The popular trend of straightened hair may look great and makes styling a bit easier, but is it worth it? Straightening your hair causes a lot of damage, which can definitely lead to more hair loss than normal. And it’s not just straighteners; using heating tools of any kind can cause damage.
However, there are ways to bring life back into your hair.
The Problem with Heat
When you use tools like straighteners and curling irons they usually go to temperatures of 400 degrees or more. That is way more than what your hair can naturally handle.
The heat breaks the hydrogen bonds that make up your hair, which weakens the structure. Weak hair that is not properly taken care of leads to breakage and thinning.
Your hair also loses moisture and natural oils when you apply heat. It’s actually how the tools secure the look when styling it. And it’s why your hair reverts to its natural state when you wash it. When your hair is damaged it can make your hair more frizzy and dull. Which is the opposite effect you want from those tools.
Avoiding the Damage
Fortunately, there are ways you can still use a straightener without causing permanent damage.
Try straightening your hair less often. Only doing it a couple of times a week or for special occasions would be ideal. Doing it daily is just not a good idea.
Use a heat protectant before you straighten your hair.
Condition regularly and try a hair mask to restore the moisture that gets lost. Daily leave-in conditioners are also a good thing to add to your routine.
Don’t straighten your hair when it’s wet. This causes more damage by stretching the strands more and the bonds that make up your hair are weaker when wet.
Use a low heat setting. So the lower the temperature, the better.
Try adding vitamins and supplements to your daily routine. Shapiro MD’s Hairbiotic helps support healthy hair and a strong immune system.
Conclusion Embrace your natural hair! Try limiting the number of times you straighten your hair and make sure it’s as healthy as possible. Straightening your hair doesn’t cause permanent hair loss, but it can become much worse if left untreated.
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