6 Ways to Repair Heat Damaged Natural Hair
Girls with naturally curly or coily hair often use heat for styling or making their hair straight. However, excessive heat exposure can lead to several problems that might take years to recover from, or require frequent hair treatments. The continuous use of heat can damage your hair, and it takes away moisture from the hair, making the hair appear dry and frizzy.
This problem is more common in girls with curly hair since curly hair is generally dry, therefore using heat tools can damage the hair severely. It would help to be very careful with your naturally curly hair.
Most people think that getting a haircut is the only way to recover from heat damage, but this is not the only solution. There are other methods that can help repair heat-damaged hair without causing more issues.
If you use hair styling tools that involve heat, you must be mindful of the heat being. However, this does not mean that you should never use heat on curly/natural hair. Heat is also a beneficial tool for your hair as it makes your cuticle lie flat, releases natural curls, releases excessive moisture, and makes it easier to try different styles outside of your hair’s naturally curly state. Nevertheless, using it daily will make your hair dry and it may also change the protein structure of your hair.
The level of damage indicates what kind of treatment is needed to recover from the harm caused. If you are also suffering from heat-damaged hair and looking for ways to repair it, continue reading! We will share different ways to restore damaged curly or natural hair and also how to prevent it in the future. Without further ado, let’s get into the topic
6 Ways to Repair Damaged Natural/Curly Hair
To start repairing your curly hair, you should first identify the signs of heat damage. It is essential because you might begin treating hair for heat damage, when this may not be the problem. Heat damaged hair can be easy to spot once you’re able to identify the changes in your hair. The following signs below may indicate whether or not you have heat-damaged hair:
- Hair ends are split
- White nodules on hair shafts
- Severely dry hair
- High hair knots and tangles
- Difficulty in brushing and styling hair
- Rough hair texture
- Hair loss and hair breakage
If you notice one of the above signs, you should not ignore it, as it can worsen the state of your hair—no matter what kind of hair you have, whether it is naturally straight or curly. To solve this problem, it would be best to choose the right ways to repair damaged hair in order to restore your natural hair and curls. So, let’s start describing them one by one.
- Use Products that Do Not Contain Sulfates
Our scalp produces natural oils, which are essential for hair growth. These oils travel down to the hair ends and increase the shine of the hair. Curly hair is already prone to dryness, as the curls restrict the oils from moving to the ends of the hair, and this dryness can be made worse by the use of sulfates. Â
Sulfate is an element found in shampoos and other hair products that can be beneficial for hair affected by excessive oils. But using these products on already dry and frizzy hair will eat up the moisture produced by the scalp. Sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner will help retain moisture in the hair and add shine. It will also make your hair healthier and more robust. If you have color in your hair, then the sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner will help to retain color for a long time.
People with curly hair should include sulfate-free products in their hair care routine if they plan to use heat. While heat does not permanently damage the hair, it is capable of doing so due to products that contain sulfates. Sulfate-free products will essentially create a protective layer on the hair, so hot oils might not damage hair strands, and you can also use heat on your hair and prevent damage. If you would love to keep your hair natural and strong, use products with no sulfates, especially if you have curly hair.
2. Deep Condition Your Hair Often
Deep conditioning is essential for hair growth and health. It is a must-adopt habit in hair care because it contains high hydrating elements that keep the hair nourished, moisturized, and prevent damage. You should deep condition your hair once a week to make it strong enough that heat can never damage it.
As you know, heating tools remove moisture from your hair, so if the water content of your hair is high, then the heat will not take away all the moisture. Instead, it improves the general appearance of your hair, and if you are suffering from heat damage, then it can be an effective way to repair this damage. It is the best time to take a deep conditioning hair treatment to make your hair soft, shiny, frizz-free, and resistant to breakage.
3. Keep It Simple and Minimize Hair Styles
You might notice that some actresses and models tend to have shorter/ more cropped hair. This is because they have to frequently style their hair in order to keep up appearances. Most of these styles require heat, and continuous exposure to heat starts to damage their hair, leading to hair loss. Over-styling can also damage the roots of the hair and result in thinner hair.
The reason behind hair loss and hair breakage due to over-styling is that the hairstyling tools and products affect the hair. When you keep changing your hairstyles, it can cause frizzy, brittle, and thin hair as you use heat for styling. Heat will also remove all the moisture from your hair. Always prefer to go for a simpler hairstyle rather than over-styling or using chemical products and heat. Consider using protective styles to prolong your hair health.
4. Protect Your Hair from Heat Damage
Everyone wants to look and feel confident, and hair styling has a role to play! However, excessive curling, straightening, and waving can damage the hair. Hot tools can lead to split ends, breakage, and excessive hair loss. It is not harmful to use these hot tools, but you have to be careful while using them. Implement protective measures such as heat protectant spray to create a barrier over the hair before applying heat.
It is advised to protect curly hair from heat damage by restricting the amount of heat used. You can purchase a heating tool that allows you to set the heat level according to the required temperature. Ensure that you do not use heat on one strand more than once. During wash day, apply a hair mask to restore the moisture that heat has taken away.
5. Go for Natural/Curly Hairstyles that Suit Your Look
As told in the previous section, heat can give you a different and beautiful look, but it also comes with various demerits. It is best to go with natural hairstyles that can suit your face. For this purpose, you need to try different hairstyles without using heat or any other chemical products and then decide which one works best for you. Curly hair is often suitable for most faces, and curls are essential to give volume to your hair! Don’t be shy or afraid, just play with your hair a bit more!
6. Avoid Frizzy Looks
Most naturals can spot when their hair has an unintended frizzy look. Frizziness does not happen due to genetics alone. The hair’s curl pattern can also prevent the natural oils from moving down the hair shaft to the hair ends, making the hair dry and lacking moisture.
Other factors such as overexposing one’s hair to the sun, swimming in chlorinated water, using heating tools, skipping conditioners, over-styling the hair, and many more are culprits behind frizzy hair.
You should not skip applying conditioner, and limit the use of heat on your hair strands to avoid having frizzy hair. Additionally, you can prevent frizziness by using shampoo only on the roots and conditioning the hair shafts. If your hair is damaged because of excessive heat, you should apply this method to repair it.
Conclusion
Heat is essential for your hair to look straight, shiny, and stylish. But using hot tools continuously can damage one’s hair, and you might start experiencing breakage, frizziness, and more. So, if you use heat for hairstyling, you need to be careful and use it as little as possible. However, if heat has already damaged your hair before reading this article, you should use the right solutions to restore hair cuticles.
A haircut can be the fastest way to get rid of heat-damaged hair, but it is not the only solution. If you have time to manage and restore your natural hair, then don’t go with a haircut. The article has presented some of the most effective and beneficial ways to recover from heat-damaged hair.
You need to be patient when nursing your hair back to health and go for moisturizing treatments and other adjustment solutions to get your beautiful hair back without a haircut. Otherwise, it would help if you went to a professional hairstylist who would guide you on the right product that suits your hair texture.
