Taming Problem Hair for Your Wedding Day

In case your top frizz gets to you, remember that even Debra Messing and Jennifer Aniston have “curl” issues—and they have lots of help! On your wedding day, controlling overly frizzy hair takes smart moves, smart tips, and a dose of reality. Read on for straight talk.

Outdoor weddings wreak the most havoc on frizzy hair, whether you’re in Minnesota or Mexico, during June or January. Humidity is always in the air, so make sure you have a blow-out the day before; use an anti-frizz product. Says Miami hairstylist Hillary Bell, “You don’t want to put a bunch of products in your hair the day of the wedding, because hair has nothing to hold onto”—the last thing you need for an updo with hairpins.

For Bell, the night before works wonders because hair will look blown out for the rehearsal dinner or any pre-wedding party. “Just don’t go to a smoky bar,” she adds.

Hotter places are a bigger problem, but, according to Bell, it’s all a matter of, well, degrees. “If it’s really humid, I use a toothbrush with hairspray and calm the hair down,” she says. “It gets frizziest at the nape of the neck and the ears.” Wherever you are, you’re going to sweat as the day or night goes on.

For indoor weddings in colder climates, static can be a problem. Bell suggests the toothbrush trick for static, and she tells brides to make sure to keep hair hydrated by using conditioner the day before.

The most important thing for all curly-haired women to remember is to work with what they naturally have. “You don’t want to suffer the Cinderella effect,” warns Bell. If your hair is naturally wavy, define the curls and enhance the texture. “If you try to make it completely straight, it’s going to start creeping back slowly,” she says. “By the end of the night it’ll go back to the way it was.”

In other words, if the hairstyle fits…

-David Toussaint

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