Heat Damage: How to Prevent & Repair It

Photo Credit: IG @ladashe_divine Hair Color: Kiss Express Color – Crimson

Here are 6 Ways You Can Protect Your Natural Hair From Heat Damage.  

Direct warmth from blow dryers and flat irons could cause hair breaking injury and a lack of pure curl sample.

But with the following tips you may assess and defend the well being of your pure hair to keep away from warmth injury.

I not too long ago acquired a blowout or silk press, no matter you want to name it. I straighten my hair by first, blow drying then flat ironed it.

It was attractive!!!

You can see it right here together with Tips to Keep Your Natural Hair Straight Longer.  I benefit from the versatility of pure hair and you need to, too.

But I used to be somewhat disenchanted within the myths and misconceptions nonetheless current as we speak about warmth straightening pure hair.

I needed to take the time to tackle them right here: 7 Myths About Heat and Heat Damage. You don’t have to be afraid of warmth injury for those who following the following tips under.

Understand How Much Heat is Too Much

Hair burns or begins to denature at 450F.  The temperature is much less for advantageous hair or hair that's weak and broken. If you’re experimenting with warmth for the primary time, use medium to low warmth settings.

And put money into knowledgeable blow-dry like this one from Chi. 

Use flat or curling irons with correct temperature gauges like CHI Air Expert Classic Tourmaline Ceramic Flat Iron.

Know Your Natural Hair

Everyone’s hair is completely different.  It’s because of this that you have to know your hair and its warmth tolerance.  Damaged hair is extra inclined to warmth injury.

Doing a hair evaluation will show you how to decide whether or not or not you need to introduce warmth to your routine. Identify to your hair’s situation by inspecting softness, hair texture (finer hair textures might be extra simply broken by warmth) and elasticity (hair stretches with out breaking simply).

Prepare Your Hair

Prepare your hair for warmth styling by moisturizing & deep conditioning.  Moisturizing and deep conditioning will strengthen your pure hair. This additionally ensures that the hair cuticle is closed and coated for a clean look.  Before a warmth therapy I deep situation with a product that builds the pure proteins of my hair like Hair Mayonnaise.  

I additionally like to use coconut oil that stops injury in 5 other ways.

Use Heat Protectant

This is the one time that I like to recommend a silicone-based product.  Heat protectant creates a barrier between your hair and warmth publicity.  Silicones coat the hair and stop moisture for reaching the hair shaft.  This prevents reversion however on the flip aspect it retains moisturizers from absorbing your hair so moisturize with a lightweight moisturizer earlier than utilizing a warmth protectant.

Limit Heat Exposure

Anything in extra is detrimental and warmth isn't any exception.  I wouldn’t suggest utilizing direct warmth in your pure hair any greater than as soon as per week.  Less in case your hair is definitely broken.  Start off with a small quantity of warmth to see how your hair reacts or solely use medium to low warmth when styling.

Let a Professional Do It

Ok. This is a tricky one as a result of I do know that many have suffered warmth injury by the hands of knowledgeable stylist.  It’s unhappy nevertheless it occurs. I like to recommend following the steps above as well as to getting a referral for an skilled stylist.

I acquired a referral from a good friend of mine who additionally has pure hair. I seen that her stylist blow-dried and flat iron her hair with none injury on a number of of events.  Even although I’ve seen her work, I didn’t utterly go away it in her fingers. I nonetheless deep conditioned prior to my appointment and ask that she use a warmth protectant like Chi Silk Infusion.

How to Repair Heat Damage

Keratin and Protein Treatments

When the hair has been compromised and is now not as curly because it as soon as appeared, a depletion of protein and keratin is often the offender. This course of breaks down the pure curl sample, leaving the hair fragile and straight. Though the curl sample could by no means return to regular, you may start restoring the hair’s well being by doing by-weekly protein and/or keratin remedies.

My favourite Protein and Keratin Products proper now are Agadir Argan Oil Moisture Masque with Keratin Protein , Redken Extreme Strength Builder Plus, JOICO K Pak Shampoo and Intense Hydrator  (this line additionally has a go away in reconstructor), and Matrix Biolage Advanced Keratindose Shampoo.

To make certain that the conditioners penetrate by to cuticle and to the center of the shaft, you want to sit underneath the dryer. This may also plump and strengthen the strands within the areas of compromise.

Get Frequent Trims

When the hair has been altered from its pure state, whether or not by warmth or chemical, it is going to turn into extra probably to cut up, due to vitamins depletion.

Going with out trimming will trigger hair to seem stunted – as if it isn’t rising, and the hair will proceed to cut up up the shaft.

It is usually recommended that, if hair has been broken, that you simply get a trim each 8 weeks or so.

If you retain up with trimming, you'll much less probably discover breakage. Trims are decided case by case, relying on the severity of harm.

Protective Styling

Remember, recovering from warmth injury and/or chemical shade injury is like transitioning another time. You should keep away from as a lot stress as potential on the strands contemplating the integrity has already been compromised. Also, bask in a warmth free problem for about a 12 months so as to develop hair out with out additional injury.

Opt for flat twisted updos or “Halo Twists”, and keep away from tight braiding as a lot as potential, as this may generally add an excessive amount of stress inflicting breakage.

While carrying types, spray with go away in conditioners comparable to Aphogee ProVitamin Leave In Conditioner, Roux 233 Treatment and Shine  or Carol’s Daughter Black Vanilla Leave In Conditioner .

Prior to protecting styling, carry out a protein therapy so as to fight breakage on the line of demarcation.

At the top of the day, no one wishes to have their curls compromised and weakened. But, when it happens, it is necessary to discover the change and to start restore upkeep rapidly.

As said earlier than, curls could not snap again to how they had been prior to injury, however by following these steps, you'll greater than probably have the option to transition longer with out having to large chop (if that's your determination).

Every scenario is completely different, and due to this fact, I extremely counsel looking for a skilled skilled in your space so as to have hair correctly assessed.

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