Remember the episode of Friends where Monica went to Barbados with the group and her hair just went boom, due to the island’s humidity?
Unfortunately, as we spend more time working from home, it seems like our hair might be going the way of Monica’s. It seems to be gaining a life of its own, and it’s not because we haven’t been to the hair salon. So what gives?
The culprit: Humidity.
So why is that so bad for our hair?
It has to do with moisture and heat. The air around us holds moisture. And how much moisture it holds depends on how hot it is: warm air holds more moisture; cooler, colder air doesn’t contain as much. So that’s what makes Singapore so humid.
Here’s where it gets tricky. Hair craves moisture and will gravitate towards it. Just like skin, it needs it to be healthy. The problem is that any moisture your hair absorbs from the air, sits only on the outer layer. This makes the strands swell and become heavier, resulting in frizz.
If you have fine hair, the moisture it absorbs will weigh it down, causing a loss of volume and shape. On thicker hair, moisture causes strands to expand, resulting in out-of-control frizz and flyaways.
And now that you’re working at home and perhaps no longer in air-conditioned comfort, chances are, your hair is subjected to the full effect of Singapore’s weather. Plus, you’re probably letting it air-dry too, now that you no longer need to head into the office.
The good news is you won’t need to get braids like Friends’ Monica did to deal with the frizziness. We’ve got seven ways to help tame flyaways and keep your hair looking neat.