Tips For Minimizing Heat Damage

UPDATE: I've been wearing my hair up in a high bun for the last week, and before that I was wearing it down, curly. I figured I'd attempt to straighten it for a week or so... despite the heat. We shall see who will win this battle; Freedom, my hair, or the Summer Humidity. lol


Of course, these tips aren't coming from me :-/  I came across this article on the Thank God I'm Natural and wanted to share it!
NOTE: This is not an article written by Sierra or Jameka. This article was found on Thank God I'm Natural's blog.

Beat the Heat: TGIN’s Tips for Minimizing Heat Damage

When we use heat on our tresses, we can’t always see the effects right away.
But if you take a closer look, there’s nothing cute about damaged hair. NOTHING!
I know, I know, some of you are reading this and saying “but how can I stop using heat?”
We’re not saying to cut out heat all together, but what we are saying is maybe ease up on it.  Grandma always said “your hair is your beauty,” and since it’s our crown and glory, don’t you think we should take care of it just a little better?
Not sure how to cool off on using so much heat?  No worries, love. Thank God I’m Natural has got the solution to your problem, and when you’re done, your hair will thank you and us

Limit the amount of heat
If you’re blow drying your hair, or using a flat-iron, fine. You won’t get pulled over and hauled away in handcuffs by the Natural Hair Police.  But if you’re using excessive amounts of heat, like more than once every two or three weeks, we may come knocking on your door.  A lot of heat on your hair, may give it a polished look, but it’s a superficial polished look. It causes split ends and damages beyond belief.  So try to limit the amount of heat you use on your hair. It’s a Class C Felony round these parts to damage your God-given hair, and we at Thank God I’m Natural don’t play games. (wink)

Protect your hair
Before you begin to blow dry, flat-iron or curl your hair, use a heat protectent. Some top of the line heat protectents are Jane Carter’s Solutions Leave-In-Conditioner or Tresseme’s Heat Tanner Spray. The heat protectent will do just what it says it does. It will protect your hair from the heat. Think of it like an umbrella. You use and umbrella to shield you from the rain, and the heat protectent shields your hair from the dangers of the heat. It’s definitely something you should invest in.

Don’t Crank Up the Volume
Instead of setting your blow dryer to its highest temperature setting, try a medium setting or even the coolest temperature. It might take twice as long to get your hair dry, but it’s these small steps that make a difference.

86 the Grease
It’s a common mistake for women to grease their scalp prior to using a curling iron or flat-iron. Big mistake, ladies! When you grease your scalp and then apply the heat to it, it makes your hair sizzle, and sizzle is a no bueno. Think barbeque. When you put a piece of chicken or steak on the grill and you hear the ”ssssssssssssssss” sizzle sound, it usually means your meat is cooking. We so don’t want your hair to cook. After your hair is dry, then its okay to grease your scalp or add a light moisturizer, but only afterwords.

Go Deep
Everytime you straighten your hair, you should be doing a deep conditioner before you straighten you hair and after, during your next wash.  A proper deep condition should last anywhere between 10 and 25 minutes. After you’ve applied the correct amount and thoroughly combed it through your hair, a cap is needed. Normally, you put the cap on and sit under a dryer. The heat penetrates the deep condition so that it can work better.  Remember blow drying and flat ironing the hair can be extremely damaging to your hair’s cuticle, so you want to be proactive about restoring moisture to your strands and protecting your tresses. Click here to read 7 Tips For Kicking Dry Hair to the Curb.

So there you have it ladies. Nothing that was mentioned is difficult, it’s just about taking steps in the right direction. Once you begin to make these rules habit, your hair will really live up to its potential. Just you wait, and then we’ll be in the corner saying “See, I told ya!”

Cheers






This post was originally posted on July 8, 2011