Frizzy hair is plague on many of our scalps, a curse awakened by humidity and low-quality hairbrushes. Unruly strands have ruined countless ’dos and made women around the globe late for untold get-togethers because they were busy trying to tame the untameable. So what happens when you can’t take it anymore?

Well, you can manage the problem with our suggestions for at-home frizz-control techniques. Then, when you’re ready for heavy-duty intervention, you can go to the hair salon and ask a stylist how to get rid of frizzy hair, perhaps once and for all.

What causes frizzy hair?

In order to defeat an enemy, you have to first know them. Picture a single hair shaft made up of multiple layers of thousands of cells. Now envision the outermost layer, the cuticle, as a shingled roof. When the roof is well cared for, the shingles lie flat. When the roof isn’t well cared for, the shingles lift in disarray.

This occurs mainly when you don’t give your hair enough moisture. The hair seeks out moisture in the air, and the cuticle’s shingles lift so the moisture can penetrate into the hair shaft. This also causes the hair shaft to swell. The lifted shingles and swollen shaft create frizz, and explain why a humid day causes more frizz than a dry day. Imbuing hair with moisture helps keep the shingles flat and the cuticle smooth.

How to tame frizzy hair at home

Alter the way you wash and dry your hair

Shampoo less.
Lather up in warm water just 2–3 times a week to prevent dryness and fuzzy manes. (If your hair is oily, rinse your scalp thoroughly in between washes and apply dry shampoo when necessary.) The best shampoos for frizzy hair are free of alcohol and sulfates, which are drying, and high in glycerin, which helps hair retain moisture. Continue to condition with every shower, ideally with a product packed with natural oils and proteins such as keratin.

Apply product liberally.
After gently wringing or scrunching excess water out of your just-washed hair, work the anti-frizz serum of your choice through it. Then, also by hand, apply whatever styling products you use, such as mousse. (Those with curly or coarse hair may want to use leave-in conditioner for an extra shot of moisture.) If your locks are dry but in need of some flyaway control, experts suggest smoothing them down with a touch of conditioner or hair spray applied with a spoolie or fine-tooth comb.

Lay off the towels.
Traditional terry-cloth towels pull too much water out of hair, and rubbing damp hair can unsettle the cuticles. Instead, air-dry your hair or opt for a microfiber towel, which quickly converts a mane from dripping-wet to damp. Many curly-haired women swear by the plopping method, in which they wrap damp, product-infused hair in a clean cotton T-shirt for defined, frizz-free spirals. (Some also advocate sleeping on a satin pillowcase or in a silk scarf to help keep hair cuticles smoothed down.)

Take care with styling tools

Comb, don’t brush.
Because over-brushing can disturb the cuticles, prioritize detangling over anything else. Sort out damp hair with a wide-tooth comb; tame flyaways and other issues in dry hair by combing through it with wet fingers. Brushes should be relegated to two duties. The first involves occasionally redistributing oils from the scalp throughout the hair, something ideally done with a boar-bristle brush. In the second, round brushes may be used in conjunction with a blow dryer to style hair so that it looks smooth and silky.

Use a diffuser.
An extreme, direct heat source is no good. To help avoid damage, affix a diffuser to your hair dryer to limit the hot air’s forcefulness and concentration. Some hairstylists advocate taking a 90% air-dry, 10% blow-dry approach, focusing the heat on the roots rather than drying out the ends. No matter what you do, prep your locks with a protective product, such as leave-in conditioner.

Lower the heat.
Limit your use of straighteners and curling wands, and lower their temperature when you do use them. High heat settings can cook your hair, swelling the strands as they struggle to get moisture in. Although you might think you’re smoothing your hair with that extra-hot flat iron, you’re really inviting frizz to make itself at home.

Hungry for more info? View our breakdown of the best products for frizzy hair, as well as other hair types.

What to ask for at the hair salon

Intensive conditioning treatments

Deep condition.
You could do a DIY hair mask at home to repair damaged, frizzy hair with coconut oil or olive oil. Almost every salon, however, offers deep-conditioning treatments using professional-quality products, which combine powerful natural oils with other active ingredients. (You’re also probably going to let the conditioner set properly when you’re being monitored by someone else.) The treatment helps seal the cuticle against puff-ifying outside moisture, and the benefits are meant to last.

Pour on some oil.
Hot-oil treatments are not as widely available as deep-conditioning ones, but they’re especially popular with women who have natural hair, which tends to be extremely dry. After clarifying and drying the hair, the stylist applies either room-temperature or warmed natural oils, making sure the sections are evenly saturated. They then place a plastic cap over the hair and heat it up with a warming cap or a hair dryer. Coconut oil, grapeseed oil, castor oil, and olive oil are popular choices.

Hair-smoothing services

Get a semipermanent effect.
Keratin-based formulas such as Brazilian Blowout or Keratin Complex can help smooth the hair for months at a time with proper after-care. The protein coats each strand, sealing gaps and producing a smooth cuticle layer. The stylist sets the solution with heat from a flat iron. Because the straightening treatments involve chemicals and heat, though, they require nominally healthy hair. If your hair is eternally frizzy, you may have to rehabilitate it or cut it off first. A stylist can tell you what’s what.

Make a more permanent change.
The effects of thermal reconditioning, also known as Japanese straightening, generally last until your hair grows out or you cut it off. The process is similar to a keratin-smoothing treatment, except with an additional step and a formula that’s perhaps more chemically potent. The hallmarks of thermal reconditioning are smooth, de-texturized locks with a noticeable shine. Both semipermanent and permanent services, however, must be maintained with the same at-home care methods detailed above.