Help! I look like a troll doll. How do I tame staticky hair?

“Static is worse during the winter because the dry air deprives your hair of moisture,” says Cody Hepworth, a hairstylist at Chris Chase Salon (182 Ninth Ave at 21st St, 212-206-7991). Washing your hair too often with shampoos that strip the hair of its natural oils can also make it prone to fly-aways. Wearing a hat won’t tame your mane either—it actually makes it worse. “When you remove a hat, electrons will be trying to move from the hair to the hat, building up a positive static charge in each strand of hair,” explains Hepworth, “and things with the same charge repel one another.” Hence, the Einstein-like ’do.So how do you avoid that “I just got electrocuted” look? “Conditioning is key in preventing static, and a quality leave-in conditioner will combat static better than one that rinses out,” Hepworth says. When styling your hair, he also suggests applying a finishing product that contains a silicone derivative like Kerastase Nutritive Oleo-Relax Leave-In Smoothing Serum ($34 at Butterfly Studio, 149 Fifth Ave between 21st and 22nd Sts; 212-253-2100), which will weigh hair down and prevent it from standing on end.

If you’re not into adding more products to your beauty routine, Hepworth advises trying an unlikely trick: Keep a package of Bounce dryer sheets ($5 at drugstore.com) in your purse. “Rub one on your hair when you arrive at your destination–it works wonders for static and it makes your hair—and bag—smell nice,” he says. “Running a metal wire hanger over the hair will also take the charge out, and the static fly-aways will calm down.”