So you went to the salon and received the best blow out of your life. You’re feeling yourself; you can actually feel the breeze on your scalp as your hair dances in the wind. A week later, you wash the straight strands in anticipation of seeing your ‘fro, but there’s one big problem. The curls are gone. Vanished. Disappeared. The culprit? Heat.
Heat damage occurs when heat is applied to hair strands on a setting that is too high. It damages the hair shaft and changes it’s original curly form. Unfortunately, there is no way to revert your hair since the structure of the strand has been changed.
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Because the hair is permanently altered, the only way to get rid of heat damage is to cut it off. Many claim applying beer to the hair can reverse heat damage but after several attempts, I learned this is untrue. Protein treatments can help improve the look of your curls but once the damage from the heat has occurred your curls won’t ever completely bounce back.
Avoid damage by air-drying your hair, and if you are using heat, always use a protector (conditioner, lotion or spray) before the heat application.