“It’s the humidity!” As well as being a comedic quote à la Monica Gellar in Friends, it’s a phrase we’re also uttering repeatedly at the moment.

The weather’s persistent switching from summer sunshine to non-stop rain has cranked up the humidity  of late and our hair is feeling the effects. While we’re all for embracing your natural hair texture and frizz, humid conditions can make it all the more difficult to style, particularly if you’re using straighteners.

So, we enlisted the help of two hair experts – Michelle Sultan, celebrity hairstylist and creative director and ambassador for Imbue, and Jimmy Green, education manager at Redken and Pureology – to talk us through their tips for humidity-proofing your hair.

“Humidity can cause hair to swell and frizz,” explains Sultan. “This is because hair is hydroscopic which means that the bonds can be broken in the hair structure by absorbing water.

“On a humid day, the air is filled with water, making hair prone to puffiness. If your hair tends to be damaged or dehydrated, or you have split ends, these areas will more prone to going frizzier faster in high humidity.”

Green adds: “A good example would be: if you had naturally curly hair that was blow dried straight and you were then in a damp environment, the straight hair would want to go back to its natural curly state.”

Here, Sultan breaks down her top humidity proofing tips:

• Keep your hair in good condition all year round, using deep moisturising/protein treatments, depending on your hair needs.
• Before going out, protect and seal your hair with sealants, sprays or oils – more on that below. 
• Get regular trims or haircuts to remove split and damaged ends for optimum conditioning and styling.
• Protect hair against the sun by opting for protective styling like braids, wearing sun hats and using UV spray.

“You should definitely adapt your routine to suit your hair type,” says Sultan. “If your hair tends to be fine, I would encourage you to not fight the texture that may want to make an appearance. Let the loose waves come through – this looks cool and natural.”

“For curly hair types, I would recommend avoiding straightening your hair. Allow your curls to come through, this is their time to shine.

“But you have to put in the work beforehand. So apply your products (protein gels work really well to set the curls in shape), do not brush or comb the curls, coils or kinks unless you have a conditioning agent on your hair and let your hair dry naturally, avoiding heat appliances.”

“Leaving your hair in its natural state is the best option,” says Green. “Embrace your natural texture and hair condition.

“You could also wear your hair up in a loose hairstyle. This would protect the hair from absorbing moisture in the air.”

Main image: Stylist Loves, courtesy of brands