Saleemah Cartwright: September 2017

9 Tips to Avoid Heat Damage

Next to the use of chemicals, the improper use of heat is one of the leading causes of hair damage. Many people are unaware of the fact that heat damage can occur after just one application of heat. Once heat damage occurs, it is irreversible in most cases. There is not much that can be done except cut off the damaged portions. The best way to deal with heat damage is by completely avoiding it in the first place. Below are some great tips that can easily be applied to your hair care routine to prevent heat damage. Avoiding heat damage is vital because it can cause a major hair setback.

1. Limit the use of daily heat to avoid heat damage. The use of direct heat should be limited to 1 - 4 times per month. Using direct heat on a daily basis will lead to less moisture retention in the hair and will certainly result in brittle / porous hair. Remember brittle hair leads to breakage and breakage equals “no length retention”. Thinness will result and eventually the hair will be extremely damaged, thin and lifeless.

2. Limit blow drying to 1 -4 times per month. If you are cleansing and deep conditioning weekly, blow drying your hair weekly should not cause serious heat damage. Be sure that your blow dryer is ceramic and not used on the highest setting. Blow dryers are available using ceramic technology as well. For our blow drying ladies and gents out there, just know that this is a much safer alternative in comparison to traditional blow dryers. Most traditional blow dryers blow the moisture “out” of the hair resulting in dryness. You can feel the difference in your hair’s moisture levels after using a blow dryer with ceramic / tourmaline technology. As pointed out previously, ceramic / tourmaline heat is less damaging to the hair and more of the hair’s moisture will be preserved.

3. Temperature setting. I get this question all of the time. -> What temperature should I use to flat iron my hair? The amount of heat that the hair can take differs from person to person. If you are straightening your own hair for the very first time, start at a very low heat setting (i.e. 300-350 degrees). Then work your way up to higher temperatures after you see how your hair responds to the current setting. Increase the temperature of your flat iron only if needed.

4. When using heat, be sure to only use Ceramic and or Tourmaline flat irons to straighten and or curl your hair. This will cause less heat damage to your hair because ceramic / tourmaline technology heats the hair from the inside to the outside and not vice versa. Be sure that the flat iron that you purchase is solid ceramic/ tourmaline and not just ceramic / tourmaline plated. The top coating of ceramic plated flat irons will wear away quickly leaving you with hot spots along the surface of the iron.

5. Throw away your traditional hot combs. Hot combs can be extremely damaging because they contain hot spots along the surface. The temperature cannot be regulated and hot combs can burn the hair easily causing irreversible heat damage. There are some ceramic /electric hot combs available. This would be a better option.

6. Frizzy ends and the chase method. Have you ever flat ironed your hair and still suffered from frizzy ends? This is more prevalent with kinky textures. Frizzy ends can be a problem if you desire a silky smooth press from root to tip. The chase method will smooth out those frizzy ends. The process consists of taking a section of hair and running a comb through your hair simultaneously behind the flat iron. This comb will separate the hair strands which allows for a smoother press from root to tip. This method is less damaging because fewer passes of the flat iron are needed.

Product recommendation: Hydratherma Naturals Flat Iron Chase Comb.

7. Always use a heat protector to protect the hair from irreversible heat damage. Never use any heat utensils without using a great heat protector. This not only goes for flat irons but for blow dryers as well.

Product recommendation: Hydratherma Naturals Herbal Gloss Heat Protector

8. Using heat on dirty hair is a definite NO NO! Heat should only be used on freshly cleansed hair. If not, you will be baking dirt and buildup in the hair strand causing extreme damage. Don't wait longer than 2 days after cleansing your hair to use any type of heat. Dirty hair will always burn faster leading to quick damage.

9. Oil and flat ironing. Using a very small amount of oil on the hair before flat ironing is very safe. Adding large amounts of oil to the hair before flat ironing will “fry” the hair. This is because oil heats up extremely fast and these higher levels of heat can be very damaging to hair. To use oil safely, just apply a few drops of oils to your entire head of hair and your scalp before flat ironing. This will also keep the hair bouncy and will not give your hair a greasy / weighed down look.

Product recommendation: Hydratherma Natural HairGrowth Oil with ceramides and Emu oil