We all love a good silk press from time to time, especially during the fall and winter months when you can actually enjoy it. But, it's essential to keep the curls protected, so your hair will curl back up when it's time to wash your hair again.
"Heat damage" is what happens when curly girls use too much heat for their hair to handle, which ultimately leads to straight, limp hair that doesn't curl up (even though it should) and is likely to break off. Heat damage can severely impact the overall health and behavior of your curly hair. Here's an example of what that can look like 👇🏽
Photo creds: MD Hair Mistress
To prevent this from happening to your hair, try using Black Vanity's top 5 tips for avoiding heat damage.
Tip #1: DO NOT APPLY AN OIL TO YOUR HAIR BEFORE FLAT IRONING IT
Applying an oil before you apply heat to your hair is essentially deep-frying it. Remember if you see smoke while flat ironing you hair ... that's usually a sign that something isn't right.
Tip #2: Use a flat iron that visually shows you the temperature of the irons
Many hair textures begin to burn at about 395 degrees fahrenheit. It's usually safe to keep your heat styling tools between 300 and 390 degrees to prevent heat damage.
Pay attention to your hair's reaction as you apply heat to it to learn what's best for you.
Tip #3: Never flat iron wet hair
Make sure that your hair is completely dry (air dry or blow dry) before you use a flat iron. Flat ironing wet hair will definitely result in heat damage
Tip #4: Use a heat protectant
Heat protectants provide your hair with nutrients to off-set the drying effects of heat styling while also forming a protective barrier around your hair strands to keep them protected against the heat.
If you're in the market for a new (or better) heat protectant, we recommend CHI Iron Guard or Mizani Thermastrength Heat Protecting Serum
Also, let's normalize speaking up and asking stylists to use heat protectant if they do not already.
Tip #5: Wrap your hair up with a satin du-rag, satin headscarf, or a satin head wrap at night
Wrapping your hair up at night helps your preserve your style for longer and decreases the need to apply more heat to your hair once it's styled. It's important that you do not apply more heat after your hair is styled to avoid damaging your hair.
If your scarf "walks off" when you're sleeping, consider investing in a satin pillowcase so you are protected whether the scarf stays on your head or not.
We hope this helps you protect your curls from heat damage and keep them healthy during silk press season. For more natural hair tips and tricks, follow us @blackvanitycosmetics on Tik Tok and Instagram!
Cover photo creds: Pinterest