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Puffy hair does not doom you to a life of frizz and flyaways. The proper haircut, styling products and maintenance tactics will reduce bulk and make hair thinner and less puffy-looking. Select a stylist with experience working with frizzy, coarse, thick or difficult hair, as thinning, puffy hair demands a maestro's touch.
Shaping Hair
Puffy hair happens when your hair grows outward rather than lengthwise. Cutting away at the length may remove damage, but it does little to reduce the bulk. Instead, get referrals from friends and neighbors to locate an expert who knows how to shape puffy hair. Stylists should cut puffy hair wave by wave or curl by curl, rather than chopping whole sections. This method allows each strand of hair to take its natural shape, resulting in defined waves or curls rather than the dreaded poof.
Layers
While layers can look a mess on women with very curly or kinky hair, looser curls and waves bounce to life when they are in layers. If you have puffy hair, have your stylist pay extra attention to the topmost layer. This section weighs down the rest of your hair and can flatten waves or curls, creating a pyramid-shaped puff of hair. Keep the top layer cut short. When drying your hair, use bobby pins or duck clips to hold the top layer up from the roots so that the underlying hair develops volume without frizzing.
Styling Your Haircut
Your styling choices make a major difference in whether your cut looks puffy or thin. Use a gentle shampoo or even a lotion-based conditioner to cleanse your scalp. Rinse your hair and carefully squeeze every layer to rid your hair of the water that creates frizz. Run leave-in conditioner or detangler through your damp hair, gently removing tangles or knots with your fingers rather than a comb. Skip rubbing your hair with a towel, which creates pouf and frizz, and blot it dry with an old T-shirt instead. Apply gel or, if your hair is very thick or kinky, pudding, mud or wax. Gently style your hair without over-manipulating it.
Maintaining Your Haircut
Puffy hair can grow back quickly, especially if you have a cut with multiple layers. Keep your hair looking less bulky and smooth by trimming away damaged ends every month. Treat your hair with a good moisturizing conditioner that saturates your hair and makes it feel smooth and glossy. Wrap your hair in a silky scarf at night to keep it from developing tangles and knots.
