Heat Styling Without Wrecking Your Hair

BEAUTY · GLOBAL

Heat Styling Without Wrecking Your Hair

What heat does, temperature settings, protectants and technique

Heat styling works by temporarily reshaping the bonds in hair, and the damage comes from doing it too hot and too often rather than from doing it at all.

What heat does

Water inside the hair turns to steam and the strand reshapes as it cools. Above certain temperatures the keratin structure begins to degrade permanently, and the damage accumulates rather than repairing.

Hair is not living tissue, so nothing repairs it. Products smooth and coat; they do not undo.

Temperature

Fine, fair or chemically treated hair generally needs the lowest settings, commonly around 150 degrees or below. Coarse or very thick hair may need more, and few people need the maximum on any tool.

Start low and increase only if a section does not hold. A tool that reaches 230 degrees is not meant to be used there.

Heat protectant

Apply to damp or dry hair as directed and let it dry before applying heat, since applying a straightener to a wet product boils water against the cuticle.

Never use straighteners on wet hair unless the tool is specifically designed for it.

Technique

Work in small sections, one slow pass rather than several fast ones, and keep the tool moving. Repeated passes over the same section is where most damage happens.

Frequency

Give hair days off, and use heatless methods — braids, rollers, air drying — between styling.

Signs of damage

Rough texture, breakage part way along the strand, ends that will not hold a style and hair that looks fine when wet and straw-like when dry. Trimming is the only fix, since split ends travel upwards.

Reducing heat and frequency for a few weeks makes a visible difference.

Cleaning tools

Wipe plates and barrels when cool to remove product build-up, which bakes on and transfers to hair. Never immerse a styling tool in water.

Buying a tool

Adjustable temperature with a clear display rather than fixed high heat, a rapid heat-up, automatic shut-off and a long swivel cord. Ceramic or tourmaline plates distribute heat more evenly than cheap metal.

Check the plate width against your hair length and thickness.

Air drying

Rough drying to around eighty percent before using heat halves the time a tool spends on the hair. Squeeze water out with a microfibre towel or a t-shirt rather than rubbing with a bath towel.

Never use straighteners on wet or damp hair.

Tools and safety

Ceramic or tourmaline plates distribute heat evenly. Use a heat mat, never leave a hot tool unattended, and check the flex for damage.

WHERE TO BUY

Ready to shop TYMO Beauty? Use the link below to visit the official store.

→ Shop TYMO Beauty — official site

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