Aluminium foil could be the key to taming static hair. Photo: AFP
From utensils to ingredients to certain household appliances, there have been countless kitchen-bathroom crossovers since the advent of social media. This has resulted in some original and unexpected hacks that have been tried and tested by many.
The latest involves using a sheet of aluminium foil to tame static hair and flyaways once and for all.
In search of foolproof tips to perfect their beauty routines, TikTok users are no longer content to scour their bathrooms.
In recent months, the kitchen has become the go-to place as an inexhaustible source of inspiration to find techniques, methods and beauty hacks that promise to change the lives of fellow users.
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And, in terms of views at least, these tricks usually meet with success, as shown by the latest viral hits: using a kitchen strainer to get wavy hair, a fork to help with contouring, or peanut butter to finish false nails.
It seems that the kitchen has been transformed into a veritable playground for TikTok users in search of social media buzz.
So it's not surprising that the latest find from the Chinese social network's users comes straight from the pantry, if not the kitchen cupboards. Aluminium foil, which many people are now trying to give up on for ecological reasons, has become the new secret weapon of beauty fans.
In it, they have found a new and unexpected solution for taming flyaways, and especially static hair, those little strands that stand up on end after every brush stroke, for example, because they're charged with static electricity.
Although not at the origin of this now viral trend, TikTok user Lauren Baxter Preble has clearly contributed to making it popular on the Chinese social network, with no less than eight million views for her video, and more than 650,000 likes – a real hit.
Looking for a trick to get rid of these flyaways, the young woman tries a method shared by another user: aluminium foil.
In two steps, Preble puts it to the test, passing a simple sheet of aluminium foil over her mane – and is literally speechless. Her hair is perfectly smoothed, with all flyways kept in check.
And that's all it took for the tip to spread rapidly on the social network, gaining more and more followers around the world. It's actually a very useful method, considering that static hair was seemingly a big problem for TikTok users, with nearly 20 million views for the #statichair hashtag.
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However, considering the polluting nature of aluminium foil, TikTok users will need to double down on creativity in the months to come to find a more ecological alternative to this infallible technique.
Fine, dry hair is more sensitive to static electricity, so it's best to moisturise it as much as possible and not over-wash it.
Hair should be rinsed at a moderate temperature, make sure the air in the bathroom isn't too dry, and consider using a hairbrush with natural bristles. All of these solutions should help you leave the foil where it belongs... in the kitchen. – AFP Relaxnews
