What to Consider When Buying a Heat Protectant for Your Hair?

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Why do you need a Heat Protectant for Your Hair?

If you find yourself constantly styling your hair and using tools like straighteners, curling irons, and blow dryers, you will need to invest in a heat protectant in order to prevent your hair from becoming damaged. So why is heat bad for your hair? It turns out that when your hair is exposed to heat higher than about 260 degrees Fahrenheit, your hair will start doing some abnormal things. Your hair’s moisture will go away, the part of your hair that absorbs and reflects light (chromophores) will break down, and your hair shaft will start cracking and breaking down.

Also, the pigments of your hair will start changing colors and the keratin proteins that make your hair elastic and strong will break down. Long story short, this means that your hair will end up looking frizzy with split ends. So then comes heat protectants, which are designed to prevent all of this from happening when your hair is exposed to high temperatures. There have been a few heat-protecting ingredients that have been researched and studied.

The results of these studies prove that ingredients like PVP/DMAPA acrylate copolymer, quaternion 70, and hydrolyzed wheat proteins do indeed work and reduce hair damage by as much as 20%. Out of all of these ingredients, PVP/DMAPA seems to work the best. In general, these ingredients work by forming a thin film on the surface of hairs that slows down the transfer of heat and distributes it more evenly, therefore sparing a burst of concentrated heat on any particular hair particle.

What to Consider When Buying a Heat Protectant for Your Hair – A Buying Guide

Applying extreme heat to your hair is the best way to style it without using styling gel. It is also a great and convenient way to dry your hair fast. Unfortunately, many people don’t think much about the consequences of exposing your hair to heat for long periods of time. Fortunately, hair protectants will lessen the damage that heat does to your hair.

They won’t make your hair completely immune to heat but they certainly reduce the amount of damage. There are actually quite a few shampoos, conditioners, serums, setting lotions, and blow-out foams that contain some ingredients to help protect your hair from heat. There are a few silicones approved by the FDA that can be safely used on your hair by covering it with a protective coating. Below, we have outlined some things to consider when shopping for a heat protectant.

Active ingredient

Heat protectants work with silicone that is activated. Two of the most common silicones are Cyclomethicone and dimethicone. Cyclomethicone is a clear silicone that adds smoothness to your hair and evaporates quickly, releasing oils and nutrients into the root of your hair. Dimethicone makes your hair less tangled and works much like a conditioner. These silicones cover your hair with a thin waterproof layer to protect it against heat. However, if you really want to get into the nitty gritty, the chemicals PVP/DMAPA acrylate copolymer, quaternion 70, and hydrolyzed wheat protein really work well on your hair by reducing damage from heat. They work well in low concentrations and can reduce heat damage by 10-20%. Out of all of these ingredients, PCP/DMAPA acrylates copolymer works the best so be on the lookout for this on the ingredients list.

Fragrance

Many heat protectants also have that will leave your hair fresh and smelling great. Be sure to pick a smell that is not too intrusive and overpowering. There are scent-free heat protectants out there as well, so if you don’t like the idea of having scented heat protectants there is an option for you.

Moisturizer/Conditioner

Most heat protectants also have other formulas included, namely moisturizers and conditioners. These ingredients will help leave your hair healthy, smooth, and with a full shine. Some may use various oils to provide essential nutrients to your hair all while leaving it silky and soft.

Anti-Frizz

Many of the different heat protectants also have anti-frizz and detangling agents included. These help improve your hair’s flexibility and make your hair much more manageable. Ideally, you should look for heat protectants that have this included because excess heat damages the roots of your hair follicles and makes them frizzy.

Versatility

You want a heat protectant that can work on all hair types, whether you have straight hair, curly hair, permed hair, dyed hair, wigs, or extension. If you have permed hair or dyed hair, you want the heat protectant to be adaptive enough to not reverse the effect of these chemical treatments. The worst thing that can happen is that you just paid a lot of money for a perm and then used the wrong heat protectant and your hair became straight again.