How To Prevent Hair Damage From Heat Styling

The weather is slowly getting warmer which signals silk press season

and you need to know how to prevent hair damage from heat styling!  I have seen many clients over the years end with fried hair because they did not properly prepare.  

Before you begin straightening your hair,  have the following products ready:

• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Heat styling product: (e.g styling lotion/ straightening balm/ straightening serum/blow dry lotion/ mousse, wrapping lotion)
• (NB:  read the label carefully.  This is NOT a heat spray!)
• Wide-tooth comb and a rat tail comb
• Clips
• Towel
• Blow dryer or time to dry your hair naturally
• Flat iron/curling iron (if needed)

Lets begin:

One very important thing to know – you should always begin with clean hair.  If your hair has a product e.g. gel or mousse from a previous wash, wash your hair again!

• Shampoo  and condition the hair.
• Towel dry gently.
• Apply a heat styling product to hair.  Take a small amount and add more if needed.
• Comb the heat styling product through the hair with the wide-tooth comb.
• Use clips to put away sections of hair.
• Begin blow drying, moving to the next section after the section you have is dried.
• If you have a heat spray, this is when you apply it.
• Use the flat iron or curling iron.  
• (The number for the iron will depend on your hair type.  On straight hair start at a lower heat and change if necessary.   For 4C hair you can start at a number next to the highest but it also depends on if your hair is healthy.  If you have no idea, hold a piece of tissue paper in the iron.  If it gets brown, the iron is very hot so start with a lower number.

Please note that if you use an iron on your hair today, you should not use any hot iron on it again from the next day.  Many women break their hair straightening it in the mornings with old products. This detailed instructions on how to prevent hair damage from heat styling.  

 By Paula Barker, Silkie Locks Hair Design

Books:  “Talking Hair”, “Filling My Head” & “Dreadlocks – A Hairstylist’s Manifest”.