Tips To Get Rid Of Stubborn Frizzy Roots

Since discovering my natural curl pattern I have been obsessed with the idea of producing defined, frizz-free curls throughout my crown. It is a task easier said than done, and although curl training has gotten me close to this goal, often my roots tend to revert to their frizzy form.

Since the roots of our hair are the youngest parts of the hair they tend to have even lower porosity than the rest of the hair shaft due to their new, virgin nature. By the time hair has aged enough to form the end of our hair strands, they have also become more porous, which is is the reason why the ends of our hair tend to have more defined curls than the rest of our mane.

These ends respond more favorably to conditioning and are less dry in my case. My new growth however can be compared to a stubborn child who wants to do its own thing, regardless of the relative uniformity of my curl pattern. It is the bane of my existence.

Recently, I have begun to embrace this frizz due to the fact that it lends my hair volume, which people have responded to favorably due to the more “diva-like” look. However, as my hair grows I want to be able to wear my length and have my curls lay, because as beautiful as a gigantic afro is going to be, I crave the versatility.

If you are suffering from the same habitually frizzy roots that I do and you want a chance to change it up, here are some tips to try:

Blow dry your roots first

This should always be done on a low to cool setting, but drying your roots first will tend to keep them from frizzing up as they air-dry. Because our scalps are hot, it naturally creates a steaming effect on the roots of our hair as the heat comes into contact with wet hair.

This is what often causes my roots to be frizzier than the rest of my hair after washing, so by concentrating on drying my roots first, I can often stop this process dead in its tracks. Another way to do this is by blow drying your hair with a diffuser*, which allows you to concentrate on the roots of your hair.

Concentrate your conditioner

I have found success in concentrating the use of my conditioner especially on my roots, which tend to be dry and frizzy due to a lower ability to absorb moisture. When I apply my conditioner I don’t just slap it on, I massage it into the hair root, rubbing it well so that it begins to penetrate the strands.

I have noticed that just slapping a conditioner on your hair, in the case of my low porosity hair, does not encourage penetration and often times the conditioner will never absorb into my hair shaft. This massaging technique has literally changed the game for me by guaranteeing that I get deep penetration into my hair shaft.

Curl train those roots

If you’ve already got a pretty defined set of curls on your head, but realize that your roots just don’t seem to want to cooperate, you can focus on curl training only the roots of your hair in order to increase their curl memory.

Naturally, each hair strand will develop curl memory as it lengthens, which is why the ends of your hair have such an easy time separating, but since the roots of your hair are still new to the game they tend to clump incorrectly.

By concentrating on your roots when you curl train you’re giving them a head-start in the game. To curl train, simply apply your favorite deep conditioner* to the roots of your hair; a thick, moisturizing deep conditioner* is key so that it hardens and deeply defines the root. Then wait a day or two before rinsing it out. This training, over time, will reduce the frizz at your roots and allow them to develop curl memory faster.

Embrace the frizz

Don’t be afraid to just let it fly and learn to love how your hair behaves naturally. Although these tips are great to have in your back pocket, in my experience, having frizz-free roots is often best worn when you have a good deal of length.

On shorter hair it tends to produce a flattened appearance that might leave you wanting for some volume. Your lovely frizzy roots are the easiest way to achieve this, so embrace the frizz!

Some days you’re too lazy to be bothered with any of these methods. Often, those effortless days are some of our best. Besides, as I sit and complain about my frizzy roots, I am keenly aware of the fact that someone else might just be jealous of the very thing that I hate.

Everything is perspective. For more on this, check out my post on how I got more compliments with frizzy hair versus my perfectly laid curls.