Women aren’t the only ones who have to deal with frizzy hair. If you’re a man sporting a cut longer than the usual crew cut or pompadour, you likely experience frizz and flyaways at least once in a while. Ever wondered how to get rid of puffy hair for guys?
The thing is, caring for long, unruly hair isn’t primarily a man’s territory.
It’s easy to feel lost and confused about what you should do to groom and care for your hair to eliminate those frizzy pieces that seem impossible to tame.
So let this list of puffy hair care for men be your blueprint as you navigate and learn how to care for your frizzy mane.
Listen carefully, and in no time, you’ll be able to slowly but surely cut out frizz from your life.
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What Causes Men’s Hair To Be So Puffy?
Anyone with long hair knows how annoying frizz can be.
There’s nothing quite like the frustration of seeing little fuzzy and poofy flyaways peek out of your head when you’re trying to make your hair look cool and sleek.
But what causes frizz in the first place?
In a nutshell, dryness and damage are the main causes of frizz.
Having dry, brittle locks that aren’t cared for properly will lead to lifted cuticles.
These lifted cuticles are rough, as opposed to smooth, sealed cuticles.
This contributes to how frizzy your hair can get.
That said, other elements can make the puffiness worse when combined with dryness.
For example, humid weather can amplify frizz in dry hair.
That’s because your locks will try to absorb all the hydration in the air, making your hair puff up and swell with frizz.
You also have to look out for things that will make your hair even drier, like shampooing too often with harsh shampoos or swimming in chlorinated pools.
Friction is another thing you want to avoid if you want to get rid of frizzy locks.
Simple things like wearing a beanie that is too tight or aggressively drying your hair with your favorite towel can create frizz.
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I know – that’s way too many things to look out for, and most of them aren’t even in your control!
So let’s make it simple with a list of things you can do yourself.
How To Get Rid Of Puffy Hair For Guys
Here are nine tips to help you tame your puffy mane and enjoy smooth and sleek hair:
Chop all that hair off for a shorter, sleeker cut
If you’re so sick of frizzy, long hair, consider trying something new by chopping your hair off and going short.
This is the quickest, most surefire way to eliminate frizz once and for all.
But even if you’re not willing to commit to such a drastic change from long to short hair just to get rid of frizz, make sure you trim your hair regularly.
Having tons of split ends makes your hair look super frizzy, especially toward the bottom.
So it’s essential to squeeze in that monthly trim at the barbers.
Trimming your hair also gets rid of dry ends, which will make your hair even poofier when in tandem with split ends.
Use a moisturizing, sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner
Getting the right kind of shampoo and conditioner is pertinent to keeping your hair moisturized.
Most shampoos are formulated with sulfates, a harsh detergent that can dry out the hair.
Many of them also contain alcohols, which can suck out moisture from your locks and leave them dehydrated.
Go instead for sulfate-free and alcohol-free shampoos that are gentle on your locks so that they don’t strip the natural moisture from your hair.
It would also be wise to go for shampoos and conditioners marketed for dry and frizzy hair.
These are usually infused with nourishing ingredients like argan oil, shea butter, coconut oil, aloe, and honey.
These products will replenish your hair with moisture, taming your frizz.
Don’t shampoo your hair every day
When you use shampoo too often, you’ll probably dry out your hair very quickly.
This can happen even if you use a super-moisturizing one full of avocado or coconut oil.
Daily shampooing throws off your hair’s healthy moisture balance, leading to insane frizz.
Space out your wash days to allow your natural sebum to moisturize and protect your hair and scalp.
Try two or three days without shampooing your hair or even just picking up your shampoo when you feel your scalp is getting greasy.
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You want to condition your hair more than you shampoo it.
On most days, you should skip the shampoo and stick to conditioner to moisturize your hair and reduce frizz.
Look for hydrating serums and leave-in conditioners
Leave-in treatments, nourishing stylers, and hydrating serums are vital in your styling routine if you want to prevent puffiness in your hair.
Look for hydrating products that contain moisture-rich ingredients like aloe vera, glycerin, honey, argan oil, sweet almond oil, and others.
Avoid ones with ethyl alcohol, sulfates, and other drying chemicals.
Applying these products to damp hair straight out of the shower will immensely lessen the chances of your hair getting puffy.
These leave-in stylers and conditions should be lightweight so that they don’t weigh down your hair.
You’ll know you’ve found one that suits your hair if you can enjoy body and volume while retaining your hair’s softness and smoothness.
So whether or not you’re washing your hair that day, make sure to apply a leave-in treatment to smooth down your locks.
This also helps “weather-proof” your hair, so you don’t have to deal with frizziness in hot, humid environments.
Treat your hair to an oil mask before showering
Deep conditioning at least once a week is crucial if you want to keep frizz at bay.
While you can use store-bought deep conditioners from your favorite men’s haircare brand, it might be more effective to use a nourishing and smoothing hair oil.
Rich oils like coconut oil, macadamia oil, avocado oil, and others help tame pesky flyaways and prevent split ends, thereby knocking out frizz.
Pamper your hair with an oil mask before your next shower.
Saturating your hair in your oil of choice for just 30 minutes is enough to reap its moisturizing benefits.
You can also use lighter oils as a finishing serum before heading out the door each day.
Argan oil and jojoba oil are known to seal the hair cuticles to eliminate frizz while adding a healthy shine to your locks.
Cut down on blow-drying your hair post-shower
Exposing your hair to hot tools with high heat levels causes your hair to dry out very quickly.
Excessive use of these tools will also lead to hair damage in the long run, which won’t work out nicely for you if your end goal is to get rid of frizz.
Using a blow-dryer after your shower will cause frizz not just because of the heat emanating from it, but also because it blows wind into your hair, making it more unruly.
Try allowing your hair to dry on its own without any help from heat tools.
If you really must blow-dry your hair because you’re in a rush to get out in the morning, make sure to apply a heat protectant or at least an anti-frizz serum to protect your hair from drying out and developing flyaways.
Skip those scalding hot showers
Hot showers are a great way to relax at the end of the day, but fight the temptation to do so.
Hot water can dry out your hair, making it more prone to looking puffy after your bath.
Plus, it’s terrible for your skin health too!
Try going for lukewarm water instead, which is gentler on the hair and likely won’t dry out your locks.
Once you’re done with your shampoo and conditioner, seal all the moisturizing goodness in by finishing off with cold water.
Don’t brush your hair while it’s dry
When you brush your hair while it’s dry, it can rough up your cuticle because of friction.
This turns your sleek, smooth curls into a frizzy mess.
Make it a point to only brush or comb your hair while it’s wet, preferably in the shower when you have your conditioner in your hair.
This helps make detangling unruly hair more manageable.
Invest in a wide-tooth comb instead of a rough brush.
Metal combs are better than plastic ones since they aren’t as susceptible to static (another culprit of frizz!).
You can also opt to use your fingers to detangle the knots.
Play around with accessories and pull your hair back
When your puffy hair is all over the place and getting into your face, you need a quick and convenient way to pull your hair back.
Putting your frizzy hair in a ponytail or man-bun only takes ten seconds.
It may not be a permanent solution to frizz, but it’s a great last resort when you need it.
Always have satin hair ties with you just in case of these random frizzy hair malfunctions while you’re out.
Elastics and rubber bands can be challenging to pull out of your hair and cause even more frizz if they snag on your locks.
Conclusion
Puffiness is a huge setback when you’re trying to boost your confidence by styling your hair.
When your locks are dry and damaged, it shows up more commonly than you think.
If you’re serious about eliminating frizz and flyaways for the long run, you’ll need to commit to small changes in your routine.
Start by avoiding friction and always keeping your locks’ moisture levels in check.
It can be tedious at first, especially if you’re not used to pampering your hair.
But doing these nine things religiously will be well worth it once you see how smooth and frizz-free your mane can be.