Nick Nolte having a bad-hair night (among other problems) in L.A. in 2002.
Don't let this happen to you. (Police mugshot from  The Smoking Gun.)

You’ve just finished the coloring process. No more grays—for the time being—and you’ve quick and painlessly shed off a few years. You’re feelin’ pretty good.

Then, you notice them.

Those irritating and seemingly inevitable flyaways have surfaced once again at the top of your head, right where you part your hair.  Those short pieces that never grow (or if they do, they are just replaced by more), and scream “look at me, untamed and damaged!”

Those frayed strands that would make even Alfalfa blush.  

Although Operation: Flyaway Destruction may not be in your game plan, there are some ways to lessen the blow of your aftermath-of-electrical-shock look. All the beauty sites and magazines say the same thing: the electrical charge of static is mainly caused by dryness. So moisturize, with a natural conditioner, and nip flyaways at the bud.

But if your static hair is beyond a quick fix, there are still ways to make it better. BeautyDen.com offers a few tips. Along with conditioning,  avoid blow drying, and allow your hair to air dry. If that's not possible, BeautyDen suggests “[putting] it in low setting and allowing [the dryer] to move around.” Also avoid list: hair gel and alcohol-based styling spray, as both can cause air to lose moisture.

In a Q & A section in Cosmopolitan (you either love it or you hate it),  stylist Mark Townsend gives a tip. “[He] suggests misting a natural-bristle brow brush (like Shu Uemura Natural Eyebrow Brush Flat, $10) with hair spray and raking it along your part and face-framing areas. “The tiny bristles target wispy hairs fast,” he says. (But don’t use a toothbrush; its plastic teeth can stick and create frizz.)”

And when all that fails, resort to plan B: the styling sprays, serums or smoothing creams. Here are a few suggested by Folica.com, an online beauty store.

John Frieda Frizz-Ease Instant Touch-Up Glossin; $5.95

Paul Mitchell Super Clean Spray 10 oz; $12.99

Bumble and Bumble Thickening Shampoo 8 oz. $18.99

                                                                       --Gillian Ball