With the festive season underway, it’s safe to assume that your hair is going to bear the brunt of excessive heat. If you’re reaching for a hair dryer or flat iron on more than one occasion, chances are that your mane is now reeling from styling exhaustion – hair fall, hair damage, dryness, the works. But thankfully, by taking a few conscious steps, you can restore hair health while preventing further damage via heated tools.
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Prevention Is Better Than Cure
Instead of intervening once the damage has occurred, prep your hair beforehand to limit harm from the heat. Invest in a heat-protectant serum or spray to minimise post-styling damage. Heat-protectant hair products – often sold as sprays or leave-in serums – coat your hair cuticle, shielding it from substantial heat. However, heat protectants can protect against up to only 50% of heat. You must pick a pre-styling product best suited for your hair type and texture. Spritz on a few pumps of the product along the lengths of your hair before exposing your strands to heat.
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Don’t Jump the Gun
Avoid exposing damp tresses to heat. Allow your hair to air dry, or use a hair dryer before reaching for a curling iron or straightener. Wet hair is easily damaged because the proteins that comprise each strand of hair form weaker bonds when damp – making them more susceptible to breakage. If you’ve been styling your hair consecutively for a few days, consider giving your hair a break. Stick to a shampoo-conditioner-serum hair care routine before resuming heat styling.
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Moisturise, Moisturise, Moisturise
Deep conditioning is a must, especially if you style your hair regularly. Consider going in for deep-condition salon treatments for that extra boost of nourishment and hydration. If you’re conditioning at home, apply a generous amount of the product along the lengths of your hair and follow it up by wrapping a hot towel around the mane. Such treatments improve the elasticity of your hair, making them stronger. Hydration also helps keep frizziness at bay. However, avoid overdoing such salon treatments.
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Holistic Health
They’re not lying when they say “you are what you eat”; everything you consume tends to show up on your skin and hair. Binge eating, excessive alcohol intake, frequent smoking, and lack of sleep can harm your scalp and hair health, causing brittle strands and myriad scalp concerns. Protein is vital for your hair health, so make sure that you consume adequate amounts each day.
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Pick the Perfect Product
Picking the right hair care products goes a long way to determine your overall hair health. You must build your hair arsenal with shampoos and conditioners that are nourishing, hydrating, and free from toxins that may cause further damage. If you have damaged hair, pick a fortifying shampoo and damage repair conditioner to restore lost moisture and regain elasticity. If you have dry strands, opt for a super-moisturising shampoo and conditioner to lend your hair a healthy dose of hydration. If you have a lot of oil buildup, choose a clarifying shampoo to eliminate dirt, grime, and greasiness. Lastly, if you have coloured your hair, pick a colour-treating shampoo and conditioner that are best suited to colour-treated hair.
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Make the Right Choice
While brush type may not seem like a priority when curating your hair care routine, it goes far to determine hair elasticity and strength. Avoid opting for a ceramic or metal brush to prevent heat damage. Such tools can become very hot, and overuse may burn your hair shaft. If you have a curly, voluminous mane, pick a boar-bristle brush to detangle and achieve a smoother finish. Clean the brush regularly to eliminate broken hair, lint, and dirt buildup.
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Part and Prep
Part your hair into clean sections to prevent the overlap of heat on the same area of the hair. Also, begin by blow-drying your tresses at the lowest heat setting possible – picking up the heat as and when required. Low heat is ideal for fine and limp hair, a higher heat setting is recommended for medium-textured hair, and high heat works for thick and coarse strands that are unruly and unmanageable. Purchase hair dryers with a built-in cool-shot function to give your hair a break from the heat.
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Conclusion
Hair styling is part and parcel of life, and since there’s no escape from heated tools, you must shield your mane as far as possible. Avoid sandwiching your hair between the brush and concentrator nozzle while blow drying. Doing so can burn your locks and ruin your brush. Also, use your hair dryer in the correct direction. Angle the hair dryer down the hair shaft to close the cuticles for reduced flyaways and a shinier appearance. Lastly, invest in a high-quality hair dryer based on features, including hair dryer type, wattage, heat setting options, and drying speed, among other factors.
