Straightening irons are an easy path to sleek hair, but they are not without their problems. Find out how to avoid the pitfalls.
You may have heard of some of the more obvious dangers of hair straighteners – the possibility of fire is real and dangerous.
But there are other dangers that are not so well known.
How heat hurts your hair
Modern hair straighteners use ceramic plates to quickly get straighteners up to temperatures of nearly 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
This could be a problem.
Your hair is tough – very tough – but anything over 350 Fahrenheit (180°C) will damage its cuticles.
This hard layer on the outside of your hair is what protects it, keeping moisture locked in.
When it gets damaged, hair starts to dry out and can even break.
That’s not all: as these cuticles are damaged, they begin to lift, causing your hair to frizz.
That means you’ll need to spend more time straightening your hair to get the same result, doing even more damage.
It’s a bit of a vicious cycle.
Straightening hair responsibly
This doesn’t mean you need to throw your straightener away, however.
A little bit of knowledge will go a long way to keeping your hair healthy and straight:
- Don’t turn your straightener up to its hottest setting, as this will damage your hair. Rather, take your time at a lower setting
- Don’t clamp down too hard as you move down your hair. Too much force will only make the damage worse
- Don’t use straighteners on damp hair. Wet or damp hair actually has a lower damage point than dry hair, so again, take your time and straighten dry
Along with these tips, you should be using a shampoo to keep your hair strong and moisturized.
And by using a shampoo for dry scalp you can help to maintain your scalp’s natural moisture barrier to help keep your hair healthy.
More hair care tips and advice