# Calling all curly-haired Dopers: How to get rid of static? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 18, 2005, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-curly-haired-dopers-how-to-get-rid-of-static/331711 "2005-11-18T21:06:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-curly-haired-dopers-how-to-get-rid-of-static/331711/21 "2005-11-19T16:03:54Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > I thought it was the humidity in the tropics that prevent static. No, what causes the static is the constant sliding on and off coats, etc…just like shuffling your feet across the carpet. You don’t wear heavy coats & sweaters in those countries, so that’s how it works. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-curly-haired-dopers-how-to-get-rid-of-static/331711/22 "2005-11-19T23:15:58Z")
I’m a guy but before I cut my hair short, I had terrible trouble with my hair when in the car. The gap between my head and the car ceiling was short enough and my hair sufficiently charged that there would be attraction between my hairs and the ceiling. Wearing natural fibres and leather - rather than rubber - soled shoes were the greatest helps, but I had to remember to ground myself every time I entered the car. In the end, I gave up and just went with a No. 4, though I cut it to No. 2 now. ---
**Author:** ![inkleberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkleberry)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-curly-haired-dopers-how-to-get-rid-of-static/331711/23 "2005-11-19T23:25:23Z")
Believe it or not, I’ve sprayed a _little_ bit of antistatic spray on my hands and then run through my hair. Works fairly well. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-curly-haired-dopers-how-to-get-rid-of-static/331711/24 "2005-11-19T23:35:44Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > No, what causes the static is the constant sliding on and off coats, etc…just like shuffling your feet across the carpet. You don’t wear heavy coats & sweaters in those countries, so that’s how it works. Humidity prevents static shocks, regardless of “coat actions”. > **[How Van de Graaff Generators Work](https://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/engines-equipment/vdg1.htm)** > > Static electricity is caused by a buildup of electrons on an object. Learn about static electricity and how static electricity is discharged. > [@](#): > > Another important factor in electrostatics is humidity. If it is very humid, the charge imbalance will not remain for a useful amount of time. Remember that humidity is the measure of moisture in the air. If the humidity is high, the moisture coats the surface of the material, providing a low-resistance path for electron flow. This path allows the charges to “recombine” and thus neutralize the charge imbalance. Likewise, if it is very dry, a charge can build up to extraordinary levels, up to tens of thousands of volts! ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-curly-haired-dopers-how-to-get-rid-of-static/331711/25 "2005-11-19T23:48:02Z")
Oh dagnabbit, I was just whooshed, wasn’t I. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-curly-haired-dopers-how-to-get-rid-of-static/331711/26 "2005-11-20T00:01:32Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Oh dagnabbit, I was just whooshed, wasn’t I. Well, not whooshed, but I wasn’t quite disagreeing with you, although it came out that way. Of course the humidity contributes, but even when it’s not humid but not cold (so you don’t have to wear heavy clothes) you can avoid static. The heavy clothes only help produce more. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-curly-haired-dopers-how-to-get-rid-of-static/331711/27 "2005-11-20T00:14:20Z")
My experience is that coats don’t matter much. When I moved to dry-as-Hell Phoenix as a kid, just walking across the carpet built up charge sufficient to give my sister a very nice zap. And we certainly weren’t wearing coats. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-curly-haired-dopers-how-to-get-rid-of-static/331711.md?page=1)