Having a good hair day means having a great day, so it’s no wonder why people will spend a hefty chunk of their self-care routines dedicated to keeping their manes in place. From regular trims, hair masks, and many a dye or highlight session, there’s no shortage of ways you can keep your strands happy and healthy.
However, there’s also no shortage of ways you can have bad hair days as well. They’ll sneak up on you unwarranted, regardless of how much prep work you put in.
And amongst the most offending of hair faux pas that you can endure is the infamous look of your hair sticking up on your head. Fortunately, there are solutions to this pesky little problem!
So, what are some easy ways to fix hair sticking up on top of your head? The easiest ways to prevent hair sticking up on the top of your head is by deep conditioning, regular trims, and knowing your hair’s tendencies. As for fixing it, you can use anti-frizz products, wear flattering styles, and try heat styling.
In this article, we’ll break down all of our favorite ways to deal with hair that just doesn’t want to stay in place, so you can have as many good hair days as you deserve!
Hair Sticking Up On Head For No Reason
Looking in the mirror in the morning and seeing your hair on its end is never a welcome sight! It’s easy to see the offending strands and think, “Well, I didn’t do anything for this to happen!” Though vertical strands can sometimes happen entirely on their own, it’s more likely that they’re caused by other reasons.
Before you chalk it up to nature, here are some of the most common reasons your hair is sticking up on its own. Take a second to see if your hair fits the bill:
- Your hair isn’t trained – Did you just recently get a haircut, or are trying out a new way to part your hair? If you’ve kept the same hairstyle for an extended period of time, your mane isn’t going to like any kind of switch-up, meaning some hairs are going to fight the direction you’re pulling them towards.
- Your strands are too short – When a strand of hair is newly growing, or cut short, it may have no other direction to go but up! This is why cropped cuts or super-short pixies tend to stick up rather than lay flat.
- Breakage – Hair that’s been torn or ripped partway down the strand don’t have enough weight to lay down anymore, causing flyaways.
- Dry Hair – The previous reason also applies for dry strands, that don’t carry enough moisture or water weight to keep them in place.
- Humidity – The moisture in humid air will bond to the hair shaft- which is why people get frizzy or curly/wavy hair in wet weather.
- Static – Coming in contact with a fleece blanket, balloons, or otherwise static-y material will undoubtedly cause flyaways.
How To Stop Hair From Sticking Up At The Crown
If you’re dealing with gravity-defying strands right at the top of your head- you are not alone!
This is such a common portion of the head to get flyaways. In fact, it’s so popular of an area, that flyaways in that area have earned themselves a nickname: cowlicks. Cowlicks are a little bit different than your average flyaway, as these are actually genetic. That’s right. Bad hair days can be a part of your family tree!
However, that doesn’t mean that you’ll be dealing with a misbehaving chunk of hair every single day without a solution! Cowlicks are a little more difficult to take care of than the average unruly strand- but it definitely isn’t impossible.
Here are some of the best methods to keeping your cowlicks contained:
- Grow it out. If there’s any singular way to show your cowlicks off, it’s by cutting them too short. The shorter the strand, the lighter they are- and if you have a seriously stubborn cowlick, they’ll be almost impossible to keep in place! Thankfully, hair grows between ⅓ and ½ of an inch each month, so you won’t be dealing with it for long.
- Tell your hairstylist about it. Prior to you getting a haircut, let your hairstylist know about the areas where your hair tends to get finicky. They’ll be able to cut the cowlicks just enough to keep them from sticking up.
- High-hold product. Using an extra-hold gel or serum, go ahead and concentrate the product onto the cowlick and hold it in place (or blow-dry it into place) until it sets. This should last all day and will blend in seamlessly with a completely styled head.
- Go with the grain. A cowlick can be aggravated by you trying to maneuver the hairs where they don’t want to go. Instead of fighting it- work with the cowlick so it doesn’t stick up more.
- Blow dry. While your hair is wet, focus on blowing your cowlick into place using a concentrated stream of warm air onto the crown of your head. To prevent it from looking to dry- follow it up with a blast of cool air.
How To Stop Hair Sticking Up At The Sides
If you have hairs sticking up on the sides of your head, or around the frame of your face, you are also not alone! These strands are most commonly confused for baby hairs, when in reality, they’re more likely to be new growth or, unfortunately, breakage. They could also be caused by dehydrated strands.
Flyaways of this nature can occur on any length and any texture of hair, but they’re most noticeable on long hair, or on those who pull their hair back into ponytails or buns frequently.
Here are some of the most effective ways you can keep your flyaways tamed:
- Product and a brush. This is a classic method to keep hairs in place and is so easy and fool-proof that it’ll likely end up being your go-to method every time. Simply work some hairspray, gel, or serum through your baby hairs (or other offending areas) and smooth the strands into place using a boar bristle brush and a clean toothbrush (dedicated for hairstyling).
- Don’t brush wet hair. To avoid breakage, it’s best to let your strands dry at least 80% of the way before you run a brush or comb through them.
- Deep condition weekly. To assure that your hair is properly nourished take some time to do a deep conditioning hair mask or treatment on a weekly basis (or 2x weekly depending on your porosity).
- Anti-frizz products. Post-wash, go ahead and treat your hair with some anti-frizz products. Focus these around the hairline and the sides of your head, these will hydrate your hair enough to keep frizz at bay for the day.
- Don’t wear high-tension styles. Slick hairstyles like ponytails, buns, or braids can cause a lot of tension around the hairline- even leading these hairs to snap and cause flyaways. Let your hair rest a majority of the time, only pulling it up on special occasions.
- Get regular trims. To prevent hairs from splitting, it’s important for you to get regular haircuts. You don’t necessarily need to get a new style every time, but simply getting an inch or two cut every couple of months can keep your strands from breaking to far up the strand, causing vertical hairs and flyaways.
Related Questions
Can I train my hair to stay in place?
Surprisingly, you can train your hairs to stay in place! It is a bit of a longer process, and requires your daily attention, but it can be done. Simply using a mixture of gels, styling tools, and heating products (blow dryer, etc.) on a daily basis can show your hairs just how you want them to lay.
All in all, the process will take around 2-3 months. By then, your cowlick should be well trained not to stick up. The length of the process will vary based on your consistency and hair type.
Can I use a curling iron or flat iron on my flyaways and cowlicks?
Absolutely. A curling iron is a great way to disguise cowlicks, especially if you decide to curl the entire head. Instead of curling, you can also use a combination of a curling iron and rollers. Using these in tandem will fake the look of a blowout, and the added volume will work wonders on a cowlick.
As for a flat iron, you may want to go over the offending piece of hair and straighten it both with and against the grain of growth- that way, it lays flat regardless of being tossed and tussled throughout the day.
How long should a strand of hair be before it lays flat?
Usually, a strand of hair needs to be 1.5 inches to 2 inches before it starts laying the way it needs to, anything shorter than that, and it may be too little to be reckoned with gravity.
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