What Causes Hair Static?

Hats may contribute to static electricity in your hair.

Hair static can cause flyaway hair, making your strands stick out in all directions. This happens because your hair is literally charged with electricity. Eliminate the static to make your hair lay down flat.

Static Electricity

Your hair is made up of atoms, which in turn are made up of electrons, protons and neutrons. If the atom has the same amount of protons and electrons, it is neutral. When electrons move from one atom to another, though, the atom can become positively charged, causing static.

Dry Hair

If your hair is dry, especially if you've just washed and dried it using a blow dryer, your hair may have static when you brush it. Dry hair attracts positive electric charges, causing your strands to literally repel each other and "fly away."

Solutions

Don't brush or comb your hair more than necessary. Choose wooden styling tools rather than plastic. Use hair products, such as leave-in conditioners, to fight static cling and help your hair lay down. Take steps to moisturize hair, such as conditioning often, to eliminate both dryness and static. Resist wearing hats or caps made from wool, polyester or acrylics.

References

• School for Champions: Overcoming Static Cling and Flyaway Hair
• The Beauty Brains: 3 Ways to Fight Static Flyaway
• Science Made Simple: Static Electricity