This tin foil for frizzy hair hack has gone viral – but experts advise caution

The internet is a brilliant place for learning, including new, interesting and unusual beauty methods. Case in point: the foil for frizzy hair hack that’s proven very popular on social media due to its ease and affordability.

The straightforward method, which gained traction on TikTok a couple of years ago, was demonstrated on This Morning earlier this month and involves using the household item to “flatten” any areas of frizzy hair – a seemingly very easy and useful hack during summer or a humid setting. It's also a cheaper alternative to many of the best hair products for humidity. 

But before you eagerly grab the tin foil from your kitchen, there are a few things to know about this method. Not just whether or not it works, based on a woman&home tester’s experience and the advice of a hairdresser and a trichologist, but also if it’s suitable for your hair type and actually recommended. Here’s what you need to know… 

Everything to know about the tin foil hair hack for frizzy hair 

How does the tin foil for frizzy hair method work?

In terms of a how-to, the method is pretty easy and doesn’t require any real hairstyling skill. As beauty journalist Sarah Jossel demonstrated on This Morning, you simply take a piece of tin foil, wrap and and smooth it down any areas of hair that have frizz or flyaways.

According to Mason Josh, principal stylist and educator at Josh Wood: “This works by taking out the static of the hair. It would be good to do [this] when you first blow dry your hair to calm down the static you may sometimes get on the top of your head. Static doesn’t always last on the hair, so this is a good way to speed up the process of reducing static."

"Static in the hair is often caused by friction from brushing," adds Anabel Kingsley, trichologist and brand president for Philip Kingsley. Tin foil defends against static as the metal conducts electric charge. It carries away the static charge, taming flyaways in the process." 

Having tried the hack, I can confirm that it somewhat smoothed the flyaways I had around the crown – without layering on any additional product to my hair, which I liked. As my hair wasn’t particularly static, it’s difficult for me to say firsthand how drastic a difference the method can make on that front but, if the smoother finish and TikTok fans are anything to go by, there is something in it. 

Anabel Kingsley, trichologist at Philip Kingsley, notes that how well the effects last depends on what you do next. "If you re-brush your, hair causing more friction, wear a hat and remove it, or take a nap on a synthetic pillow case, this can all create friction," she explains. In these cases, you'll then feel the need to re-smooth your hair. 

Do hair experts recommend the tin foil for frizzy hair hack?

While it does appear to instantly smooth down the hair, Kingsley advises some caution. "Rubbing or pulling the hair in any capacity can be damaging to your strands if not done gently, causing tangles and roughing up the hair’s cuticle," she notes. Therefore, if you are going to give this method a try, it's crucial that you smooth the tin foil over your hair slowly and gently to remove the static and flatten any flyaways.  

The best products for frizz and flyaway prevention

Kingsley also notes that eradicating static in the first place is a good idea and suggests seeking out a good hairbrush that doesn't generate static, a silk pillowcase and smoothing hair products. She recommends trying Philip Kingsley's Frizz Fighting Gloss. 

A significant part of this comes down to prepping your hair, rather than only responding to any frizz that develops after the fact. If your hair is really well-moisturised, it reduces the likelihood of strands absorbing moisture it's lacking from the atmosphere; the latter causes the hair to expand and divert from how you’ve styled it. Products that create a "shield" from humidity over the hair can also be very beneficial. Below are some of our favourite buys.