Taming a frizzy coat can be a nightmare! Especially when getting your dog show ready. If you have a dog that has a frizz problem, you know all to well, and probably have tried everything. In this post, we will go over what causes frizz, and of course, the five easy steps to rid your dog of frizzy coat!
What causes frizz?
First things first, to solve a problem you need to know what the root of the problem is right? Frizz is actually caused by the hair shaft being too dry, or lacking moisture, when it's introduced to a humid climate (rainy day, or a summer day in Texas) the humidity reacts with the hair as it will seek moisture from the air around it, which is why humidity often makes matters worse. But what causes the coat to be so dry? Some of the most common reasons are:
- You're using too hot of water. It's best to use slightly warmer than lukewarm (to you) water, as the goal is to hit 101°F to 102.5°F (38.3 to 39.2°C) which is a dog's normal body temperature. Extra hot water can strip the skin and the coat of moisture by removing the natural oils their skin produces.
- Your dryer gets too hot. Typically, drying your dog's coat with heat is fine. Doing it too often however, can cause frizz. Especially if the coat is already dry from using too hot of water. We of course, have a great solution, our Kool Dry Dryers blow cool air, and our Xtreme and 2Xtreme dryers blow cool to warm air. Both of which are perfect for drying your dog. You can also combat this by using a leave-in conditioner or heat protectant on the coat before drying.
- You're washing your dog too much. This is a tough one, as every dog is different and some may need to be bathed more often than others. Washing your dog every other week is a good starting point, and going even longer than that is safe as well! Washing your dog too often can strip the coat and skin of natural oils, causing you guessed it - dryness and frizz.
- The coat is damaged. This can happen for a variety of reasons including: if you're doing all of the above, not properly removing styling product, or brushing without using a brushing spray on dry coat. Make sure to break down product residue after a show by using Just Divine or a self-rinse shampoo such as OC Magic Foam, or Self Rinse Plus.
Fighting Frizz
You might be thinking, that's great and all, but HOW DO I GET RID OF IT? And I get it. It's a never ending battle, until today.
Step 1: Shampoo
First things first. Nip that damage in the bud at the source. Wash your dog with Miracle Repair Shampoo if the coat is damaged (if split ends are present), OR Miracle Moisture Shampoo if the skin and coat is just dry
Step 2: Treat
After rinsing out your shampoo, next reach for Thick N Thicker Volume Response Foaming Protein, if the coat is damaged. If the coat is NOT damaged, you can skip this step. Thick N Thicker Volume Response Foaming Protein contains, as the name says, proteins that help fill in the damaged areas of the hair shaft, helping to repair them from the inside.
Step 3: Condition
Next up, seal in all the good-for-the-coat proteins that are going to rebuild the hair structure from within (yes, really). You can follow up with the matching conditioner from Step 1, or you can follow with a deep conditioner like Spectrum Ten Hypro Pac, or Pro Gro.
Step 4: Treat (in between baths)
Lastly, you can follow up your bath before blow drying, but after towel drying with Precious Drop Leave-In. Precious Drop, contains keratin, which is the protein that makes up hair. This helps to smooth the cuticle, and helps the coat retain moisture. You can use Precious Drop in between baths as well to maintain the moisture and help repair coat. Note: Using too many products that contain keratin or proteins can actually cause frizz as well. So use sparingly (once or twice a week) after you have achieved your desired results.
Step Five: Seal (Optional)
You can, if you choose to use a leave-in conditioner such as Ice on Ice Ready to Use or Coat Link Coat Dressing as well to give the coat an extra dose of moisture in between bathing, or if you live in a particularly dry climate (looking at you Arizona). Use as necessary for your dog's coat. This can be once to twice a week or even daily. Depending on the coat, and the climate.
Maintenance
Once you have successfully vanquished the mighty beast that is frizz, you can then skip steps 2, and 3 for maintenance, and of course switch from the Miracle Repair Shampoo to your normal in between show routine. Just watch out for those frizz causing culprits we listed at the beginning of this post