For Long, Healthy Natural Kinky and Curly Hair - Your Dry Hair Days Are Over!
  • About
  • Queens
    • QueenOfKinks
  • Hair Blog
    • Magazine
    • Headbands
    • Scarf
  • TV
  • FreeInfo
  • Courses
    • HotOilTreatments
    • HairButters
    • DIYshampoos
    • DIYconditioners
    • DIYmoisturizers
    • DIYdetanglers
    • Property
  • Contact
    • FAQs
    • Advertise
  • About
  • Queens
    • QueenOfKinks
  • Hair Blog
    • Magazine
    • Headbands
    • Scarf
  • TV
  • FreeInfo
  • Courses
    • HotOilTreatments
    • HairButters
    • DIYshampoos
    • DIYconditioners
    • DIYmoisturizers
    • DIYdetanglers
    • Property
  • Contact
    • FAQs
    • Advertise
Search

How often CAN you use heat on natural hair and still avoid heat damage?

25/5/2016

 
Picture
Check out Queen Marcian's Hair Journey & Regimen
Picture
Check out Queen Kisha's Hair Journey & Regimen
Picture
Check out Queen Zoysia's Hair Journey & Regimen
Picture
The answer will annoy you! It depends. Some hair types are stronger and can take more heat than others but there are some general rules that apply to all hair types.

Firstly, when you apply heat to your hair it loses both water and protein. In order to straighten hair, the bonds within each fibre have to break. 

This same bond breakage also happens when hair is chemically relaxed. However, whereas chemical relaxers break the bonds in hair permanently, heat usually breaks the bonds temporarily and the process is reversed by immersing the hair in water.

So what does heat damage look like? 

Heat damage normally happens to some bits of hair and not others so when you wash it there are some odd straight hairs here and there mixed in with the curly hair. The straight hairs are the heat damaged hair fibres - that hair will not curl back.

The regularity with which you can use heat depends on:
  • Hair texture: some textures can tolerate heat much better than others;
  • Hair condition: hair that has been well conditioned and is in a good state of repair deals with heat much better than damaged or weak hair.

Heat damage is cumulative: the more you use heat, the worse the state of your hair gets. Just because your hair dealt with heat well this week, it doesn't mean it will do well next week. 

Blow drying and pressing increases the incidence of split ends and general breakage so if you use heat regularly you can expect to have to trim more regularly.

Overall, even if you have thick course hair I would recommend that you use heat only once a week at the most. If your hair is fine, once or twice a month is plenty.

An alternative to direct heat application is to use hair rollers or curl formers and apply heat at a safe distance using a hooded dryer as the preferred option and a blow dryer as a next-best option. 

Direct application including blow drying using dryers with a comb is much more damaging than applying heat from a distance.

Importantly, before applying heat ensure your hair has been washed, deep conditioned and moisturized adequately. You can get the Queen of Kinks product line on Amazon USA and Amazon UK. If you're Prime Member you'll get it super fast.

Picture

​Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair.


Ref: The Science of Black Hair, pages 168 - 170

    I now blog about wealth creation - so if you have any money questions meet me there, you can do all sorts of cool things like leave me a voicemail.
    Follow @NenoNatural
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    By Heather Katsonga-Woodward

    I was a natural hair blogger and mixtress living between London & Chicago from 2012 to 2017. I always thought I was 4C but some say 4B; images below - you decide! Heather xx

    p.s. I now blog about wealth and personal finance on my personal website.

    Picture

    Categories

    All
    About
    Aloe Vera
    Bad Chemicals
    Bad Hair Practices!
    Baggying
    Big Chops
    Braids Weaves Wigs
    Brands
    Breakage/thinning
    Butters
    Carrier Oils
    Carrier Oils & Butters
    Children
    Color
    Conditioning Hair
    Co Washing
    Cultural Issues
    Damage
    Dandruff
    Detangling
    Detangling/combing
    Diet & Hair
    Dreadlocks
    Essential Oils
    Events
    Exercise
    Food For Hair
    Frizz Control
    Giveaways!
    Growth Phases
    Growth Stimulators
    Growth Tips
    Hair Type
    Hard Water Solutions
    Heat
    Homemade Hair Recipes
    Ingredients In Products
    Interviews
    Itchy Scalps
    Lice
    Magazines
    Makeup
    Matted Hair
    Max Hydration Method
    Microfiber
    Moisturising Dry Hair!
    Other Naturals
    Ph And Hair
    Porosity
    Pregnancy
    Press And Publicity
    Product Reviews
    Protective Styling
    Queen Of Kinks
    Random
    Regimen Building
    Salon Reviews
    Scalp Conditions
    Science
    Shampoos
    Shiny Hair
    Silicones
    Sleeping
    Stretching Hair
    Styles
    Swimming
    Texture Issues
    Thin Hair
    Tips & Challenges
    Tools & Products
    Transitioning
    Trimming
    Vitamins
    Washing
    Weather

    Picture
    Click for free eBook!
    Picture
    Check out the podcast!

    Archives

    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    October 2011

    Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photo used under Creative Commons from robertivanc
  • About
  • Queens
    • QueenOfKinks
  • Hair Blog
    • Magazine
    • Headbands
    • Scarf
  • TV
  • FreeInfo
  • Courses
    • HotOilTreatments
    • HairButters
    • DIYshampoos
    • DIYconditioners
    • DIYmoisturizers
    • DIYdetanglers
    • Property
  • Contact
    • FAQs
    • Advertise