Humidity & Relaxed Hair: How to Fight Frizz & Keep Your Style Sleek
Humidity can feel like the ultimate saboteur of sleek, relaxed styles. One minute you're laid and polished, the next—poof—your edges are swelling and your flat iron work is unraveling.
For relaxed hair, which has been chemically straightened and is often more porous, humidity poses a unique challenge. But with the right strategy, you can outsmart frizz and hold your style longer, even in the thickest air.
Here’s what really works—and what to avoid.
Why Relaxed Hair Reacts to Humidity Differently
Relaxers change the structure of your hair by breaking down its protein bonds, making it permanently straight—but also more porous. Porous hair acts like a sponge, absorbing moisture from the air, which causes strands to swell, frizz, and revert (yes, even relaxed hair can puff up when overexposed to humidity).
What Actually Works to Combat Humidity for Relaxed Hair
1. pH-Balancing and Sealing Are Crucial
After your wash day, your hair's cuticle layer is more open—especially if you’ve used a high-pH shampoo or a protein treatment. This is when your hair is most vulnerable to humidity.
Solution: Use a pH-balancing conditioner or leave-in to help close the cuticle. Follow with a lightweight oil or butter that creates a seal and locks in your style. Natural sealants like grapeseed oil, argan oil, or baobab oil are ideal.
2. Ditch the Water-Based Leave-Ins...Temporarily
Normally, water-based moisturizers are a must for relaxed hair. But in high humidity, too much water equals frizz waiting to happen.
Solution: Use creamy, low-water-content moisturizers or anti-humidity serums. These help maintain smoothness without reactivating texture or lifting your roots.
3. Avoid Direct Heat Right Before Going Out
Here’s a trick, let your style cool completely before stepping into humidity. Using heat and walking right outside allows steam from your scalp and air to disrupt the smoothness before your cuticle has had time to settle.
Solution: Use a blast of cool air from your blow dryer or wrap your hair and let it set before heading out.
4. Wrap, Set, or Roll for Lasting Hold
Heatless overnight styling like:
- Wet or dry wrapping
- Flexi rod sets
- Roller sets
Can lock in shape without making your strands more vulnerable to frizz. These methods help “train” your hair to hold a smooth form, while reducing daily heat usage (which can lead to more frizz over time).
5. Use Satin & Silk Strategically
Silk and satin aren’t just for bedtime. In humidity, use:
- Satin-lined caps or scarves outdoors
- Silk scarves for midday wrap resets
- Silk scrunchies to protect ends from swelling
Bonus Tip: Clarify Wisely
Humidity + product buildup = frizz city. But don’t over-strip your hair either.
Best practice: Use a mild clarifying shampoo every 2–3 weeks to remove product buildup, followed by a deep conditioner to replenish moisture. MJ's Mane's "For Clarity's Sake" Clarifying Shampoo ensures you get rid of all the unnecessary buildup, while nourishing your hair with rich, natural ingredients like sea moss and kakadu plum.
Join the MJ's Mane waitlist for exclusive product drops, frizz-fighting tips, and first dibs on our humidity-resistant stylers.
