Humid vs Dry climate and hair

[MaiCarInMtl]

Hello everyone,
This is my first post here, I've been lurking for about 2 weeks and had a hair-related question.

I have lived in a fairly humid climate all my life (70%-90% average humidity). My hair is fairly straight but with some waving/curls. I went to a wedding in a dry climate (40%-60%) last week and had a girl at a salon do a curled updo. Well, she had to curl my hair twice and backcomb it twice too and the curl never ended up staying as well as it would have at home.

I guess I just wanted to know if the weather/humidity played a part in this or if the girl just didn't do such a great job. I'd like to give the salon my feedback (especially considering the price I paid). But I'm a bit stumped as to whether I should blame the weather for my lack of satisfaction or the girl.

Also, if anyone has any tips for what I can do to protect my hair from the dryness next time I go there, then that would be great!

Thanks!

[Siava]

I live in a climate that is humid for the majority of the time. I have curly hair. If I put it up while it's wet and take it down while it's still damp, if it's a humid day my hair will get into its natural curl pattern, but if it's a dry day then it settles into waves. I have to actually use product during dry spells to make the curls more pronounced.

[aenflex]

My hair prefers dry air. I live in the sub-tropics as well, in terms of weather, and I detest the humidity. I seriously miss the dry northern air of my past, and how much better my hair behaved. I don't like frizz or extra waves in my hair :(

[BrightEyes7]

I live in the desert and when I used to flat iron I could always get it perfectly straight. But if I go anywhere humid, even a little humidity, it just didn't straighten right. So it very well may have been the weather!

[DavidN]

My hair definitely prefers dry air too, and ironically, seems "happier" in the winter.

[Johanna]

My hair is fine in most climates, I guess I could call it 'well adjusted'. I do have a day or so where It doesn't know what to do, but mostly it's obedient.

[akuamoonmaui]

Humidity definitely affects my hair! In the tropics I have nice wurls, if I go to the mid-west where it is drier, my hair straightens. I'd chalk it up to the weather.

[silvermoon_76]

I have lived in a hot, humid city all my life. My hair HATES it. It is curly, frizzy, and using heat on it produces no effect other than to turn it into hay.
I also can't use too much of any product/ oil because everything gets greasy/ sweaty really fast.

Whenever I go to a drier climate, my hair settles beautifully into waves/ long curls. Sure, there's a little dryness, but that goes away with proper care too.

I am SO moving inland when I'm done with college!

[Shoga]

The weather changes my hair too. I used to live on the dry west coast and had stick straight hair all my life. Then I moved to the humid east coast and got waves. Then I went back to the west coast for a while and after 3ish weeks of adjustment, I had stick straight hair again. Lol!

I much prefer the humid climates, but those reasons don't really involve my hair. In dry weather I have skin problems and nose bleeds.. D:

[cremenoir]

the difference in my hair in dry vs. humid climates is like night and day. it hardly has any wave to it in dry air, but in 80%+ humidity i get ringlets.

[heidi w.]

I hail from a semi-arid climate, California. I now live in the midWest which is landlocked and humid. I've been in far more humid conditions such as Florida and Boston areas, and absolutely there are some differences. We all know that with more dry climates, such as winter, we have less moisture in the air and this can result in hair frizzing, or static-y or fly-away. When I applied Coconut Oil to my length to oil my length in California, there was no issue. When I used the same coconut oil, same amount in Florida, my hair became nearly wet with too much oil. (What a mess that was.)

So, yes, hair does respond to weather. And what we experience as normal may not be normal elsewhere.

In more arid climates you can always try using a humidifier in the room at night that you sleep in. I use this during winter, and it does help. One assumes you have a place to stay and can bring in a humidifier which are pretty cheap at Walgreens, around $20. You can also try oiling the length with a bit of coconut oil, too.

heidi w.

[FoxyRoxy13]

my hair is alwys curly regardless of humidity, however the more humid the mor frizzy my curls. I have only just begun to really take care of my hair so we'll see if that makes a huge difference or not, I suspect it will though :P

[feb26]

shoga: whereabouts did you live?? curious as am in vancouver bc (the wet west coast) & used to live on the east coast (grew up in winnipeg but also spent time in toronto).i have a bit of a natural wave, mostly on the left side. i find on the east coast climes my hair has almost no wave, is pin straight & very flat. on the west coast my wave is pronounced & ends curl under when worn loose. we also travel to london england & there my hair is a mess!! tho think it's as am using harder water & don't have all my products with me.:(

[Hollyfire3]

Humidity plays a HUGE role in hair, at least for me it does! I went to Arizona last summer and one week there, my hair got striaghter and straighter (granted I wasn't moisturizing it AT ALL more than normal) when I came back, it was curly for a night then, poof, like magic, my problems with loosing curl and bounce began...it has been a vicious cycle ever since, one I partcially blame on Arizona an part way on heat damage changing my curl pattern, only now am I finally getting my hair back, its really a crazy thing that I never figured out, and its been nearly a year now, a year of hair from heck, and near to no explanation.....yuck

[brave]

Humidity plays a HUGE role in hair, at least for me it does! I went to Arizona last summer and one week there, my hair got striaghter and straighter (granted I wasn't moisturizing it AT ALL more than normal) when I came back, it was curly for a night then, poof, like magic, my problems with loosing curl and bounce began...it has been a vicious cycle ever since, one I partcially blame on Arizona an part way on heat damage changing my curl pattern, only now am I finally getting my hair back, its really a crazy thing that I never figured out, and its been nearly a year now, a year of hair from heck, and near to no explanation.....yuck

I was in Arizona for a couple of summers and felt like my hair was downright unmanageable. Barely wavy, but frizzy and dry. Same thing happens in a Minnesotan winter. Minnesota summer however... :cheese: happy hair.

[Hollyfire3]

I was in Arizona for a couple of summers and felt like my hair was downright unmanageable. Barely wavy, but frizzy and dry. Same thing happens in a Minnesotan winter. Minnesota summer however... :cheese: happy hair.

I am thinking my hair just decided to not take one more OUNCE of damage, it just...quit...and I happened to be in Arizona when it happened so of course, I blame it on poor dry Arizonia...lol. I'm actually scared to go to California this summer for fear my hair will act up for a whole year again...its scary to me! Minnesota does have some weather extremes right lol! It seems you and I just need a perfect hair no matter the weather pass!:cheese:

[brave]

I live in a very dry part of California normally and it was never as bad as it was in Arizona. That state is something special. And I do like the state, my hair and skin and everything just doesn't.

[Hollyfire3]

I live in a very dry part of California normally and it was never as bad as it was in Arizona. That state is something special. And I do like the state, my hair and skin and everything just doesn't.

I like Arizona too, its pretty and has lots of fun places to explore:D. But my hair hated me after that trip, the problems I have done multiple threads on (much to my dismay) all started after than trip, it was probably just the damage coming out in the dryness or something...all I know is my hair and I are just NOW getting back on speaking terms lol. Is San Diego dry? I am planning on going there this summer and want to be able to avoid a hair-freakout if at all possible (bring the right products this time....)

[Johanna]

After moving from Darwin (majorly humid) to Sydney. I can still claim my hair acts exactly the same.... it just doesn't stick to my skin as much because my skin isn't always slightly sweaty lol.

[SnowWhite]

Yep, on humid days, my hair gets very wurly and frizzy, a 2b or even 2c sometimes, and on dry days it's 1b/1c...