Heat styling our hair has become an essential part of facing the day for a lot of people, with many going O.T.T. on the daily. Others shy away from it after one too many horror stories, and fear causing irreparable damage. The truth is there is no need for one extreme or the other, once you approach it correctly then it can help reduce styling time, give you a fresh look, and have your hair looking and feeling better than ever. Let us first have a look at overexposure to heat, and the effects it can have on your hair.
Heat protection is your first port of call, without this you are subjecting your hair to direct contact with extreme temperatures, causing dehydration, damage to the cuticle, and possibly breakage. If you have lightened, dry, or fragile hair the chances of breakage are greatly increased.
To prevent this from occurring it is best to use a form of heat protection, there are a wealth of this available, but here are a few of my favourites.
For weakened/damaged hair
Kerastase Ciment Thermique
This is one of those products that delivers on its promise every time, and it is wildly popular in the professional haircare world. Not only does it smell heavenly, but it delivers heat active protein straight to your hair, strengthening as you style, and protecting up to 230 degrees Celsius. A must have product for anyone with breakage and who heat styles. Super lightweight formula, to be applied to wet hair before you blowdry.
For dry hair
ELEVEN Miracle Hair Treatment - Leave In
Hailing all the way from Australia this little beauty offers 11 different benefits to your hair, with everything from shine and moisture to UV and heat protection. A lightweight milk that hydrates, heals, smoothens, defrizzes, detangles, prevents slit ends, protects colour, and prevents chlorine and sun damage. Suitable for all hair types, but especially good on dry hair, jut gentle massage it through damp hair.
For moisture and repair
Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil
If your hair seems a little beyond your control, this easy addition to your haircare routine will not only help protect your hair up to 232 degrees Celsius, but also work to rebuild the disulphide bonds in the inner structure of your hair with Olaplex’s patented technology and improve manageability through its nourishing oil base. It increases shine, movement, texture, and helps minimise frizz and flyaways. Suitable for all hair types.
Heat Styling:
If you are not familiar with heat styling but would like to start, my best advice is to invest in quality heated tools. While all your options may look pretty much the same, this is not the case and cheaper materials can often cause long term damage to your hair, with short term styling results. By using a professional quality styler, you can relax in the knowledge that your hair will be easily styled, with beautiful results, and the hotplates will be the safest for keeping your hair healthy and uncompromised. Two of the most popular professional heated stylers are:
GHD
A cult classic in hairstyling, this company changed the face of hairdressing when they burst onto the scene 20 years ago now and have continued with innovative hair tools and products ever since. Suitable for all hair types and available in 3 plate sizes the GHD was at one time known only for creating sleek, straight hair, but it can equally conjure stunning, glossy curls and waves. A versatile hair tool that will calm and shape even the most difficult hair types, with a temperature of 185 degrees Celsius it is significantly lower than other similar products, and the power cord rotates 360 degrees for better movement and control. The ceramic plates have intelligent dual sensor technology to guarantee even heat distribution and allow symmetrical styling.
Steampod
A wonderful option for all hair types, but especially for those with thick, dry or unruly hair, the Steampod releases moisture into your hair as you style, reducing damage and dehydration, fighting the effects of humidity, and creating super smooth and glossy straight or wavey tresses. The Steampod 3.0 is 37% lighter and 14% slimmer, has a small integrated water capsule, salon length cable, and adjustable temperature setting. Perfect for styling sleek and straight, or bouncy and wavey in mid-length to long hair.
It is so important to ensure you are caring for the condition of your hair from start to finish, this includes the cleansing and conditioning. To do this, especially if your hair is already compromised, look towards repairing and hydrating haircare.
For dry hair
Moisture Recovery Shampoo and Conditioner
This duo is amazing at rehydrating your hair, making it smooth, soft, and easy to manage. They will deeply hydrate your hair helping to increase movement and reduce the effects of humidity, perfect for thick, coarse, hard to handle hair they will also work to strengthen your hair by up to 55%. Easy to use, just shampoo twice and leave your conditioner in for 5 minutes before you rinse.
For weakened/damaged hair
Olaplex
If you are suffering from fragility or breakage in your hair, check out the Olaplex range, it rebuilds your hair from the inside out by recreating the disulphide bonds that hold your hair together. This cult favourite is suitable for all hair types and gives you natural lift with a smooth finish. Perfect for hair that has become weak or sensitised, it is vegan, sulphate, paraben, and silicone free, nut free, cruelty free, and gluten free. Use as a full system for maximum results, or add 1 or 2 offerings to insure continued great hair condition.
Please DM me on Instagram if you have any further questions regarding haircare.
Fiona O’Connor
Head Educator, Haircare Department
