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How to Stop Static Hair in Winter (Quick Fixes and Real Fixes)

“Static is the one winter hair problem that ruins a good outfit in a second. You take off a beautiful knit hat and your hair stands up to greet the room. The fix is never one product. It's moisture in the hair, less friction around it, and a little something on your palms for emergencies.”Her take

Why is my hair so static in winter?

Cold outdoor air holds very little moisture, and indoor heating dries the air further. Hair that has lost moisture builds up an electric charge easily when it rubs against something: a wool hat, a scarf, a sweater pulled over your head, a coat collar, even a plastic brush. The strands end up carrying the same charge, so they push away from each other and float.

Fine and freshly washed hair tends to show it most, and so do ends that are already dry. That's why the answer is partly about what you put on your hair and partly about what touches it all day.

How do you stop static hair fast when you're out?

You need something that adds a whisper of moisture or weight to the surface of the hair, and you need it without making the roots greasy. Work from the lengths, use far less than you think, and pat rather than rub, because rubbing is what made the charge in the first place.

Here is how the quick fixes compare with the ones that work over a whole winter.

• Hand cream or lotion, out of the house: one small drop, rubbed between palms until almost gone, then pressed onto the flyaways. Works in seconds. Keep it off the roots.
• Hair oil or balm, out of the house: a single drop on the ends and the surface layer. Good for dry ends. Too much looks greasy by evening.
• Hairspray on a brush or comb, out of the house: mist the brush, not your head, then smooth down. Holds flyaways without stiffness.
• Damp hands, out of the house: run slightly wet palms over the surface. A temporary fix that fades as the hair dries.
• Conditioner every wash, at home: deals with the dryness behind most static. The fix that matters most.
• Leave-in conditioner on the lengths, at home: keeps a light layer of moisture on the hair between washes.
• Humidifier in the bedroom, at home: puts moisture back in the air you spend the most hours in.

Does a dryer sheet stop static hair?

A dryer sheet smoothed over the surface can calm flyaways for a while, because it leaves a thin coating behind. That's why it's such a popular trick. But it's made for laundry, not for hair or skin, and many are heavily scented.

I keep dryer sheets for fabric: wipe one around the inside of your hat, over a scarf or along a sweater collar, and use something made for hair on your hair. The hand cream trick does the same job and you probably already have it in your bag.

Which shampoo and conditioner help with static?

There's a lot of disagreement about shampoo, but the part everyone agrees on is conditioner. Use it every time you wash, from mid-length to ends, and give it a minute before rinsing. In winter a richer, moisturizing formula usually works better than a light one.

For shampoo, choose a gentle one and don't wash more often than your hair needs. Strong clarifying shampoos are useful now and then, but used every wash in winter they can leave hair drier and more prone to static. Whether you prefer a conditioning shampoo or a separate conditioner is personal; what matters is that the lengths end up conditioned.

Once a week, a mask or deep conditioner on the ends helps if your hair is long, colored at the ends or simply dry. And if your hair feels coated and still flies away, product buildup may be part of it: an occasional clarifying wash, followed by conditioner, resets the surface.

Which brushes and drying habits make it worse?

Plastic brushes and combs are the usual culprits. Many people find a wooden or metal comb creates less static, and advice on natural bristles is mixed, so if your brush leaves you floating, try a different one. Brush gently, and don't brush dry hair over and over to get it to lie flat, because each stroke adds friction.

When you blow-dry, point the nozzle down the hair, from root to end, so the cuticle lies flat. Finish with the cool setting, and make sure your hair is fully dry before you go out into cold air. Going out with damp hair under a hat tends to end in frizz and static together.

What should you wear against your hair in winter?

This is where style and static meet. Wool, acrylic and other synthetic knits rub against hair more than smooth fabrics do. You don't have to give up the knit hat; line it. A hat with a silk or satin lining, or a thin silk scarf tied underneath, keeps the knit off your hair and looks deliberate.

Pull sweaters on before you style your hair, not after. Choose coats with smooth linings at the collar, wear a silk scarf closest to your neck if you love a chunky wool one, and sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase so you don't wake up with charged, tangled hair.

On the worst days, wear your hair up. A sleek low bun or a braid keeps the lengths together and out of the collar, so there's nothing left to float.

Questions people ask

The takeaway

Condition every wash, keep wool off your hair with silk, dry fully before going out, and carry hand cream for the moment the hat comes off.

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