PDA

View Full Version : Eliminating static in dry winter air



SparrowWings
March 7th, 2016, 09:50 PM
The root question here is, is it even possible to completely eliminate static when the air is as dry as it gets in the winter? Or is it just a battle to try and keep it reduced to a manageable level?

Seeing all the talk about coconut oil around here, plus the fact that my boyfriend has a bunch of it that never gets used, I figured I'd test it out a little. So I've been putting the tiniest little bit on just the tail of my braid each weekend for the past few weeks, just barely enough to cut the static on that small section of hair, but not really even be particularly visible that I did anything. I can't say I've noticed any change, aside from that short-lived static reduction, but it has been small amounts of oil.

This last time, I decided I might as well go bigger, since there was no negative result from the small tests. Saturday night (two days after the Thursday night 2-in-1 washing), I slathered a whole gob of the stuff on my hands, and smeared it into my length, up to just below where the ponytail would start. It definitely make it clumpy, stringy, slimy. Partly because it wasn't evenly distributed. Running my still-oiled hands along my hair after the second pass started sending flyaway pieces away from the rest, once again static-y, even while oiled. Not as much as pre-oiling, but I wasn't expecting any static to survive! After working it in a bit with my hands, I combed my hair, which broke up the clumps and made it look only a little greasy, then braided it, by which point it was still shinier than usual but not a ton, and went out for the night. Less than 4 hours later, the braid looked completely normal again.

When I combed it again the next day, the comb sure did glide through my hair better than it's ever done before, but there was no hint of static reduction anymore. There is also no other difference that I can discern between pre- and post-oiling. I don't plan on washing my hair again until Thursday, so the oil is technically still in my hair, but I sure can't tell the difference.

Is that normal? Or a sign that my hair needs more? Or something different? Does anyone else not notice a difference and/or still have static after (or WHILE!) oiling their hair?

Nique1202
March 8th, 2016, 03:51 AM
Static is generally a symptom of dry hair. Thoroughly moisturized hair doesn't typically get static. Wet clothing doesn't get static until you dry it, right? Same idea.

The static while you were oiling the hair probably means exactly what you said: it wasn't well distributed, so the parts with less or no oil would still show static. After working and braiding the hair and letting the oil spread out, the static disappeared, and your hair looks otherwise normal. That's just a good sign! If the static is gone then you may not need more until after your next wash.

Mostly I apply my oils by spreading one or two drops at a time all over my hands (so there's just a light shininess all over) and finger combing from the bottom as if I were detangling, adding more oil 1-2 drops at a time to my hands whenever they start to look dry, continuing up until I feel like the problem spots are covered. This helps to distribute it a little better from the start, so you don't have to wait for it to soak in so much. You can always add another drop or two later, but it's hard to take back adding too much at a time.

Also, coconut oil isn't the only oil you can use. You could pretty much use anything right down to vegetable oil if you wanted and if your hair didn't find it too heavy. Some folks find that after a while coconut oil can make their hair feel crunchy and brittle, so keep an eye out and try a different oil (any different oil, really) if that happens or if you get curious.

lapushka
March 8th, 2016, 04:25 AM
I think the key is moisture. From conditioners. Try and use a conditioner that is moisturizing (for dry damaged hair / colored hair might be slightly milder) and get back to us. I used to have static as well, but ever since I started conditioning with a heavy conditioner, and conditioning twice even (not a necessity), it's totally gone. I haven't had static in my hair in... years.

Wusel
March 8th, 2016, 06:21 AM
For me damp-wet braiding with a good amount of coconut oil works fine. When I open the braid the next day when It's completely dry I have no static until the next wash. It's like the oil seals in the antistatic water and it's good for a couple of days.

Anje
March 8th, 2016, 08:11 AM
I think the key is moisture. From conditioners. Try and use a conditioner that is moisturizing (for dry damaged hair / colored hair might be slightly milder) and get back to us. I used to have static as well, but ever since I started conditioning with a heavy conditioner, and conditioning twice even (not a necessity), it's totally gone. I haven't had static in my hair in... years.

This is where I'd go, too. More conditioning!!! Also, using some humidifiers in your house can make a difference for skin and breathing and wooden stuff as well as hair.

Wusel
March 8th, 2016, 08:20 AM
The root question here is, is it even possible to completely eliminate static when the air is as dry as it gets in the winter? Or is it just a battle to try and keep it reduced to a manageable level?

Seeing all the talk about coconut oil around here, plus the fact that my boyfriend has a bunch of it that never gets used, I figured I'd test it out a little. So I've been putting the tiniest little bit on just the tail of my braid each weekend for the past few weeks, just barely enough to cut the static on that small section of hair, but not really even be particularly visible that I did anything. I can't say I've noticed any change, aside from that short-lived static reduction, but it has been small amounts of oil.

This last time, I decided I might as well go bigger, since there was no negative result from the small tests. Saturday night (two days after the Thursday night 2-in-1 washing), I slathered a whole gob of the stuff on my hands, and smeared it into my length, up to just below where the ponytail would start. It definitely make it clumpy, stringy, slimy. Partly because it wasn't evenly distributed. Running my still-oiled hands along my hair after the second pass started sending flyaway pieces away from the rest, once again static-y, even while oiled. Not as much as pre-oiling, but I wasn't expecting any static to survive! After working it in a bit with my hands, I combed my hair, which broke up the clumps and made it look only a little greasy, then braided it, by which point it was still shinier than usual but not a ton, and went out for the night. Less than 4 hours later, the braid looked completely normal again.

When I combed it again the next day, the comb sure did glide through my hair better than it's ever done before, but there was no hint of static reduction anymore. There is also no other difference that I can discern between pre- and post-oiling. I don't plan on washing my hair again until Thursday, so the oil is technically still in my hair, but I sure can't tell the difference.

Is that normal? Or a sign that my hair needs more? Or something different? Does anyone else not notice a difference and/or still have static after (or WHILE!) oiling their hair?

I've read your post a second time and what I'd like to add is that I'm pretty sure that the oil doesn't work because you put it on dry hair. In my case it's the same. When I put coconut oil on dry hair it's still frizzy and dry and static after an hour or so. But when I put it on wet hair, right after washing, and braid it till it's dry, it works fantastic and my hair is smooth and moisturized for days.

And what is interesting too is, that my hair holds the braid-wave with coconut oil much longer than without. Even when I bun it or make a french twist the following days the coconut-braid-waves stay. Without coconut they are gone after the first bun.

Eastbound&Down
March 8th, 2016, 09:08 AM
Dryer sheets! It's good for short term static control, you can keep them in your purse, and there is no discernible down side to your hair. I use them during the rough parts of the winter and it always does the trick. Long term, absolutely look into more conditioning, like has been mentioned above :) Best of luck!

meteor
March 8th, 2016, 12:24 PM
^ I completely agree with all the great advice posted here :agree:, more intense conditioning and moisturizing, oiling on damp hair (LOC-routine is nice for this), humidifiers, dryer sheets in a pinch - should all help.

I just wanted to ask: do you happen to use any hair tools (combs/brushes) that can cause static? I mean, for example: plastic or metal combs, brushes (plastic, metal, boar bristle), etc?
If you happen to switch to materials that don't cause static, like wood, you should notice a positive difference right away. Also, wearing static-inducing materials (wool, rayon, flannel, etc) or sleeping on those materials can cause static. If you have winter hats or warm scarves that cause static for you, you could line them with silk or just wear a silk scarf underneath. :)

lapushka
March 8th, 2016, 12:45 PM
Just FYI, since meteor mentioned a few possible static-inducing things. I do use a bone comb (resin) and do wear scarves and hoodies a lot. No static. Just from moisturizing enough. That's just my experience.

Wusel
March 8th, 2016, 02:31 PM
Another option I sometimes practiced before I found the water-coconut method for me: As I always have chalk on my hands (the negative thing about being a teacher...) I have to use hand cream 500 times a day. When my hair was static, i ran my freshly moisturized fingers through my hair and the static was gone.

Seeshami
March 8th, 2016, 04:20 PM
Not gonna lie I use the monster spray in my hair from the beer soap lady. It's EOs and water with a little glycerin. Mess isn't any worse for wear.

Groovy Granny
March 8th, 2016, 05:26 PM
CO with mineral oil on damp hair after, and then rosewater & glycerin spray as needed tames my Winter static.

SparrowWings
March 8th, 2016, 06:30 PM
Wow, so many responses, thanks everyone! Let me work through them and answer the various questions you all had.


The static while you were oiling the hair probably means exactly what you said: it wasn't well distributed, so the parts with less or no oil would still show static. After working and braiding the hair and letting the oil spread out, the static disappeared, and your hair looks otherwise normal. That's just a good sign! If the static is gone then you may not need more until after your next wash.
Actually, the interesting thing here was the sequence. Just before I put the oil in my hair, the static level was low/average. Once I had the oil all over my hands, I just randomly grabbed the length and slid my hands to the end, no particular method of spreading or anything, just get some on there. And there was no static anymore. Yet the oil clearly was not distributed like that. I did the same again (grab and slide to the ends), and still no static, but somewhat better distribution. Repeat another time, and suddenly some of the hair is MEGA-static! After that, there was no taming the static with my hands, and trying the grab/slide thing again only made it worse. Yet my hands were still very much slimy themselves, so I wasn't out of oil or anything...

After that, I took the comb to it, mostly to see what would happen, and hoping that it would at least make my hair look more evenly shiny, rather than half greasy and half clean. After a couple strokes, the comb slid through like I've never had it do before, and the static did go back down to almost nothing, but still not completely gone. I washed my hair (and the comb!) after that, and braided my hair with clean hands, which did strip some of the oil back out of my hair, but very little, because my hands barely had any shine to them at all when I finished.

When I took the braid out the next day, I certainly had defined braid-sections and braid-waves! But it all combed out nice and tidy, the waves remained, and the static was tolerable, probably about 25% of normal. Rebraid as usual and go about my day. I left the braid in for the next day as well (no combing that day). Then the next day, the braid waves were still there, but less, and the static was back to 75% or so. Today, the comb still goes through it smoothly, but the static is as bad as usual or worse -- and the weather has warmed up and isn't quite as dry, so the static should be better by default, but it definitely isn't.

I can understand the moisture fading as time goes by, but why would static reappear while my hands were still slimy?


Also, coconut oil isn't the only oil you can use. You could pretty much use anything right down to vegetable oil if you wanted and if your hair didn't find it too heavy. Some folks find that after a while coconut oil can make their hair feel crunchy and brittle, so keep an eye out and try a different oil (any different oil, really) if that happens or if you get curious.
The only thing available here is vegetable oil, but my boyfriend has a whole bunch of different oils. I probably will try some of the others as well, depending on how a few more CO attempts go; the CO just seemed like a convenient place to start.


I think the key is moisture. From conditioners. Try and use a conditioner that is moisturizing (for dry damaged hair / colored hair might be slightly milder) and get back to us. I used to have static as well, but ever since I started conditioning with a heavy conditioner, and conditioning twice even (not a necessity), it's totally gone. I haven't had static in my hair in... years.
Yeah, if I can't get the oil(s) to do the job, I'll start trying conditioner again... I just still remember the one time I did use it, it making my hair so slimy I immediately rewashed it. But that was years ago, and may have been in the middle of the humid summer, or may have been way too much, for all I don't remember the details.


For me damp-wet braiding with a good amount of coconut oil works fine. When I open the braid the next day when It's completely dry I have no static until the next wash. It's like the oil seals in the antistatic water and it's good for a couple of days.

I've read your post a second time and what I'd like to add is that I'm pretty sure that the oil doesn't work because you put it on dry hair. In my case it's the same. When I put coconut oil on dry hair it's still frizzy and dry and static after an hour or so. But when I put it on wet hair, right after washing, and braid it till it's dry, it works fantastic and my hair is smooth and moisturized for days.
Yeah, I had considered the wet vs dry part, but I didn't have time to deal with wet hair, so settled for trying just the oil to see what would happen. At the same time, though, I can't even imagine braiding my hair while it's still wet, much less after coating it with evaporation-blocking oil. It would still be wet inside three days later! Maybe there's a point where it can be damp enough to moisturize and still be able to dry; I'll have to try that.


And what is interesting too is, that my hair holds the braid-wave with coconut oil much longer than without. Even when I bun it or make a french twist the following days the coconut-braid-waves stay. Without coconut they are gone after the first bun.
I noticed that, for sure! My hair gets pretty defined waves from braids anyhow, but with as sharp and stubborn as they were with the oil, I can totally see how people manage to curl straight hair with nothing but oil to help keep the shape! I never would have believed that would do anything for my hair, until I saw it for myself last weekend.


Dryer sheets! It's good for short term static control, you can keep them in your purse, and there is no discernible down side to your hair. I use them during the rough parts of the winter and it always does the trick. Long term, absolutely look into more conditioning, like has been mentioned above :) Best of luck!
I've heard this one before, actually. The problem has always been that we've never used them before, so there aren't any in the house for me to try on my hair. Maybe I should invest in some just for my hair... How is it that the dryer sheets work, anyhow? They're dry and solid, so what are they leaving behind on the hair to stop the static?


I just wanted to ask: do you happen to use any hair tools (combs/brushes) that can cause static? I mean, for example: plastic or metal combs, brushes (plastic, metal, boar bristle), etc?
If you happen to switch to materials that don't cause static, like wood, you should notice a positive difference right away. Also, wearing static-inducing materials (wool, rayon, flannel, etc) or sleeping on those materials can cause static. If you have winter hats or warm scarves that cause static for you, you could line them with silk or just wear a silk scarf underneath. :)
Yeah, that's all absolutely part of my problem. All I've had so far is plastic combs (I just got a wooden one! Once I get the tines sanded properly, trying it out is at the top of my list!), and I love my fleece sweatshirts. I quit using flannel sheets years ago, though, because of the static they caused (Which still makes me sad. Because they're so nice and soft and fuzzy and warm.). It also doesn't help that I work with computers all day, in a very dry office, with a chair that generates more static than anything else I've ever encountered.


Just FYI, since meteor mentioned a few possible static-inducing things. I do use a bone comb (resin) and do wear scarves and hoodies a lot. No static. Just from moisturizing enough. That's just my experience.
It's great to hear that it's possible to get rid of it, regardless of static-inducing items!


Another option I sometimes practiced before I found the water-coconut method for me: As I always have chalk on my hands (the negative thing about being a teacher...) I have to use hand cream 500 times a day. When my hair was static, i ran my freshly moisturized fingers through my hair and the static was gone.
This was actually something that just occurred to me that I was going to ask about. I have so many different lotions that I virtually never use (yay stocking stuffers?). Are they ok to use on hair? Or is there something in them that isn't recommended for regular or long-term use?


Not gonna lie I use the monster spray in my hair from the beer soap lady. It's EOs and water with a little glycerin. Mess isn't any worse for wear.
Monster spray? Beer soap lady? Sorry, you lost me on that. Is that a product/brand?

Seeshami
March 8th, 2016, 09:06 PM
Beer soap lady is a vendor at a craft show. Monster Spray is monster spray. Google-fu works best on it

SparrowWings
March 24th, 2016, 10:14 PM
I think the key is moisture. From conditioners. Try and use a conditioner that is moisturizing (for dry damaged hair / colored hair might be slightly milder) and get back to us.
I opted for starting with what's already in the house, before buying more also-new stuff to try, and progress is slow when washing only happens once a week. I already mentioned the coconut oil attempts, but they were both on dry hair. I haven't had a chance to try on wet hair; that's still on the list. During the shower after the second CO attempt, I don't think all the CO came out (I used a lot less shampoo than usual), so the next shower didn't have anything special; I just gave the CO an extra chance to come out completely. And my hair definitely felt more like its normal self, if still full of static, after that shower. So that got me back to my baseline, at least.

This shower, I decided to try an ACV rinse, about 2 teaspoons of ACV in around 18 ounces of tap water. The mix barely even smelled like vinegar, at that dilution. And I don't think I used more than 2-4 ounces... I washed my hair as usual, then squeezed the bulk of the water out, squirted the ACV water until my length was slightly dripping again, and loosely bunned it for the rest of my shower. At the end, I took down the bun and rinsed it out with cool water. And it's definitely acting differently. It didn't seem to like me trying to get rid of excess water at the end, and the roots feel more tangled than usual post-shower (but that could be real, because I only did the ACV/rinse on the length, and usually I use the shower to deal with some of the tangles from the roots, but not with cold water!!). It also seems to have dried MUCH faster than usual... Especially considering that I re-drenched it at the very end of my shower, and usually it has that time to drain out. It's still damp after the usual towel-wrapped time, but only damp, not the usual still-slightly-drippy. I'll be curious to see what it's like when I need to comb it in the morning, because I can't imagine where all that water went! Could the ACV really have sealed it into my hair so it's moisturized, yet still seems to dry faster, externally?

Deborah
March 24th, 2016, 10:50 PM
Another thing that can help is to sleep with a humidifier running in your bedroom. This helps with sinuses, skin and hair.

SparrowWings
March 25th, 2016, 07:54 AM
I'll be curious to see what it's like when I need to comb it in the morning, because I can't imagine where all that water went! Could the ACV really have sealed it into my hair so it's moisturized, yet still seems to dry faster, externally?
I'm putting the ACV rinse down as something worth trying again, but beyond that, I'm not sure what to make of it.

First thing I noticed was that my hair was still cool to the touch this morning. Usually that means that I slept on top of it and it couldn't dry fully, but with how dry it already felt after just half an hour last night, it's a bit odd. Also, usually that coolness goes away by the time I finish combing it, and just means I have less static to deal with as I do so. This time, the coolness didn't really change, and the static also wasn't an issue. However, it's also drizzly-yuck out today, but the temperature has dropped for the first time in weeks, so I'm not sure how much the wetness has really affected the air/humidity. My hair is acting slightly like it's a humid bad hair day, but only slightly.

Second thing I noticed was the color, and I spent quite a while debating if there was any way I could just be seeing things and telling myself it changed, but it's so different, I really can't. My hair has darkened over the years, which I never loved, but didn't really care, either. Lately, it's been some odd nondescript shade of not really blonde anymore, but also not really looking like light brown, and the best I can manage is to say maybe it's been an ashy light brown, as opposed to the more typical ashy blonde. I also haven't had much in the way of natural highlights for the past couple years, but I had assumed that was probably more a lack of sunlight than anything else. But this morning, the length is a wonderful golden color again! And there are very distinct highlights! Depending on lighting, holding the length against my head, roots/head-hair and length actually look two completely different colors. And the length is more what I've always considered "my" color, so that's great! What I can't decide, is if the ACV/cold water rinses actually changed the color, or if it's just causing the light to reflect differently and show the color better (it does seem like the length might be a tiny bit shinier than usual, especially for the first day after washing), but either way, I'm thrilled! I definitely want to try it all the way to my scalp next time, and see if I can get that color back throughout.

Handling, feel, tangles, everything else, I can't say I noticed a difference. It was all either the same, or maybe a tiny bit better. Definitely not worse, but I'm not convinced it was better. Worth trying again, though.

Any thoughts on the color change? Is that common? I don't recall it being mentioned other times I've seen ACV come up, but I admit I didn't do a huge amount of research first.


Another thing that can help is to sleep with a humidifier running in your bedroom. This helps with sinuses, skin and hair.
We used to have one of those running in the winter. I'm not sure why we stopped. I don't think it made a significant difference, though, unfortunately. But, it was a really old one, too, so that could explain it.