- If you straighten your hair every day, sooner or later you will end up damaging your hair fiber irreversibly, if you haven’t already.
- If there is still time, and your hair is not completely damaged, I recommend that you reduce the straightening frequency to a minimum.
- Every time you straighten your hair, make sure you do it with a ceramic flat iron and apply a heat protectant to your hair. If you do both of these things, your hair will suffer much less each time you straighten it.
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I think that the flat iron is one of the best hair inventions yet. However, in the name of straight hair, we commit abuses very often. Then, the consequences can be dire.
If you straighten your hair every day, you may very well end up ruining or even burning your hair sooner or later.
If you’re lucky enough to have thick hair, it will endure a little longer. However, if your hair is thin, you’ll notice symptoms of hair burn very soon.
- Are your ends split?
- Do you have trouble brushing your hair?
- Do you lose a lot of hair in the shower? Are your pillows full of hair when you wake up?
If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, your hair is damaged and possibly damaged from straightening it every day.
So, if you use the hair straightener every day, the first thing I recommend is that you stop.
Even if you use the best iron in the world and apply the best heat protectants to your hair, if you straighten your hair every day, you will end up burning it.
What does burnt hair look like?
Burned hair usually has split ends, the hair is easily tangled and frizz is unmanageable.
So, if you’re willing to wear your hair straight, but not at any price, stay with me, because I’ll tell you:
- Why it isn´t a good idea to straighten your hair every day
- 3 key steps to regaining damaged hair from excessive straightening
- What precautions to take to straighten your hair from now on
This is the time when you have to make a choice: stop straightening your hair every day or take your hair directly to permanent damage. It’s your choice.
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Why isn’t it a good idea to straighten your hair every day?
Let’s get something straight.
Any excessive heat is bad for hair.
Therefore, you should protect your hair from the sun with a hat when you enjoy the beach, or you should use your hairdryer at medium temperature.
It’s the same with the flat iron. Hair is not prepared to tolerate excessive temperatures every day.
Hair fiber cannot retain or re-produce the moisture it has lost every time you run the flat iron through each of your strands, three or four times. When you lose moisture, your hair weakens. As it weakens, it breaks. And, finally, it burns.
When hair burns, there’s no turning back. You’ll have to cut off the whole damaged part.
I’m sure you ran to the bathroom to look at your hair. Or at least, as you read this, you’ll be touching your locks to see how they feel to the touch.
Ah, that’s the guilt, that guilt you feel because you’ve been straightening your hair every day. However, let me tell you something. Over the years of experience as a hairdresser and from my chronological age (which, of course, I will never tell) I have learned one thing.
It is that guilt leads nowhere. What you can do is to choose to take responsibility. I mean, you can take responsibility for the health of your hair. How?
- The first step is to stop using the flat iron every day.
- The second step is to find out what real damage your hair has right now.
You usually start to notice that your hair is damaged when it’s hard to untangle it, your ends look split, or they look a lighter color at the ends.
If you notice this in your hair, you need a plan of action. Do you want to know what that plan of action is? I’ll tell you.
3 key steps to recovering damaged hair from excessive straightening
Right now, I’m assuming you’re not using the flat iron every day anymore. So let’s take it from there.
The first thing I’ll tell you is that you won’t like it very much, but “truth is never sad, but it has no solution”, as Joan Manuel Serrat would say.
1- Find a good hairdresser to trim the damaged parts
Yeah, like that, plain and simple. A hairdresser will trim all the damaged hair. It is better to cut two inches right now, instead of three inches in three months.
Also, during the recovery plan, you will have to trim your ends every two or three months.
2- Perform intensive hair mask nutrition…
…and do it at least once a week. Imagine how thirsty your hair is, after being ironed over and over again, every day of your life.
You have to give it back the moisture it lost. Would you deny a glass of water to a pilgrim who comes walking in the sun for miles and miles?
Then, don’t deny your hair the moisture it needs so badly.
3- Don’t wash your hair every day
Basically, because it’s not necessary. In addition, you’ll give your scalp time to produce natural oils, which will protect it from environmental impact.
You can wash it three times a week, using good quality products. You can also incorporate dry shampoo into your hair care routine to prevent your roots from becoming greasy and your hair from looking dirty.
You are now in the process of restoring your hair’s health, but I know you are still looking at your flat iron out of the corner of your eye.
Don’t worry, I won’t ask you to send her away. After all, it’s not the gun that’s to blame, but the shooter.
Since I know you’ve already taken responsibility for what happens to your hair, I’ll tell you how to use the flat iron correctly so that it doesn’t damage your hair. Just don’t use it every day.
What precautions to take to straighten your hair from now on
Since you are concerned about the health of your hair, you should try to straighten it with a good quality tool. If it’s within your budget, ceramic straighteners are ideal.
Straighteners are designed with different materials.
- Titanium irons, for example, heat up quickly, and apply the temperature evenly. You will only need this type of iron if your hair is very curly.
- Ceramic hair straighteners combine good value and effectiveness, offering even heat for most hair textures.
- Finally, tourmaline straighteners are excellent for damaged hair. They’re also called ionic because they produce more negative ions than positive ones, so, they reduce frizz.
Beyond that, even if it’s the best flat iron in the world, remember, you can’t use it every day.
Also, try to use a wide flat iron, as you will straighten your hair faster. So, you will have less exposure to heat.
- It is always important to set the temperature of the iron to 160 degrees if your hair is very fine, damaged or colored.
- Use it at 180 if it’s thicker and healthier.
- And 180 to 230 degrees if it’s thicker, rebellious and healthy.
It is also important that you use a heat protectant, that will keep your hair safe from the harmful effects of heat.
And of course, never forget that your hair should always be dry and untangled before straightening.
Conclusions
Straightening your hair with a flat iron every day is condemning your hair to burn and damage.
The ideal frequency is to use the iron every two or three days, always taking the necessary precautions, such as using the tool at the right temperature according to your hair type and applying a heat protectant beforehand.
It is not the use, but the abuse of a flat iron, which can lead to irreversibly burn and damage your hair.
Now tell me, are you ready to commit to the proper use of the flat iron?