Can you flat iron wet hair? No, because you’ll burn it

 

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After family, love and health, do you think there is anything more important than money in modern society?

 

I do. I think time is one of our most appreciated gifts.

We want more time, and we want it because we want to do more things. And sometimes we want a day to have 48 hours in it instead of 24 just to get everything done.

 

I don’t say that because I woke up feeling like a philosopher today. No, I say it because today a client asked me a question that made me think about time.

Do you know what she asked me?

She asked me  if she could flat iron her hair while it was wet or damp. 

 

And to that, I said: “Why do you want to flat iron wet hair?”

And her answer was: “To save time because if I straighten my hair while it’s wet, it’ll dry it and make it straight at the same time. “

In terms of hair care, if you want to save time, all you’re going to end up doing is damaging your hair.

 

Because  if you want to flat iron your hair, it needs to be completely dry. 

In this case, “almost dry” or “just a little bit damp” doesn’t work.

 

Your hair must be completely dry before you use a flat iron on it.  And if you dry it with a blow dryer, you should wait at least three or four minutes until your hair cools off before straightening it. 

 

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Because this way, when you start to flat iron it, it won’t have the heat already accumulated from the blow dryer.

That’s why, in this case, you can’t save time by flat ironing wet hair. Because if you do it, the consequences will be irreversible.

Do you want to know why?

Keep reading.

 

If you flat iron wet hair all you’re going to do is burn it

Why?

Let’s take a look at how a flat iron works.

 

Within every single one of the hairs on your head, nutrients, proteins and water circulate, which are what make your hair soft, shiny, docile and elastic.

Every time you use a flat iron on your hair, the tool takes some of your hair’s hydration.

Have you ever noticed that when you use the flat iron on your hair it seems like a small amount of smoke comes out of your hair?

 

In reality, it’s not smoke that comes out because you’re not burning your hair.

 That “smoke” that you see every time you pass the flat iron through your hair is actually water vapor or steam, part of the moisture in your hair. 

 

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Flat ironing your hair temporarily changes your hair structure through heat. So, even when you flat iron your hair while it’s dry, it’s going to lose some of its moisture.

Can you imagine what would happen if you flat iron wet or damp hair?

 

 If your flat iron wet hair,  there would be a whole lot more steam, and because of it, your hair cuticles would burn.

Your hair can’t handle the vapor at that temperature, so  if you flat iron wet hair, it will burn. 

 

And I’m not just talking about burnt ends. Each and every lock of wet hair that was touched by the flat iron would end up burnt.

 

What’s the solution for burned hair? A haircut.

The only solution for hair damaged by flat ironing it while wet is a haircut.

We’ve been very clear that you can’t flat iron your hair while it’s wet. But there are a few brands that have special straighteners. And that’s what I’m about to tell you about.

 

Are there flat irons for wet hair?

In the past few years, some hair care brands have come out with  hair straighteners made for wet hair. 

Why don’t these straighteners hurt wet hair?

 

Because they have special mechanisms for making sure the steam coming off your hair fiber doesn’t hurt your hair so you can straighten your hair while it’s wet.

Although none of these straighteners will burn your wet hair, it’s important to keep a few differences between the options in mind to choose the best one for your hair.

 

 

If you don’t want to invest in a straightener made for wet hair, then you’ll need to be very careful when it comes time to straighten your hair. Let’s take a look at what the things you need to be aware of are.

 

How to protect your hair from heat while using a traditional flat iron

First and foremost, and I can’t say this enough:  your hair must be completely dry before you use a flat iron on it.. 

 

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And before using the flat iron, you should use a thermal protector on your hair that will seal in its natural moisture, helping to prevent it from evaporating with the heat.

Heat protectant products may also have other ingredients in them, like:

 

 If you use a thermal protector before flat ironing your hair, you’ll prevent the heat from damaging it. 

You can use a heat protectant on wet or dry hair, but it’s important that you let your hair dry completely before starting to use the flat iron.

Let me say it one more time: even if you use a thermal protector, your hair must be completely dry before you start to use the flat iron.

 

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Conclusion

You should always flat iron your hair when it’s completely dry and after you’ve used a heat protectant product on it.

The only time when you can use a flat iron on wet hair is if you have a straightener designed to be used on wet hair because they have special technology to protect your hair from the high temperatures.

If you use a flat iron on wet hair, all you’ll end up doing is burning it.