Using heat on your natural hair is fun, right? We love to see our retained length. We love when people say, "your hair is so long!" or " I love your hair!" and of course "Is that all yours?"
We are trained, myself included, to think of straight hair or the illusion of is "pretty". We must educate ourselves the damage heat can actually cause to our natural kinky hair texture.
We are trained, myself included, to think of straight hair or the illusion of is "pretty". We must educate ourselves the damage heat can actually cause to our natural kinky hair texture.
Heat Damage is damage done to your hair strands with a heating tool (blow dryer, flat iron, enstyler, curling iron etc) that damages and changes the natural texture of your hair.
Heat damage can be easy to detect. The hair is damaged and it will not revert back to it's tightly kinky coil.
Heat damage can be easy to detect. The hair is damaged and it will not revert back to it's tightly kinky coil.
In normal cases of heat damage, you will notice your hair texture is much more loose, dull, lack luster and obsessive shedding. In these cases, I would suggest doing weekly protein treatments until your hair reverts to its natural hair texture. You can learn more about protein in How About some Protein.
In more critical cases of heat damage, the hair is limp, lifeless, excessive shedding, the ends are straight and the natural curl pattern is stripped away, much like relaxed hair. In these cases, I would suggest a second big chop or transitioning out of you damaged hair. Either way, a good pair of shears are the only savior.
There are some instances in which heat damage is not a big issue. Those who are "heat training" their hair to be straight. Heat damage is pretty much the goal. Those who are relaxed, your hair strands are chemically broken down to appear flat and straight so I don't see heat damage being a major factor there.
But for those who wish to wear their hair in its natural state, heat damage is a major issue and not an issue that many want to have to deal with.
But for those who wish to wear their hair in its natural state, heat damage is a major issue and not an issue that many want to have to deal with.
Q. How do I avoid heat damage?
A. Avoid heat.
A. Avoid heat.
The only way to avoid heat damage is to simply avoid heat. Once you apply heat to your hair, you are at risk. Here are a few tips that would put you at low risk for heat damage using a heating tool.
1. Moisturized state.
Moisturized hair is less prone to friz and hold the straight style longer. Moisturized hair is also less likely to suffer from breakage and damage. If your hair has been feeling dry later, it may not be the time to play around with heat. If you have been wearing tons of wash n gos later or have been wetting your hair often, your hair is in a moisturized state.
Moisturized hair is less prone to friz and hold the straight style longer. Moisturized hair is also less likely to suffer from breakage and damage. If your hair has been feeling dry later, it may not be the time to play around with heat. If you have been wearing tons of wash n gos later or have been wetting your hair often, your hair is in a moisturized state.
2. Always start with clean hair.
Products we use on our hair can melt and burn with the help of a heating tool causing major damage to our hair shaft and breakage. Only apply heat to freshly washed hair. If you flat iron you hair Sunday, do not reapply heat Wednesday because it seems frizzy. Use that time to try a braid out or rollers on your super stretched hair.
Products we use on our hair can melt and burn with the help of a heating tool causing major damage to our hair shaft and breakage. Only apply heat to freshly washed hair. If you flat iron you hair Sunday, do not reapply heat Wednesday because it seems frizzy. Use that time to try a braid out or rollers on your super stretched hair.
3. Use a protein treatment before and after you straighten your hair. In simple terms heat, much like a chemical relaxer, breaks down the protein that our hair is made of. In order to have healthy, strong hair, we must add protein back into our hair.
4. Two-Pass Max. When flat ironing your hair, you do not want to pass the flat iron over your hair more than twice. Part your hair in small sections, very small and take your time. This method will prove to be very time consuming but the style will last longer and the smaller sections make the two-pass max easier to avoid heat overload.
5. Always use a Heat Protectant.
If your hair stylist does not use a heat protectant before applying heat to your hair, get a new stylist!
If your hair stylist does not use a heat protectant before applying heat to your hair, get a new stylist!
6. Low heat.
Although most heat protectants offer protection up to 425 degrees, that is the recommended high. But to avoid heat damage, I would suggest to stay lower than than the degree your particular heat protectant protects up to. When blow drying or diffusing your hair, try the cool setting or the low settings. If you choose to use high settings, don't forget the cold shot to keep from over heating your hair.
Although most heat protectants offer protection up to 425 degrees, that is the recommended high. But to avoid heat damage, I would suggest to stay lower than than the degree your particular heat protectant protects up to. When blow drying or diffusing your hair, try the cool setting or the low settings. If you choose to use high settings, don't forget the cold shot to keep from over heating your hair.
7. Use not Abuse
If you choose to use heat tools, remember heat is not something to add to your hair regiment if your goal is to retain length. Constant heat use will lead to more split ends, more breakage, more hair in your sink than on your head and heat damage.
If you choose to use heat tools, remember heat is not something to add to your hair regiment if your goal is to retain length. Constant heat use will lead to more split ends, more breakage, more hair in your sink than on your head and heat damage.
Challenge:
I invite you to join me on my new hair challenge #noheat. Try these low risk tips to straighten your hair. Take a few pictures for documentation to look back on. See if you can challenge yourself to go without heat.
I invite you to join me on my new hair challenge #noheat. Try these low risk tips to straighten your hair. Take a few pictures for documentation to look back on. See if you can challenge yourself to go without heat.
Dear ole friend Heat,
Good bye.
Xoxo Shelly
Good bye.
Xoxo Shelly
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