Heat should seldom be a styling choice for your hair. Of course, regarding the benefits that come along with the use of heat on your hair is its ability to cause your hair cuticles to lie flat, release moisture, and hold your hair in a different shape of choice, you shouldn’t allow your hair to get too familiar with the damages that come with it, such as dryness and the change in the structure of proteins that come with your hair.
Hair damaged by heat can cause you to consider cutting all your hair off or feeling like that is the only possible solution or option for your hair. There are a lot of other alternatives to help restore your hair’s strength without having to cut it, depending on the severity of the damage the heat has caused.
How to Identify Heat-Damaged Hair
It usually isn’t very hard to notice the signs of heat damage on your hair. After exposing your hair to a lot of blow-dry sessions, your hair will start getting hard to manage, making it difficult for you to hold it down when you style it.
Some of the signs your hair will begin to manifest due to heat damage include:
1. Overly dry hair
2. Split ends
3. Breakage of hair
4. Your hair will tend to knot easily
5. Hair will be rough in texture
6. Difficulty styling your hair
How to Prevent Heat-Damaged Hair
Deep Conditioning
Strengthening your hair before any heat styling is very important in order for you not to put your hair at the risk of getting heat-damaged. Deep conditioning is considered to be an amazing way of strengthening your hair and it also improves the elasticity of your hair. You should also look out for deep conditioner that is enriched and balanced in protein and moisturizing ingredients.
Use Hair Protectant
Hair protectant is also a very good way to go. As the name implies, it protects your hair cuticle from any damage caused by heat.it penetrates your hair cuticle and coats the hair strand.
There are so many hair protectant alternatives you can use for your hair in order to protect it from heat- damage so you don’t necessarily have to go the professional way. Other hair protectant alternatives include the following.
Argan Oil
Argan oil is a type of natural and organic oil used as a protector from heat damage. It is made from kernels originally found in Morocco. It serves as an amazing heat protectant alternative.
Argan oil also contains vitamin E and fatty acids responsible for causing your hair to glow and also gives a smooth texture to it. It can also serve as a conditioner, such as Argan Oil & Shea Leave-In Conditioner by Andalou Naturals.
Shea Butter
Another way to go in terms of hair protectant alternatives is by using shea butter. Shea butter serves as an amazing agent for hair protection against heat damage. It has a very reliable, and good thermal conductivity.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is also another reliable and efficient alternative to hair protectants. The heat from your flat iron may be a bit much for coconut oil to handle but it does a pretty good job as a blow dryer heat protectant. Coconut oil is very user friendly, especially for drying hair. It gives your hair a smooth and silky look and feeling.
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