It’s no secret that maintaining and styling your hair can be a process. From washing and conditioning to hair masks and hairspray, not to mention blow-drying, straightening, and curling—a lot goes into the upkeep of your strands! Heat styling is so common in many haircare routines that you may not even think twice about picking up heated tools.
We know you don’t want to hear this, but heated hair tools can do some serious damage. It’s time to give your hair a much-needed break!
If you have hair extensions, tools that use heat to style can be especially damaging to your locks. High temps can damage your delicate tresses when used in excess to dry and style daily. It’s essential to find a balanced hair routine – one that keeps your hair healthy and strong without compromising the look you’re going for.
To help you maintain a hairstyling routine that won’t damage your hair, we’ve got some great tips on how to style your hair without heat! But first, let’s get into why heat styling can be tough on your strands.
Why Does Using Heated Tools Damage Hair?
When using heated hair tools such as curling irons, blow dryers, or hair straighteners, you’ll notice that they often have a few different settings for different levels of heat. You might be using heated tools with the exact temperatures listed. You’ll notice many heated hair tools can reach a max temperature of 400°F or 450°F, which is extremely harsh on your locks. Other heated tools, like blow dryers, don’t have temperature control options (just low, medium, and high options), making it hard to gauge whether or not you’re damaging your hair. Below are three ways heat can harm your hair:
Exposing your hair to high heat levels can change the shape of your hair’s keratin. Keratin is the protective outermost layer of your hair strand, so it’s very important to keep this protection intact.
Your hair can lose its natural shine when the hair cuticles have been damaged, leading to breakage. You may notice your hair looking dry or frizzy, which are other signs of cuticle damage.
Heat makes hair weak. Using heated tools at temperatures over 300°F leads to weaker hair and loss of elasticity, which means your hair is even more prone to further damage or loss over time.
So, now that you see how damaging heated hair tools can be, you’re ready to change your ways. But what can you do if the damage is already done? Let’s go over some solutions to help you work towards healthier hair.
Is Damage from Heated Tools Reversible?
Unfortunately, there may be no going back if heated hair tools severely damaged your hair structure. There are, however, some ways you can manage your hair once some damage is done.
Using leave-in conditioners, hair oils, and other healthy hair products. High-quality products can help with dryness and seal in moisture to make hair feel softer. Your hair is also craving more protein in this state, so products with keratin, wheat, or silk proteins can help improve your hair quality.
Cut your hair. Depending on how much of your hair is damaged, we may recommend a trim or a full cut of several inches to lessen the visibility of heat damage.
Use extensions. If you’re trying to grow back your hair after heat damage, lengthening with high-quality hair extensions may be a great option for you.
To prevent damage in the first place, keep your heated tools low and only run them through your strands for a few seconds at a time. Always use a heat protectant product before using heated hair tools and air dry your hair whenever possible to avoid further heat damage.
How to Style Your Hair Without Heat
The good news is that hairstyles that don’t require heat can look just as beautiful as heated styles, especially when rocking hair extensions. You can choose to embrace your hair’s natural texture after air-drying it or try some heat-free ways to style your hair! Here are some of our favorites:
Loose Waves
If your hair is already naturally wavy, add some texture spray to your damp strands to define your waves. If you have naturally straight hair, follow the same step above, then braid your hair. For best results, do this before bed so you have all night for your hair to hold those waves. In the morning, take your braid out and tousle your hair a bit for beach-ready waves.
Straight Strands
This style will work best for those with finer hair that has a bit of natural wave. Allow your hair to air-dry about three-quarters of the way, then use a blow dryer on the cold air setting. As you dry, move from root to tip and work in sections. Add some leave-in conditioner or straightening serum to tame any frizz or flyaways.
Curl Perfection
Want your curls to be a bit more defined? Enter the classic hair rollers. You can find a variety of different hair rollers to get the look you want. Sponge rollers are useful if you want to sleep with them in and achieve those curls in the morning. Foam rollers work really well for defined curls without heated hair tools. You could also try flex-rods, which create spiral curls without having to rely on clips or pins. For extra hold, use a curling mousse on damp hair before applying the hair rollers of your choice.
Slicked Back
The wet look gives you that chic style without using any heated tools when you want a quick but polished look. Towel or air dry your hair, then slick back with a comb or create a deep side parting, whichever you prefer. Once your hair is in place, apply hair gel from your roots to your ears. Start with a small amount of hair gel and add more as needed. Finish this style with a spritz of hairspray to ensure it stays in place.
Let’s be kinder to our hair by putting down the heated tools and trying new heat-free styles!
Rock Happy, Heat-Free Hair Extensions Styles
If you have hair extensions, you can keep your locks looking healthy by using high-quality hair extensions tools and skipping the heat whenever possible. Your hair extensions and natural hair will last longer and maintain their shine and softness.
At Anastasia K Salon, our stylists will help you achieve the hair of your dreams with a custom experience from hair extensions to cuts and colors.
(Ready to upgrade your locks? Apply today for natural beaded row hair extensions or invisible bead extensions - the best hair extension method out there!)
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