Just in a few seconds flat iron allows you to take control over unruly and frizzy hair. It transforms curls into smooth sheet of hair but… at the same time, it ruins the strands. How to use flat iron without causing damage to hair? How to fix already-damaged hair due to high temperature?

Women from all over the world love flat iron. This simple hair styling tool is cheap and allows to easily arrange a new hairstyle on one’s own. Everyone who at least saw how fast it is to turn curls into silky smooth and straight strands appreciates the power of this tool.

Unfortunately, everything has its good and bad sides – sadly, regular use of flat iron might have a negative impact on hair condition.

Does flat iron damage hair?

Well, the answer to this question is both: yes and no. It all depends on the fact whether we use flat iron appropriately. To clarify, if we don’t follow a few important rules (see below), then our hair will suffer grievously.

Heat hair styling, which is high temperature:

  • makes water evaporate from hair;
  • leaves hair cuticles widely open;
  • damages bonds inside hair;
  • drastically dehydrates and weakens strands;
  • contributes to end splitting;
  • accelerates nutrients loss;
  • encourages frizz and static;
  • deteriorates looks of hair.

How to reduce the negative impact of flat iron?

Not always and not every flat iron affects hair negatively. As they say, everything is perfectly acceptable but, just like it applies to other things, making use of a flat iron should be done moderately. What can be done to minimize bad influence of flat iron and how to shield hair against damage?

5 rules of flat iron use that help you reduce its negative impact on hair:

  1. Replace your old flat iron with a new one that comes with ceramic plates, ionic function and heat settings.
  2. Never straight your hair using the highest temperature that the tool can generate.
  3. Use flat iron only when your hair is dry and healthy, never on wet, weakened strands and with split ends.
  4. Keep straightening your hair section by section, run the tool only once along each strand.
  5. At every hair straightening use special heat protection products – oils, sprays and serums.

Straightened hair care

Protecting hair against the damaging influence of flat iron doesn’t have to be carried out either during the styling or right before it, but also way, way earlier. After all, the least damage-prone is healthy hair. In other words, the stronger hair is, the greater the possibility is that single flat iron use won’t cause much damage to strands.

How to take care of hair to make it resistant to high temperature?

  1. Limit daily hair washing – too frequent shampooing (especially when the cleansing cosmetic is aggressive) might dehydrate hair and irritate scalp.
  2. Choose the right shampoo to wash your hair with – bear in mind that a shampoo must be chosen with having condition and needs of scalp in mind, don’t focus on hair only.
  3. Nourish, moisturize and regenerate hair – healthy hair equals hair that is resistant to high temperature, therefore a well-matching conditioner, mask or natural oil help to strengthen the hair and provide protection.
  4. Take care of hair from the inside – not only things that we apply to hair matters and influence its condition; what we eat is equally important to make them strong again.
  5. Let your hair dry naturally – if you are planning to use a flat iron, resign from using a blow dryer that contributes to hair damage.
  6. Regenerate hair intensively once a week – choose a protein mask or carry out hot hair oiling to regenerate hair which might suffer damage during flat ironing.