for a few minutes before rinsing. Follow up with a good moisturizing treatment.)


Also, if the frizz is a recurrent issue and the humidity is super high where you are, it might be a good idea to avoid/limit humectants (glycerine, aloe, honey, etc). Humectants attract moisture to hair, so for curly hair, that can mean more poofy volume (sometimes). There are apps and websites specifically for curlies out there that show relative humidity, dew points and frizz risk, helping you figure out what to expect that day and how to prep (maybe use some oil/silicone serum or put hair up on super-frizzy days). More on this here: http://www.curlynikki.com/2010/06/summer-curls-understanding-dew-points.html