How Florida’s Humidity Affects Your Hair and What You Can Do About It

If you live in Florida, you already know the feeling. You style your hair in the morning, it looks smooth and perfect, and by lunchtime it’s doubled in size and feels like a cloud of frizz. I get it. As a stylist here at The Warehouse Salon in DeLand, I see it every day.

Humidity can undo hours of work in minutes. But here’s the truth: it isn’t just the weather that’s to blame. It’s how the hair reacts to the moisture in the air and how we prepare it before we step outside. Once you understand that, you can control it.

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When I Learned Humidity Wins Every Time You Cut Corners

Early in my career, I had a client named Jennifer with fine, soft hair that reacted instantly to moisture. She had a big meeting in Orlando, and I gave her a beautiful blow-out that morning. The air felt heavy, but I thought we’d be fine.

Two hours later, Jennifer called me from her car outside the office building.

"I can't go in there like this," she said. Her voice was tight. "My hair looks insane. I look unprofessional. What do I do?"

My stomach dropped. Her sleek, smooth style had turned into a halo of fluff in the parking lot heat.

That one mistake taught me the hard way: in Florida, you can’t half-do a blow-out. You have to build protection into the style from the start, or the weather will win.

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Why Humidity Attacks Your Hair

Humidity doesn’t just make your hair “frizzy.” It actually opens the hair cuticle, allowing moisture to sneak inside the strand. The more porous your hair is, the faster it swells and loses shape.

That’s why color-treated, highlighted, or naturally curly hair tends to struggle the most here. When the air is thick, your hair literally soaks it up like a sponge. The trick isn't to fight humidity after it happens but to seal the cuticle before it does..

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The Bride Who Almost Cried

Last summer, a bride named Marissa came to me three days before her outdoor wedding. She wanted smooth waves that would hold for photos.

"Have you been to a Florida wedding in July?" I asked.

She showed me Pinterest photos of sleek, flowing hair. "That’s what I want."

I had to be honest. "That’s gorgeous, but it won’t survive your ceremony. We need a style that works with the humidity, not against it."

We created soft, textured waves with enough body to move but not collapse. I used Color Wow Extra Strength Dream Coat 6.7 oz to seal everything, and we built in natural volume that could expand slightly without looking frizzy.

Her photos were beautiful. More importantly, she texted me after the reception: "My hair looks exactly like it did at 2 PM. Thank you for being honest with me."

That’s the Florida hair game: realistic expectations and the right prep work.

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The One Product That Changed My Blow-Outs

Now I never start a smooth style without using Color Wow Extra Strength Dream Coat 6.7 oz. It’s not magic, but it feels close.

It acts like a raincoat for your hair, sealing out humidity while keeping it lightweight and shiny. It’s heat-activated, which means it works best when applied before blow-drying. I tell clients it’s like putting a shield on each strand before they step outside.

I use it regularly on clients with blonde or textured hair, and the difference is night and day. The style lasts longer, feels smoother, and holds up even on those muggy DeLand afternoons when the air feels like soup.

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The Technique That Makes It Stick

Product alone won’t fix everything. How you dry and seal the hair matters just as much.

Here’s what I do in the salon and what I teach my team:

1. Wash and condition the hair, then towel-dry it so it’s damp, not dripping.
2. Apply Dream Coat evenly from roots to ends. Don’t be shy with it—the hair needs to be fully saturated for it to work.
3. Blow-dry in small sections using tension and a round brush. The goal is to smooth the cuticle flat, not just remove moisture.
4. Once dry, I go over each section once with a flat iron at a low temperature. That light pass locks everything in and adds shine.
   
   

When clients follow this routine at home, they come back saying their hair actually holds for days instead of hours.

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My Honest Take on Florida Hair Myths

Let’s clear something up: air-drying doesn’t protect your hair in humidity. It actually makes styling harder. When you air-dry, your hair cuticle stays uneven. So when you later straighten it, you need more heat and the frizz returns faster.

Another myth? That “glass-flat” finish from social media. It might look sleek in photos, but in Florida’s humidity it collapses quickly. Hair with a bit of body and movement lasts much longer here. A natural, smooth texture is far more sustainable than a rigid, pin-straight look.

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The Client Who Ignored My Advice

One of my clients, Ava, came in for a summer blow-out before her vacation. I told her about aftercare: no heavy sweating, no getting it wet, and definitely no saltwater for at least 24 hours. She nodded, smiled, and promised to behave.

Then she texted me a photo that night. Her hair looked half-frizzy and half-flat. “I went for a quick swim,” she said.

We both laughed later, but it was a lesson learned the hard way. Ava came back in two days later, and we redid the blow-out. This time, she followed every single instruction.

She texted me five days later: “Still smooth! I can’t believe it. Worth every bit of restraint.”

Those first 24 hours are when the style sets. If you want your hair to survive Florida humidity, you have to treat it like silk for that crucial first day. Gentle, careful, and completely off-limits to water.

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Why I Still Love Styling in Humid Florida

People ask me all the time how I can stand doing hair in this climate. My answer is simple: because it keeps me creative.

Every day is a challenge to outsmart the weather. Every client teaches me something new about texture, moisture, and patience. When someone comes in frustrated and leaves saying, “It’s still smooth, even outside,” that’s the best compliment I can get.

Humidity doesn’t have to ruin your look. You just have to respect it, prepare for it, and trust the process.

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Ready for Hair That Actually Holds Up?

If you’re tired of frizz taking over your mornings, come see me at The Warehouse Salon in DeLand, FL. I’ll look at your hair type, your lifestyle, and the weather you deal with daily, then show you exactly how to keep your style looking fresh.

Call (386) 279-0626 or book online. Let’s make humidity something you work with, not against.