Why Does My Hair Stick Up? How to stop that?

Have you ever tried to find out the reasons why your hair sticks up? Is it hard to get the answer? If the answer is yes to these questions, you have come to the right place!

If you used to struggle to control your untamed strands, you understand how annoying it could be. Then, you may come up with the question, “Why does my hair stick up?“

Continue reading if this describes you. In this article, we will address the reasons causing your hair to stick up, some tips to maintain your hair slick and smooth, together with a lot of helpful information. So let’s find out the truth!

Why Does My Hair Keep Sticking Up?

It is a common question that many people ask every day when seeing their hair in an unwanted shape. In fact, several reasons are causing it to happen.

Your hair’s grain

Hair grows in a specific direction as it develops from your scalp. Therefore, when you brush the hair back, it means you are working against its normal growth direction, which may induce it to stand up and fight being brushed down.

Besides, your hair grows in various directions on distinct parts of the scalp. That is why several hairstyles can be challenging to produce due to the lack of unity.

Breakage

It might result in a large number of flyaways, which are wispy, short hair strands that appear to stand up and can go in any direction they want.

Your hair sticking up may result from the hair falling off nearly halfway down its strand or new ones not yet catching up to your hair length.

These hair strands are not as burdened down as the rest of the hair since they are shorter. So, they may create a sleek hairdo that appears frizzy if they stand up straight or out.

There are various tips you can use to decrease hair breakage:

• Be careful with your hair.
• Pull the hair tie gently.
• Should not sleep with wet hair.
• Comb the hair gently.
• Apply good hair care products.

Humidity

The quantity of moisture found in the air is referred to as humidity. Water molecules migrate from the air to the hair strands once the air is filled with far more moisture than the hair, causing the hydrogen bonds in the hair to break.

Your hair will swell and take on a new, typically more textured form due to this. Your hair may begin to stand straight up and be different from the rest once it deforms.

Here a few things you can do to protect your hair against humidity:

• Use high-quality products to strengthen your strands.
• To leave your hair dry, make use of a microfiber towel.
• Use an excellent serum to seal the hair.
• Maintain your hair’s moisture level.

Static electricity

Once an electrical charge ramps upon an object’s surface, it is called static electricity.

For example, static electricity can be observed by running a plastic brush through the hair and then placing it near little bits of paper. Then, you can see that the comb attracts the paper.

Whenever you rub the hair with brushing, you get static hair. As the hair accumulates an electric charge, its strands may reject one another, making hair challenging to manage.

So what causes your hair to stick up with static electricity? Everything is composed of atoms, which are tiny particles.

Neutrons, protons, and electrons are even smaller components that make up atoms. The two last are generally in the same number in an atom; however, electrons may be transferred away from the atoms.

To illustrate, electrons will leave their atoms and molecules in the hair and move to the plastic brush when you brush the hair. The comb, coated with negative electrons, gets charged negatively and will leave a positive charge on the hair.

It can also be caused by central heating and humidity. Hair that stands up is caused by inadequate humid air and static hair.

Below are what you may do to keep the hair static-free throughout the day:

• Get rid of your plastic combs and brushes. Instead, use metal and wood ones.
• Before using the comb, spray it with hairspray.
• Get a hold of a dryer sheet and gently rub it through the hair.

Type of Hair

Some types of hair are more likely than others to stick up. For example, kinky and curly hair rises up and outwards rather than growing downwards. Also, curly hair is often dryer than straight hair, resulting in more flyaways and breakage.

If you have dense hair, the thickness will force flyaways and strays out if you have dense hair, making it harder to remain flat. The thick hairs may put each other up, providing support and strength and stopping them from laying flat.

In addition, too short hair can stand straight up since the new hairs growing are not thick enough to slick back or lay flat.

Why Does My Hair Stick Up In Certain Situations?

On top of my head

Hair that sticks up on top is usually your flyaway. Regardless of how well you trimmed or combed your hair, irritating sticking up flyaways may occur, causing annoyance.

Hair loss and breakage are the first causes. When the natural hairs are harmed by objective circumstances such as heat or harsh chemicals like dye or bleach, the hair will partially break and leave the rest of the hair, causing it challenging to domesticate.

The second explanation is that it is likely that when you go to get your hair trimmed and styled at the salon, the hair stylists cut into the main developing hair, which promotes hair development and causes the baby hair to develop and stand up.

Moreover, once you wake up, the bedheads may simply bend the hair strands incorrectly, making it hard to dress.

On back of my head

For other parts of your hair, attempting to compel hair to remain flat against its own natural growing direction may result in your hair sticking up.

Yet, there is always a general growth direction to follow. However, it is far more challenging with a crown.

Hair sticks up at the back of your hair since it develops in a spiral termed a “cowlick” when it comes in multiple directions.

There is no specific direction in which you may comfortably brush all the hair there, so attempting to manage it all in one direction would usually result in much of it sticking up or out of place.

After the straightening sessions

There are two main reasons causing your hair to stick up after straightening.

Firstly, high-temperature straighteners will dry your hair, resulting in static because static is produced by dry hair devoid of moisture.

In addition to drying the hair, hair straighteners have the potential to worsen frizz, dryness, and breakage once your hair is already dry and damaged from excessive heat. Thus, heat can damage and dry out the strands even if it offers you a sleek and smooth appearance.

Second, pressing a straightener across hair strands creates a small electrical charge because of electron transmission. Also, flyaways are caused by the hair shafts repelling each other. As a result, static is expected when you straighten your hair.

In the morning

The friction between your hair and your pillow and bedding linens is the main reason causing your hair to stand up in the morning once you wake up.

As you sleep, you often toss and turn. Then, your hair is diverted in various directions, and once it is crushed between your bed and pillow, the heat works to “set” your hair in a new position, which is held in if you move and the region cools down. Consequently, you may see your hair stick up in the morning.

After a shower

Your hair is moist after a shower. Once the hair is still damp, it has a soft texture and is easy to stand straight up. Especially, leaving your hair damp as you go to sleep can cause it to get compressed and stand straight up the following day.

Specifically, your hair may stick up after a shower because you have shampooed your hair too frequently. Because flyaways are frequently caused by dry hair, shampooing too frequently can remove the moisture of your hair, causing it to stand straight up.

Another factor is the use of a brush when shampooing. While it is not completely dry, brushing your hair will result in frizz, hair breakage, and even flyaways.

It is also important to think about how you brush your hair because incorrect brushing may harm your hair.  Instead of starting at the roots and twisting downward, you had better start at the ends of the hair and work your way up. Doing so will ensure that you do not even cause any damage during the process and that you end up with knot-free and smooth hair.

If you are interested in this topic and want to discover more, we highly recommend you watch this video:

How Do I Stop My Hair From Sticking Up?

How Can I Keep The Back Of My Hair From Standing Up?

Let it grow out

When time passes and your hair in the back gets longer, those hairs standing up may just pull themselves down. Additionally, doing so will allow your hair to grow longer to conceal the cowlick.

Besides, you might brush over the spirals of upright hairs at your back to make it appear much better. You could also smooth your hair back over it; despite that, you may need approximately 5 or 6 inches of length.

Working with the grain

Simply lay the hairs down in a new direction if they are standing up in the back. You should first try various ways to see whether it works or not. Remember to go with the grain and cowlick on your back. You may do it with your fingertips.

Based on how tidy you wish your hair to look, you might use a hairbrush or a comb. Styling products can also assist in keeping them in place. Furthermore, the hairstylist can help you add volume and lift to your hair.

Make a mess of it

For those who desire a sleek, defined style with stray hairs labeled “flyaways,” it is not an ideal choice.

However, a problematic crown part is simpler to handle for those who are attracted to more trendy and textured hairstyles where organized mess is considered a crucial feature.

You can hide a cowlick by simply blending the stick-up hair at the head into the remainder of the sloppy style. It is a form of camouflage. If you want to get a layered haircut that is simple to mess up, your hairdresser is the perfect person to ask.

Use a concentrator nozzle

A blow dryer’s power and heat may assist in straightening hair that stands up. A concentrator nozzle is beneficial as well.

It is a small attachment that attaches to the blow dryer’s end. It concentrates the heat and pressure into smaller, more specific regions, giving you greater control.

You should utilize a medium-to-high speed mode and a medium-to-high heat mode when using this product. Also, keep the blower 6 to 8 inches away from you.

Regardless of its benefits, do not overuse this method because it will not produce the intended results if applied in a greater region.

How Can I Keep My Hair From Sticking Up In The Morning?

Leave hair dry when sleeping

You should not go to bed with any product in the hair and keep it dry because doing so may add more weight to distinct regions of your hair. Unless you want to shampoo or shower at night, comb your hair gently using a natural stiff brush to mitigate the condition.

It is recommended to shower and dampen your hair every morning to reshape your hair from the start for the best results.

Get a cap or a pillowcase

Next, you should think about getting a satin or silk sleeping cap or pillowcase. The soft fabric can help reduce friction between your hair and your bed, resulting in smoother, more controllable hair in the morning.

If you believe the issue is primarily because your hair is permitted to move in different directions and set in unpleasant ways, you should pick a cap. However, if your bedhead is followed by a lot of frizzy in the morning, you should purchase a satin pillowcase.

Hydrate the hair ends

Do not forget to hydrate the ends of your hair. Combining hydrating your hair ends every night with others tips helps keep things under control.

Make use of a leave-in product

Whether it is only your ends having gone rouge or all your hair, a leave-in product will most likely help. A mild conditioner you leave in the hair overnight will assist in taming those unruly locks.

Make use of a humidifier

Having a humidifier is beneficial to your hairstyle. It will assist you in maintaining a steady and optimal humidity level in the bedroom, which is beneficial to your skin, sinuses, and of course your hair.

Comb the hair before sleeping

Lastly, combing your hair before sleeping is among the best ways to avoid hair sticking up in the morning. Combining detangles, spreads moisture, eliminates extra product, and prepares you for a significant appearance in the morning.

How Can I Keep My Hair From Sticking Up After I Straightening It?

Allow your hair to dry before straightening

One of the most important things to consider before straightening your hair is to let it dry.

Before you use any heat styling equipment on the hair, it must be scorched, which will aid in the prevention of static hair.

Apply a heat protection serum or spray

Heat styling exasperates the state of static hair, which is an indicator of highly damaged or dry hair.

Before flattening your hair, make sure you apply a heat protection serum or spray. These products will serve as a barrier between your hair and the hot tool, allowing the natural hydration in the hair to remain intact.

Pick a good straightening or flat iron coming with a protective coating

Even though there are many hair devices on the market, you should select only those that are appropriate for your hair and will not harm it. Seek styling tools with a protective layer, which is beneficial for static hair prevention.

Apply a dry oil or serum after straightening

It is critical to use a moisturizing lotion as soon as you have flattened your hair. You can choose a dry oil, serum, or mousse to use after the heat treatment.

This method will assist in moisturizing your hair, enhance the luster, and decrease static.

After styling, put on natural fabrics

It is another way to avoid your hair standing up after straightening it, which is to put on clothing made entirely of natural fabrics after straightening your hair.

When you choose synthetic fabrics, the hair may rub against the clothing, causing additional static. Silk and cotton are natural fabrics which do not have this impact.

Utilize a nourishing shampoo and conditioner

In case you have trouble with static hair, consider switching to a more nourishing product. Hair-cleansing solutions that are harsh can dry out your hair and make additional static, particularly after you have heat-treated it.

Use a natural-materials hairbrush or comb

Hairbrushes or combs constructed of plastic or synthetic materials are commonly found on the market. Nevertheless, you should keep an eye out for wooden ones because those will help to reduce static and friction in your hair.

Final Words

By now, we have provided you with the answer to the title question, “Why does my hair stick up?” Only that, we also give you more information about what causes your hair to stand straight up in various circumstances, as well as how to prevent it.

Therefore, we hope you will find this article helpful and share it with your friends so that they can know more about this annoying hair phenomenon.