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A little while back, I put together a general guide on beating summer humidity — good baseline tips that work for pretty much anyone. But if you have curly or wavy hair, you already know your hair doesn’t play by the same rules as everyone else’s. The second humidity hits, your curls have a mind of their own. They puff. They frizz at the root but fall flat at the ends. Your wave pattern that looked perfect at 8am looks like something else entirely by noon.
So consider this the deep dive — the version of that humidity conversation built specifically for curl and wave patterns, where I get into exactly why your hair reacts the way it does and exactly what to layer on to stop fighting it.
I want to be really clear about something first: this isn’t frizz in the “my hair is damaged” sense. This is your curl pattern reacting to moisture in the air, and it’s completely normal. The good news is there’s a real difference between fighting your curls all month and actually working with them so humidity becomes a non-issue.
→ Related: Beat the Humidity: Summer Hair Styling Tips That Actually Hold Up
Here’s the science in plain terms: hair is naturally porous, and curly and wavy hair tends to be more porous than straight hair because of the shape of the cuticle along each bend and curve of the strand. When there’s moisture in the air, porous hair absorbs it fast — and when hair absorbs moisture unevenly, that’s what creates frizz and puffiness, especially at the root and the crown.
The other big factor is that curl pattern is genuinely more reactive to swelling than straight hair. A curl that’s slightly under-hydrated will grab humidity from the air aggressively, and that sudden moisture uptake is what breaks a smooth curl shape into frizz.
So the fix isn’t fighting moisture. It’s controlling how and when your hair takes it in.
This is the exact approach I walk my curly and wavy clients through, and it works whether you have loose waves or tight coils.
Start with a leave-in conditioner on soaking wet hair. This is the step people skip, and it’s the most important one. Wet hair needs to be sealed with moisture before you add any styling product, or you’re building your style on an unstable foundation.
Layer an anti-humidity styling cream or gel next. This is what actually creates the barrier that keeps outside moisture from disrupting your curl pattern throughout the day. Look for something with film-forming polymers — that’s the ingredient category that actually blocks humidity penetration, not just “anti-frizz” marketing language.
Seal with a light oil, not a heavy one. A few drops of a lightweight oil on dry ends locks everything in without weighing your curls down or making them look greasy by 3pm.
Diffuse instead of air drying on high-humidity days. I know air drying is the “no heat” option, but on genuinely humid days, air drying just gives moisture in the air more time to disrupt your curl pattern before it sets. A low, gentle diffuse actually locks the shape in faster and holds better through the day.
→ Related: How to Get Rid of Frizzy Hair Naturally (Simple Step-by-Step Guide)
If you’re going for an updo or half-up style this month, humidity actually works a little in your favor here — but only if you prep right.
Braid or twist damp hair before you style. This helps set the shape before humidity gets a chance to interfere, and it gives you more texture to work with once you take it down.
Use bobby pins liberally and don’t be shy about hairspray at the base. Curly and wavy updos need more anchoring in humid weather because flyaways at the root are the first thing to go.
Expect some natural volume and lean into it. Fighting for a sleek, flat updo on a humid day in curly hair is an uphill battle. A slightly more voluminous, romantic updo actually reads as intentional and looks gorgeous with texture.
Your overnight routine is doing a lot of heavy lifting this time of year. Sleeping on a satin or silk pillowcase reduces friction that roughs up your cuticle overnight, which means less frizz to fight in the morning. A loose pineapple or bonnet also helps preserve your curl shape so you’re not starting from scratch every single day.
→ Related: How to Protect Your Hair While You Sleep (Simple Overnight Hair Care Guide)
Sometimes what looks like “humidity being impossible” is actually a sign your curls need a trim, a deep conditioning treatment, or a check on your color if you’re processed. Damaged or overly porous hair reacts to humidity so much harder than healthy hair does, and if you feel like nothing is working no matter what you try, that’s usually the real story underneath it.
If your curl routine has felt like a losing battle this summer, let’s sit down and actually build you a system that works for your specific texture and your specific hair. Every curl pattern is different, and what works for one client doesn’t always work for another — that’s exactly the kind of thing I love figuring out with clients in the chair.
Book a consultation with me on Vagaro and let’s get your curls set up to handle whatever Michigan humidity throws at them.