The question we frequently ask ourselves before straightening or curling is: “should I use a protective treatment before ironing my hair?” ” The answer is yes “! It is preferable, in fact, before any exposure to the heat of the plates to protect the hair!
Protect your hair: Why use a thermo protective treatment before straightening or hot curling?
The effects of heat on our hair
The sometimes excessive and repeated heat of the iron can damage the outer protective layer of the hair: the cuticle. The hair then becomes rougher, weakens, and eventually breaks.
Thus, before using a straightener, a curling iron, or other heating plates, using thermo-protective care can counteract their harmful effects on the hair.
How do heat protection treatments work?
These treatments exist in the form of a spray, cream, or serum, and once applied uniformly to all of the hair, they limit the effects of dehydration. No more brittle hair!
Heat-protective treatments are heat-resistant, they strengthen the outer envelope of the hair and act as a shield against the high temperature of the curling iron or the dryer. The effect of heat is thus limited and the hair is protected.
They make it easier to straighten the hair, and eliminate frizz and some even offer, in addition, a restorative action on the internal structure of the hair.
How to use these treatments?
- If you use a spray, spray on washed and towel-dried hair, dry your hair with a dryer, and then use your straightener or curler.
- For the serum, distribute the product evenly from ends to lengths on your damp hair before straightening.
- If you opt for a cream, apply it to towel-dried hair and then dry your hair completely. Once dried, you can proceed to smooth it. For more efficiency, the serum can be used in addition to straightening.
Other tips
In addition to protective care, other gestures can be adopted to maximize the chances of keeping hair smooth and strong!
- In terms of frequency, it is not recommended to use iron too often (4 times a week maximum!).
- Opt for ceramic plate irons: they are the most widespread today, they distribute the heat evenly and facilitate the glide of the hair, whether it is fine or curly.
- The temperature of the iron should not exceed 200°C for wavy hair, and can even go down to 80°C for fine hair. Indeed, the more the heat is excessive, the more the risk of weakening the hair increases!
- 1 or 2 passes over the entire length of the hair are enough to let the hair take shape (smooth or curly).
- On damp or wet hair, heat causes water to boil and evaporate, which can lead to the breakage of the cuticle. It is therefore essential to apply the iron on dry hair!
