Our hair is one of those amazing things. Hair can be used to express ourselves, we can change its colour, length and style often, every day even! The tools we use can be very helpful when it comes to our hair, but they can also be really damaging. I’m sure everyone has heard a story about a girl burning her hair off with a curling iron, not so great. Let’s look at the factors going into heat styling and how to protect your hair from unfortunate occurrences like that.
What are hot tools?
There are so many hot tools that can be used on hair, the wide variety allows us to achieve all sorts of styles.
- Flat iron
- Hairdryer
- Curling wand
- Hot curlers
- Hot comb
Each of these styling tools has different heat settings. The settings should be evaluated first based on hair type and texture. It is always recommended to use the lowest heat setting suitable for your hair.
Factors that affect heat and hair
Hair type
If you have finer straight hair, you may not need as much heat to achieve the desired heat styled look. Those with dense curls may find that their styling tools need to be hotter to achieve a desired look. If you have fine hair, aim for below 200 degrees on your tools, no one should go above 300 if you want to keep your hair protected.
Hair texture
Thicker manes will require higher heat to break the hair bonds. Still, you should only be passing your luscious locks through the heated tool once or twice, any more risks damaging outcomes.
Current hair damage
If your hair has chemical or heat damage, keep it low and go slow. No use in damaging your hair more than it already is.
With heat protectant
Use a salon recommended heat protectant on your hair, these high-quality cremes keep your mane from being scorched during treatments. Low-quality heat protectants can cause even more damage to your hair than not using one at all.
What happens when hair is too hot?
While attempting to achieve a specific hairstyle, you may incur damage if you aren’t careful with heat protector, high temperatures, and repeated exposure. Hair is fragile and, once damaged, cannot be reversed easily. When your hair is damaged it can be brittle, dry, dull and frizzy. While damage can be serious and there is no easy fix, there are things that can be done.
My hair has heat damage, now what?
Heat-damaged hair is hard to restore, though damage can be treated without needing to get a haircut. Introducing heavy moisture to your haircare, along with restorative treatments and cautious heat styling, can bring some shine back and restore hair’s delicate texture.
In the meantime, try some heatless styles while you give your hair a break from beloved hot tools. If you are looking for a fresh start, come into AKA Hair salons and let us clean up your damaged hair, giving you a brand new canvas to work with.