How to Keep Your Hair Healthy When Straightening It
Ensuring your hair stays healthy while straightening it can be tricky, especially if it has been prone to heat damage in the past. What starts as an attempt to create smooth, silky locks ends up with frazzled, dry hair that looks visibly damaged and feels like straw. Keeping your hair healthy does not need to be difficult, and we are here today with guidance to help you keep it healthy when straightening, regardless of your hair type.
Can Straighteners Damage My Hair?
Like any heat-based hair tool, straighteners can damage your hair. Typically, this will affect your hair health, leaving you with dry, damaged hair that is prone to breakage. Straighteners can cause your hair to become frizzy and dull, leading to split ends and breakage. The damage is commonly caused when you do not protect your hair before applying heat, which is why it is so vital that you know how to keep your hair healthy when applying heat!
How to Prevent Heat Damage From Straighteners
The key to keeping your hair healthy when straightening it is to protect it from heat damage. How you do this might vary depending on your hair type, but you will typically need to do the following:
Use Straighteners on Fully Dry Hair
Unless you are using wet-to-dry straighteners with built-in power to dry your hair, you should only use hair straighteners on fully dry hair. Straightening wet or damp hair can compromise the integrity of your hair’s internal structure, reducing its health and increasing the likelihood of breakage.
Straightening hair before it’s fully dry can cause moisture particles in the hair to heat up quickly, effectively boiling it and damaging the cuticle, increasing the risk of split ends.
Apply Heat Protection
Before adding any heat to your hair, you need to protect it. Adding a heat protection spray or cream will ensure that your hair is protected from heat, covering each strand and preventing the damage heat can cause. They won’t stop the chance of damage, but greatly reduce the chance, allowing you to style your hair without worrying about its health.
There are plenty of heat protectants on the market to suit every hair type, so that you can find the perfect one for your hair type and desired style. For example, consider a more nourishing cream if you have dry or damaged hair, while frizzy hair will benefit from a smoothing heat protectant.
Add a Hair Mask
Hair masks are an excellent way to add extra moisture or protection to your haircare routine and can help keep your hair healthy while straightening. Typically, a hair mask is used between your shampoo and conditioner, left to soak into your hair for several minutes before rinsing away. You can also consider leaving hair masks that can be left for several hours or overnight to deliver hydration and nourishment.
You can find a hair mask to suit every hair type, but if you are focused on air health, look for those targeting weak, heat-damaged, or overprocessed hair. You want a mask that repairs the core of your hair fibre, sealing the cuticles to restore its health.
Reduce How Often You Add Heat
Straightening your hair daily will damage it, regardless of the steps you follow. One of the best ways to keep your hair healthy while straightening it is to reduce how often you straighten. Instead of straightening your hair daily, consider ways to prolong the style, such as using dry shampoo, sleeping with your hair in a scarf at night, or reducing how often you wash it. The more times you add heat to your hair, the greater the risk of damaging it, so look for ways to reduce heat exposure where possible.
Invest in Quality Styling Tools
How often you need to straighten your hair might depend on the tools you use. It might be time to upgrade to a high-quality straightener. Low-quality straighteners can deliver uneven heat, so you may need to straighten each section of hair more to achieve the perfect style. They can also snag your hair or require higher temperatures to achieve the results you want.
High-quality straighteners, however, often run at lower temperatures, reducing heat damage and keeping your hair healthy. They usually feature heat-adjustment settings, coated plates for smooth movement and even heat distribution, making it easier and healthier for you and your hair.
Keep Your Hair Healthy With the Right Straighteners
Choosing the right straighteners and following our guidance will help you keep your hair healthy while straightening. Tools like those from GHD are designed with hair health in mind, featuring coated plates, adjustable heat settings, and frizz-resistance to keep your hair sleek and healthy. Check out the range of GHD hair straighteners to find your perfect tool today.
