For those experiencing thinning hair or split ends, hair stylists recommend taking extra care when using heat styling tools. Using excessive heat on your locks can worsen hair loss and damage your hair. Therefore, it’s crucial to know the proper usage of heat styling tools and avoid mistakes to ensure your hair remains healthy.
We asked hair stylists and hair experts for their opinion on the one mistake you should never make while using heat styling tools on brittle hair. Experts recommend using a heat protectant spray to prevent further damage and breakage. So, read on for tips on how to keep your hair healthy and protected.
We checked in with Gina Rivera, celebrity hair stylist and founder of Phenix Salon Suites, Ghanima Abdullah, hair expert and cosmetologist at The Right Hairstyles, Dr. Elaine F. Kung, M.D., FAAD, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Future Bright Dermatology and Lauren Udoh, pro hair stylist and Hair Creative Director at WigReports.
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How Neglecting Heat Protectant Spray Can Worsen Hair Thinning
According to Rivera, failing to use a heat protectant while using styling tools like straighteners, dryers, curling irons, and crimpers can cause significant damage, resulting in an older appearance and hastening hair loss. Using a heat protectant is essential as it moisturizes and nourishes hair strands, she says.
The heat from styling tools typically removes moisture from hair, making the use of a protectant necessary. "There are so many styling tools on the market nowadays and it’s important that you have good ones if you want to have great looking hair," she suggests.
"A good hot tool will have temperature controls, auto shut offs, and will be durable as well as easy to operate. I recommend tools that utilize infrared technology because the technology works to lock the moisture into the hair strands rather than drying the hair out," she adds.
When it comes to using these tools for styling, Udoh advises against excessive styling, particularly if you have thinning hair. "Women with thinning hair often make the mistake of over-styling their hair to give it more volume and body," she says. "This can actually make the hair look stringy and lifeless, and can accentuate any wrinkles or lines in the face."
Udoh points out that utilizing an incorrect tool for one's hair type can further aggravate the situation. "Using the wrong styling products can also make thinning hair look worse. Heavy gels and mousse can weigh down the hair and make it look greasy while using too much heat can damage the hair and make it look brittle," she continues. "It’s important to find lightweight products that will help add volume and body to the hair without weighing it down."
In addition to owning appropriate styling equipment, Rivera shares Udoh's viewpoint that it is crucial to utilize a heat protectant spray and lower heat settings to preserve healthy and visually appealing hair, especially when it comes to delicate and easily damaged fine tresses.
"While typically hot tools may be set a bit higher for coarser hair, it’s equally important to realize that all hair can be susceptible to temperatures which are too hot, and this goes for coarse hair as well," she points out. Rivera emphasizes that everyone should "always consult with your stylist to ensure your settings are correct for your hair type."
Hair and blow dryers are undeniably convenient after stepping out of the shower with dripping locks, but as Kung says, if your hair is already thinning, the many cons of this styling tool outweigh the pros (even if you do use heat protectant spray).
"Hair drying without a hair dryer produces a relatively well-protected hair surface, while hair that is dried using a hair dryer shows more damage to hair surfaces," Kung says of her experience treating patients with hair loss.
"In addition, the hair surfaces show an overall tendency to become more damaged as the temperature increases, with the most severe surface damage produced after drying with the highest temperature," she continues.
Natural air drying, Kung stresses, or exposure to ambient temperature after gently removing water drops with a towel, is usually considered to be much "safer than using a hair dryer."
