Static electricity is literally a hair-raising experience. When your hair becomes charged with electricity, it can make your locks stand on end. What can you do to get rid of annoying flyaway frizzes?

You may remember playing with magnets as a child and understanding that each magnet had a positive end and a negative one, too. Do you recall that negative to negative charges would repel each other, and positive to positives would do the same? But, if you put negative to positive, they stick together.

Here’s an example of static buildup: You’re walking across a carpet. Although you can’t see it, your shoe and body are building up extra electrons or negative charges. When you touch another surface, such as a pet or doorknob, the extra charges release themselves in the form of static.

Static: the result of an imbalance of too many positive or negative charges in or on an object. The charges have to get out somehow. The way this happens can be in the form of a “shock” sensation.

Just like the rest of your body, your hair can build up electrical charges, too.

For example, if you wear a hat, electrons can build up on the hat. When you take it off, the negative electrons may go with your hat, leaving your hair positively charged. As a result, your hair lifts up because your now-positive hairs are repelling each other, just like magnets.

Your hair is naturally negatively charged. Cosmetic chemists have found a way to combat static by making hair products that are positively charged. These can neutralize each other to create harmony for your hair.

Getting rid of static in your hair doesn’t require much. You likely already have some of these solutions in your home.

Tips for getting rid of static hair

  • Gently rub your hair with a dryer sheet. You can also run it over your brush or pillow before going to sleep to get rid of static.
  • Apply hairspray or a light leave-in conditioner. This can help moisturize strands and reduce static flyaways.
  • Apply face moisturizer to static strands. The moisturizer can help lubricate your hair, while also adding positive charges. Moisturizing products usually help reduce static while protecting your hair and helping to minimize breakage.
  • Put some water on your fingertips. Smooth them over your hair. This restores the positive-and-negative charge balance.
  • Use a static guard, like the kind you use on your laundry. Spray onto your brush and comb through flyaways. This allows you to apply an anti-static product to areas that need it instead of weighing down all your hair.

The key to preventing static is to use hair care products that can help add positive charges to your hair. Many times, this will involve products that contain amino acids — these are positively charged proteins.

Adding positively charged amino acids to your negatively charged hair may help prevent static electricity from building up in your hair.

Tips for preventing static hair

  • Reduce dryness with highly moisturizing conditioners. Dry hair is more prone to static. Look for conditioning treatments that contain oils or butters to help seal in moisture.
  • Use a metal comb. These types of combs conduct electricity, which helps remove electrical particles from your hair and onto the comb. Plastic combs may actually increase your static because they don’t conduct electricity.
  • Dry your hair with an ionic blow-dryer. Because water molecules are positively charged, scientists think hair dryers that give off negative ions help shrink water particles and smooth hair.
  • Opt for natural fibers in headgear. Choose hats, headbands, and scarves made from cotton, silk, or wool. These don’t hold electrical charges as well as synthetic fibers do. Try to avoid nylon and polyester, which are more likely to induce static.
  • Use a deep-conditioning treatment. Using a coconut hair mask or an avocado hair mask once a week can keep your hair moisturized. Silicones are also known to reduce static.

Having hair that’s filled with static can be annoying and frustrating. But there are ways to get rid of static electricity in your hair and to tame flyaway strands.

Many moisturizing products can help reduce static while also helping to protect your hair and minimize breakage. In a pinch, products designed to keep static out of your laundry may also keep it out of your hair.