Static electricity is a real
cosmetic problem for many people causing bad hair mornings and
annoying frizz during the day.
This problem is the same thing that causes you to get a shock when
you touch a metal doorknob after walking across a polyester carpet.
We all know the phrase ‘static hair’ but do you really know why your
hair acts like it does because of it?
The science bit
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 becomes an ‘ion’ which means it’s
either positive or negatively charged.
If you remember your physics “what happens when two of the same
charges come together…they repel!!
And so with your hair, each hair becomes positively charged because
it is loosing electrons and so each hair is repelling the other!
That’s great but what causes it?
There are two main culprits to static hair and some easy remedies to
solve this annoying problem!
Dry hair
The main culprit is dry hair, your hair is mostly made up of water
and so hair what is dry and porous tends to lose more water than
other types.
The loss of the water molecules leaves the hair more ‘+’ charged
than ‘-‘ so static starts.
Cold Air
Static electricity occurs most often during the cold winter months
because cold air holds less moisture. In a dry environment, static
charges can build up on objects more easily because the electricity
has no path through which to travel. In moister environments, it
would simply disperse through the air and not build up. Static
electricity, by its nature, does not flow until given a path. The
static charges in your hair, for instance, would normally flow
through the water particles surrounding your head.
Solutions
As the temperature drops outside, the amount of static electricity
in your hair will increase. Static in your hair can be remedied with
some quick solutions that will prevent embarrassing fly-away hair.
Choose wooden styling tools or anti-static combs which have a high
percentage of carbon in it (carbon has a high negative ion content
and so some of those negative charged ions attaché themselves to the
positive ones on your frizzy hair!
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.
At home or in the office if you have central heating, place a bowl
of water near the radiator to ensure the rooms moisture balance is
kept high, constant dry heat will make it worse!
Static electricity is worse during cold dry weather and causes
strands of hair to stand on end. Static can be so bad, you may even
hear the crackling sound of electricity if you try to comb through
the hair. Combing hair with static electricity often makes the
static worse, unless you take special precautions.
Iain Sallis M.I.T is a consultant Trichologist for several private
hospitals throughout the UK. He’s been studying trichology since
1999 and now operates the largest group of trichology clinics in the
UK, with his 9 clinics spanning the country from London and Lincoln
to Nottingham, Harrogate and Hull.
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