Why Is My Hair So Dry & Frizzy? How to Tell if Your Hair is Dehydrated

Dry, frizzy hair is one of the most common hair care concerns—yet most attempts at solving the problem only scratch the surface because they don’t address the key cycle: dehydrated hair leads to frizz... and frizz leads to dehydration!  

It’s true: when hair lacks hydration, the cuticle lifts up, creating a rough surface texture... aka, FRIZZ! 

And once the cuticle layer is compromised and raised, hair’s internal moisture can leach out, leading to even drier hair, and an even more ragged cuticle and worsened frizz. Round and round it goes—until you do something about it.

We’ll show you exactly how to treat dry, frizzy hair—with the right products and routine that deliver real, lasting results.

How to Tell If Your Hair Is Dry and Frizzy

Here’s how to tell if your strands are severely dehydrated:

• Straw-like, coarse texture
• Dullness, zero shine
• Hair gets poufy + puffy in humidity
• Hair strands don’t hang in alignment 
• Hair is static, motionless (no swing or sway)
• Hair is hard to control and style

What Causes Dry, Frizzy Hair?

Some people are born with dry, frizzy hair and have to deal with it their whole life. For others, dry frizzy hair can occurs over time based on everyday styling habits and product choices.

Here are the biggest culprits:

🔥 Heat Styling Overload

Your flat iron, curling wand, and even your blow-dryer can zap moisture from your hair. Especially if you make the mistake of not using heat protectants.

Are you constantly frying and drying your hair? Then, we hate to say it, but frizz is inevitable in your future. 

🧪 Chemical Treatments

Keratin and Brazilian treatments might initially make your hair look sleek and give you a reprieve from constant blow-drying. 

Unfortunately, these treatments rely on extreme heat and strong chemicals that ultimately leave hair dry, porous, and frizz-prone.

🧴 Harsh Products with harsh ingredients 

Sulphates, silicones, alcohol-heavy stylers… these strip your hair of natural protective oils, and rough up your cuticle – leading to dry, frizzy hair.

☀️ Environmental Damage + Genetics

UV rays, hard water, low humidity—and even your hair’s natural porosity—can all affect your hair’s ability to grab and store critical hydration.  It’s up to you to break the dry, frizzy hair cycle!

How to Fix Dry Frizzy Hair 

Step 1: Infuse Hydration AND Moisture to Your Hair

Moisture (oil) AND hydration (water) are both vital for healthy-looking, frizz-free hair. These Color Wow heroes will quench your strands and prep your hair to resist frizz:

1. Money Masque

A weekly deep conditioning mask that floods hair with hydration, helps fortify strands,  and revives elasticity. It works on all textures, from fine to coarse.

2. Money Mist

This daily leave-in spray absorbs instantly—no buildup, no residue. Use it on damp or dry hair to rehydrate, detangle, smooth, and prep for styling.

3. Dream Cocktail Coconut-Infused

Apply this leave-in treatment after every wash for instant hydration. It’s heat-activated, so it works best when blow-drying.

4. Flo-etry (for curly or coily hair)

This curl serum hydrates, defines, and softens curls without crunch. Use it to infuse critical moisture into parched, porous, dehydrated curls and textured hair.

Step 2: Seal In Hydration and Frizz-Proof Your Style

Hydration is essential—but if you want to stop frizz in its tracks, you need to lock that moisture IN and block humidity OUT with a powerful protective layer. 

1. Treat damaged, dry frizzy hair with Dreaming Advanced Repair & Resurfacing Treatment

Start in the shower with a groundbreaking reparative treatment mask. Dreaming polishes and resurfaces hair, smoothing rough cuticles and prepping your strands for longer-lasting frizz resistance. 

Dreaming creates the perfect smooth surface so humidity-blocking sealing treatments can work even better.

2. Seal in hydration, seal out humidity with a powerful Dream Coat anti-frizz treatment 

• If you have straight or wavy frizzy hair, OG Dream Coat Supernatural Spray is the G.O.A.T. #1 humidity blocking, anti-frizz treatment; this heat-activated spray gives you glassy/glossy frizz-free styles that last for days.
  
  
• If your hair is very dry, dehydrated or very curly/textured, and you want sleek, straight, frizz-free style that lasts through a few shampoos, Extra Strength Dream Coat is a powerful, anti frizz treatment with extra moisturising properties to keep hair smooth, sleek and frizz-free even in high humidity.
  
  
• If you have naturally curly, wavy, coily hair that you want to wear curly (but NOT frizzy!), Dream Coat for Curly Hair is your all-in-one curl styling solution that delivers frizz-free, crunch-free curls.

On-the-spot smoothing, glossing, frizz-fixers for dry, frizzy hair 

Despite a dedicated two-step routine that combines hydrating prep and anti-humidity sealant, frizz happens. That’s when these fast fixes make a massive difference in minutes:

• Rehydrate with an anti-frizz styling cream, like One-Minute Transformation. Packed with mega moisture and nourishing ingredients, like Avocado Oil, it instantly depuffs and smooths fuzzy curls.
• Another option is to seal the cuticle closed with a serum, like Pop + Lock High Shine Finish. This glosser simultaneously conditions inside each strand while locking down the outer cuticle.

Read other hair care tips and tricks on the Blog:

• How to Get Sleek, Silky Strands
• What's Your Frizz Type?
• How to Air Dry without Frizz