While natural hair is indisputably gorgeous, those delicate strands can be especially prone to heat damage. And while, yes, the best way to avoid heat damage is to avoid heat, we don’t always have to sacrifice the style we want in the name of healthy strands. We just have to prepare with the best products and techniques – and know when to give our hair a break. Here, we’ll discuss the best way to protect natural hair from heat damage, and tips and tricks for getting heat damaged hair back to beautiful.
Natural Hair and Heat Damage
If you have natural hair, you know that it can be delicate. That’s because of the nature of the curls and coils: natural oils take longer to work their way down curly strands, leaving hair drier and more prone to breakage. When you add heat to already-dry strands, this can do serious damage to the structure of the curls and coils, which can make you want to reach for the hot tool more often.
That’s the bad news. The good news is there are relatively easy ways to prevent heat damage.
Prep with products
Before bringing the heat, wash your hair with a moisture-boosting shampoo and condition with our Miracle Rescue Deep Repair Conditioner, detangle your strands, and then liberally apply a heat protectant spray made for natural hair like Pantene’s Gold Series Thermal Heat Protector, which helps prevent heat tool-related damage before it occurs, making hair resilient against breakage.
Give your hair a break
Even the strongest strands need a little help sometimes. Hot tools should be used sparingly, and when you’re opting for a heat-free style, try protective styles or hair wraps to give your strands time to recover. And don’t forget to protect your hair while you sleep by wrapping it or swapping your cotton pillowcase for silk.
How to Fix Heat Damaged Hair
The best way to fix heat damage is to prevent it, but if it’s a little late for that, don’t worry! A little heat damage doesn’t mean you’ll need to cut it off – it just means you’ll need to treat it extra gently and go for products that will infuse it with moisture. Along with all the tips above, add a few new tools to your kit, like our Gold Series Intense Hydrating Oil or Gold Series Hydrating Butter-Crème to help soft strands with the rich moisture your curls or coils crave.
Looking for more tips on how to care for your relaxed, natural, or transitioning hair? Head over to our blog!
