Flat irons are a form of direct heat and can damage the hair strands if adequate heat protection is not used. When your hair is exposed to heat higher than 130 degrees Celsius (about 265 degrees Fahrenheit), the following can happen:

1. Break down of the hair’s surface and a resultant radial and axial cracking across the hair shaft;
2. Loss of the hair’s internal moisture; and
3. Damage to the portion of the hair shaft that absorbs and reflects light. [This portion is referred to as chromophore].

It is therefore important to protect your hair every time you use a heat tool. To do this, you need a heat protectant.

When you pick up a product that claims to be a heat protectant, look out for these ingredients to protect your hair from heat damage:

1. PVP/DMAPA acrylates copolymer
2. Quaternium 70 and other polyquaterniums e.g polyquaternium-55, polyquaternium-28, etc
3. Silicones. For example:
   • Dimethicone
   • Silicone Quaternium-16
   • Butyloctanol
   • Aminopropyl Phenyl Trimethicone
   • Cyclopentasiloxane
   • Amodimethicone
4. Hydrolyzed wheat protein

Other helpful ingredients

1. Cetrimonium bromide (can penetrate the hair shaft)
2. Proteins (to prevent stress to the hair)
3. Propylene Glycol (draw moisture into the hair)
4. Glycerin (for moisture)

How to use heat on hair without damaging it

About the author

Dr Fomsky

Nigerian-born Dr Fomsky is a God-lover, a wife, a mom of three, a medical doctor by day. Plus she owns a Nigerian-based online hair product store called Sizzelle.
Dr Fomsky is very passionate about hair, skin and weight management. Since she's had her babies, she's been struggling to keep her weight and her tummy down!
At night, she likes to read books, write blog posts and leave comments on other blogs. She lives in Alberta, Canada and is also the author of Solving your relaxed hair breakage book .
DR FOMSKY'S HAIR TYPE:
LAST RELAXER DAY: December 15th, 2016
BIG CHOP: January 14th, 2017 Natural Hair, Unknown Porosity, Fine Hair strands, Low to Moderate Density
CURRENT HAIR LENGTH: Unknown
FAVOURITE DEEP CONDITIONER: ??

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