16 Easy Ways to Soften Your Hair for Smooth, Silky Strands

Close up of a woman brushing her hair

Stocksy

Few things can feel as powerful as that moment you step out of the salon with bouncy, shiny, silky soft hair. You know the feeling, right? Even though it can feel impossible to DIY professional-looking hairstyles, it's certainly possible to soften your hair at home with a few expert-recommended tricks.

But first, it's necessary to understand what contributes to how our hair feels before we strategize all of the ways to soften it. Celebrity hairstylist and Moroccanoil ambassador, Tatiana Dudley, says that things such as medication, illness, age, and/or water intake can affect your overall health and lead you to softer (or less soft) hair. 

Furthermore, we know that hair damage plays a major factor in determining the softness of our hair. After all, we've all seen what hot tools and hair dye can do to our strands. Fear not, in most cases, there are ways to revive brittle, wiry hair. Dudley recommends her PMH treatment protocol, which stands for “protein, moisture, hydration"—referring to the types of products and the formula that she uses.

Apart from that, there are plenty more ways to soften hair at home. Below, Dudley along with hairstylists Holly Dear and George Kyriakos share their tips and tricks for achieving silky hair in no time. From sleeping on satin pillowcases and taking supplements to using a deep conditioner and a high-quality hairbrush, keep scrolling for their tips.

Meet the Expert

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Maintain a Healthy pH Balance

According to Dudley, for your hair to achieve its best results it is important to use porosity equalizers to maintain a healthy pH balance. "The healthy pH balance for hair is a range from 3.6-5.5," explains Dear. "If hair gets to a more alkali level or uses products with alkali ingredients, that will cause the hair follicles to expand and release needed moisture. This affects the moisture and shine, making the hair brittle and dull, so products that are pH-balanced for the hair are a must."

She recommends House of Dear's Wash and Rinse ($38) on a daily basis for its gentle-cleansing, strengthening, and hydrating properties and maintaining a healthy ph balance.

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Use the Right Shampoo and Conditioner

The amount of times you wash your hair—with the right products—is also key. "Don’t over wash your hair—try to go two to three days of not using shampoo between washes," says Kyriakos. "You can rinse your hair every day and use conditioners but over-shampooing can dry out your hair and scalp. Natural oils help the shine and condition of your hair." For a great shine, he recommends Fekkai’s Brilliant Shine Shampoo ($25) and Conditioner ($25).

If you haven't used a clarifying shampoo in a while, it may be time to. This will help you to rid your hair of all the product buildup and impurities that it collects on the day-to-day. Because these kinds of shampoos strip the hair, limit your use to just once a week or when you feel like you need a really deep clean.

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Remove Moisture from Hair Before Blow-Drying

Once you've stepped out of the shower and applied your skincare regimen, it's time to focus on your hair. Kyriakos emphasizes the importance of towel-drying your hair as best as possible to remove as much moisture as you can. We love microfiber towels as they keep frizz at bay and don't rough up the cuticle when towel-drying.

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Choose a Good Hair Brush

Instead of ripping a hairbrush through tangles and knots with reckless abandon post-shower, take a cue from your stylist. After you've squeezed out most of the water with your micro-fiber towel, gently work your way from the ends of your hair to the roots while brushing. We recommend a detangling brush or a wide-tooth comb. The more gentle you are when combing and brushing your hair after washing it, the less breakage and frizz you'll create, and the smoother and softer your hair will feel. 

When hair is dry and ready to be styled, Kyriakos recommends a boar bristle brush with a metal barrel. "When the barrel heats up, it acts like a curling iron or flat iron smoothing the hair as you blow it dry," he says. "Using a boar bristle brush helps promote healthy hair growth by massaging the scalp, increasing blood flow, and unclogging the hair follicles," adds Dear.

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Use Hair Serums

Shampoo and conditioner are very important, but you also need to pay close attention to the styling products you use when trying to achieve soft, shiny hair. Of course, everyone's hair needs a different product combination, but a great place to start is with three main products: hair oil, frizz-reducing/smoothing serum, and blow-dry spray. Use them all, or stick with just one, depending on what your hair needs. 

Hair oil is a bit of a miracle worker as it's able to hydrate, soften, detangle, reduce frizz, and tame unruly hair. Apply it after towel drying and before brushing or using any other product. Concentrate it primarily on the ends of your hair, using a very small amount in the mid-shaft area and toward the scalp. If your hair has a tendency to get oily or greasy, be sure to keep the product away from your roots.

Even if your hair isn't terribly frizzy or unruly, a smoothing serum, such as Living Proof's Smooth Styling Serum ($36), can make all the difference in your blowout. Apply your smoothing serum on freshly combed, slightly air-dried hair. To do so, rub the product between the palms of your hands and work it through your hair with your fingertips. Comb through to make sure the product is evenly distributed.​

Byrdie Tip

After applying a serum, apply a few sprays of blow-dry spray to your hair for added moisture and shine. Focus on the ends of your hair, then comb through to evenly distribute.

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Deep Condition Frequently

Between heat styling, hair coloring, and other external factors, many of us put our hair through the ringer. That's why it's so important to incorporate a deep conditioner into your routine to keep strands strong and healthy. "Doing it two to three times per month helps maintain a healthy balance of moisture," says Dudley. She recommends Moroccanoil's Intense Hydrating Mask ($42) as it acts quickly as in: it only needs five to seven minutes to work.

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Use Products Based on Your Hair Texture

Dear highly recommends using proper products for your hair texture to help you achieve your desired results. "For curly or textured hair, moisture is the key to healthy-looking curls," says Kyriakos, who recommends Eva NYC's Gotta Bounce Curl Cream ($13) thanks to aloe leaf and cactus flower, which help to hydrate hair.

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Invest in Quality Styling Tools

Getting a great salon-perfect blowout is a combination of skill, great products, and using the right tools. Whether you prefer to wear your hair curly or straight, invest in a professional quality hair dryer (with a diffuser attachment for curls) for the times when you heat style your hair.

Dear prefers the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer ($430) as it's "engineered to protect the hair from extreme heat damage and help increase smoothness, increase shine, and decrease frizz and flyaways."

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Blow-Dry Hair in the Right Direction

Once your hair is about 50-80% air dried is the sweet spot of when you should start blow drying. And when you do blow dry, try to angle the blow dryer in a downward motion, says Kyriakos. "You want the air to flow downward so that the hot air smooths the hair shaft."

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Consider Taking Supplements

In addition to incorporating a healthy dose of vitamin C into your diet– which promotes the overall health of your hair and skin– Kyriakos recommends the supplement Nutrafol ($88). "It helps your hair from the inside out," he says of the supplement which aids in stronger, thicker hair and reduces thinning.

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Sleep on a Silk Pillowcase

The fibers on traditional pillowcases can cause micro-tears in your hair, which in turn can create dryness, frizz, and a slightly rougher texture. To help maintain softness, opt for a silk or satin pillowcase which can help prevent any abrasion.

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Alternatively, Use a Silk Bonnet

Keep hair tucked away and out of your face while you sleep with a silk bonnet. Plus, if you have a hairstyle you'd like to extend, this will help to elongate its life.

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Don't Over-Process Your Hair

According to Kyriakos, if you color or highlight your hair, do-not over process it. "Talk to your colorist about reducing the frequency of your visits," he says. If your hair needs to be stripped of buildup and residue, try Fekkai's Apple Cider Detox Rinse ($28), a favorite of Kyriakos's.

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Use Heat Protectant

If you think that cranking your flat iron up to the highest heat will make your hair straighter, think again. Use the medium settings on your hot tools and curling irons along with a heat protectant ahead of styling. "Use a hair primer or heat protector on damp hair before blowing out. I really like Kérastase products — they are a bit expensive but you can use less of the product because it’s so concentrated," says Kyriakos. "The Résistance Ciment Thermique Blow Dry Primer ($45) and Genesis Défense Thermique Blow Dry Primer ($45) are my two favorite products for prepping the hair."

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Complete the Look

Once you're happy with your blow-out, finish the hair with an oil for extra shine. We suggest applying a few drops of the Squigs Gooseberry Delight Hair Oil ($34) into the palms of your hands and smoothing it over the top layer of your hair.

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Drink Plenty of Water

As simple as this sounds, Dudley says this is a non-negotiable for super-soft hair. "It's a factor that's often overlooked, but it plays a big role in the hydration and softness of the hair," she explains.

Article Sources
Byrdie takes every opportunity to use high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
  1. Gavazzoni Dias MFR. Pro and contra of cleansing conditionersSkin Appendage Disord. 2019;5(3):131-134. doi:10.1159/000493588

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