Thermal protection for hair straightening with an iron: types and tips for choosing

With regular hair straightening, the problem of their damage under the influence of high temperature rises very sharply. Questions about where to find the best remedies for hair straightening at home continue to be relevant. The need for special formulations in the interior is not even discussed. For home use, you can also find suitable tools to reduce the risks when using the iron to straighten and smooth hair. Their features, varieties, selection and application rules should be considered in more detail.

To understand why thermal protection of hair from ironing is needed, it is enough to study the effect that is on the strands in contact with a hot surface. The devices used for straightening can be heated in the area of ​​contact with curls up to 230 degrees.

It is important to remember that each hair consists of a hardened protein - keratin, which is destroyed under the influence of thermal effects. The outer layer, which protects the carapace from flakes that are closely adjacent to each other, is called cortex, it determines the pigmentation, affects the color scheme of the strands.

Upon contact with the heat source, moisture evaporates from the keratin rod, it loses fatty grease. Hair becomes brittle, dissected at the tips, loses its shine. When using protective equipment, the probability of damage is significantly reduced.. In addition, the cortex remains protected because the flakes do not open when exposed to heat.

Existing types of thermal protectants can be divided into several categories, according to the method and features of their application. There are compounds used exclusively for hair styling. You can protect them with strands immediately before contact with a hot iron. Rinse off products are used as a component of complex care, these include balms, shampoos and conditioners.

As a rule, in addition to the funds being washed off, you have to use indelible compositions. They are used on dry hair, provide saturation of strands with vitamins and other nutrients. This category of thermal protection is represented by serums, fluids, oils, sprays. Alcohol compounds are designed for oily hair, oil-oriented are designed to ensure safety when heating very dry strands.

It is customary to classify the category of washable means for thermal protection as used in daily hair care.

• Shampoo. Compounds with thermal protective properties provide gentle cleansing, remove excess sebum. When choosing funds, you need to make sure that the composition contains hydrosaccharides and xylose. In a complex, these funds control the closure of hair flakes and help form a special protective film on the surface of the hair.

• Balm. Products with enveloping structure are the best solution for a comprehensive restoration of hair after heat exposure. With the right choice of composition, you can significantly reduce the effect on the locks of static electricity. Thermal protective balms must be kept on the hair, like masks, for at least 15 minutes, distributing along the entire length. Then the result of use will be impressive.

Among the funds that do not require rinsing, one can distinguish formulations that differ in intense nourishing action. They envelop the hair, protecting them from the negative effects of high temperatures, helping to restore damage to the keratin layer. The most popular forms of releasing indelible thermal protection should be considered in more detail.

Such funds are applied to wet hair after washing the hair, distributed throughout their entire length. This option is recommended for use on curly, naughty hair, as well as with high density of hair. Creams are well absorbed without weighing down the hair, making combing and gliding easier.

It is sprayed onto dry or wet hair, serves as a kind of booster between the hair shaft and the hot ironing platform. Helps prepare hair for a straightening procedure. Most thermo-protective sprays contain keratin. The texture should be chosen based on the type of hair. The fatter and thinner they are, the easier the composition should be.

This is a special category of tools, used on very dry, severely damaged hair. The composition of thermal oil includes keratin, which provides restoration of the hair structure. Such compositions are usually not applied to the entire length, distributing it exclusively at the tips. The oil makes it easier to straighten naughty, curly hair.

Tools that facilitate styling and at the same time protect hair from negative thermal effects are considered the best choice for fans of hot straightening. Among the most popular options, one can distinguish foam that provides stable fixation, fluid shine and sprays. The principle of action of all options is the same - they form a film on the hair that prevents the evaporation of moisture, and have a pronounced fixing effect, necessary to maintain the results of straightening.

Considering the best thermal protectors designed for use with a straightening iron, You can highlight the products of brands presented below.

• L'Oreal. The company produces means of different classes, focused on providing high-quality thermal protection of hair. Here are Absolute Repair and Nutrifier creams, Steam Pod creams. High efficiency, a variety of forms of release help to choose a suitable thermal protective product for different types of hair.

• Schwarzkopf. The brand produces the Schwarzkopf Professional thermal protection line, which allows styling at temperatures up to 220 degrees. Means significantly smooth the hair, give it a well-groomed appearance, but do not restore the cut ends. The company also owns the Gliss Kur brand, which produces oil spray for thermal protection during styling. The composition is highly effective, it is recommended for application to the ends of the hair.

• Matrix The brand is considered quite popular even in a professional environment, but its thermal protective compounds cause mixed feelings. Of particular interest is the Heat Resist series - shampoo, conditioner, smoothing lotion, when used in combination with other products, provide faster hair restoration. Design Pulse spray and cream for styling and fixing the hair fixes the styling more than protects it from heating. But at low temperatures it is quite effective.

• Estel. The Russian brand has professional and amateur means for thermal protection. The Airex range offers a spray for easy atomization with silk proteins, suitable for dry or wet application. Thermal Protection is another Estel line of products. The spray of this series also helps to reduce the porosity of the hair, has a light fixing effect, is suitable for use with an iron at temperatures up to 200 degrees.

• Kapous. The brand has a professional Thermo Barrier salon thermal protection line that provides easy spraying of the composition on the hair. Among other things, the tool facilitates the sliding of the ironing through the hair, removes the fluff.

A detailed analysis of all important points helps to understand the rules by which thermal protection for hair from ironing is selected. Among the most significant criteria, individual features can be distinguished: type of scalp, presence of inflammatory processes, allergies. In addition, the importance of dry or oily hair, its density, and even structure. Useful recommendations will help you make the right decision.

• Normal hair and healthy scalp allow you to choose thermal protection from ironing without restrictions. This can be a conditioner that can be washed off with water, or a spray that does not require removal after stretching the strands. Leave-in compounds protect hair from thermal effects better than others. They differ in a lighter consistency, are well absorbed.

• Very dry hair injured or sensitive scalp does not tolerate alcohol exposure. For them, thermal protection is selected on a greasy, oil base. The optimal form for application is sprays and foams, which are easily distributed over the surface of strands of different lengths and evenly enveloping them.

• Normal or oily hair at the roots and dry at the ends need to be subjected to intensive therapeutic effects. Means for therapy are used indelible, in the form of intensely moisturizing sprays and natural oils without a mineral component. If the ends are very dry, often break, during the treatment they need to refuse to lay with an iron. After recovery, when pulling the strands, you need to pay more attention to the tips and distribute only a small part of the composition along the entire length.

• Greasy hair it is better not to burden with thermal protection applied without rinsing. Here you can use shampoos, balms, conditioners. Oil indelible formulations in this case will only accelerate the pollution of the strands and will not allow to obtain long-term preservation of a beautiful hairstyle.

• Thin, volumeless hair, require the use of indelible products with a very light texture. Fluids or emulsions will be appropriate here. They will not make the hairstyle heavier, preserve its volume and at the same time help ensure adequate thermal protection.

• Curly, curly hair It is recommended to prepare for laying with an iron using rinse-off products. Evenly distributing the composition in the form of a spray or serum along the entire length on dry curls will be much more difficult. The choice of washable thermal protection is best done in favor of products that are thick and dense in consistency.

To make the procedure for pulling hair safe at home, it is worth considering certain tips to improve its effectiveness. Before you start using a specific composition, you must definitely study the manufacturer's recommendations attached to it. Not all heat-protective products are suitable for use with ironing - some are focused on heating with a hairdryer.

It’s not enough to carefully read the instructions. It is also necessary to take into account the intensity of the impact. For use with the iron, only thermal protectors with the highest degree of protection are suitable. Do not apply indelible formulations to dirty curls - Pre-shampooing is a must. For the summer period, you need to choose formulations containing UF filters.

To assess how thermal protection helps protect hair from drying out, a review of customer reviews helps. Not all of them notice the real effect of the use of special chemical compounds. In addition, if styling is carried out regularly, you still won’t get 100% protection - hair will need special care and full recovery. It matters, according to ordinary consumers, and your own hair type. Dry ones need a much more intensively nourishing composition, for fatty there will be enough light spray.

Reviews of thermal protective products for straightening strands in general make it clear that with regular use of the iron, their use is simply inevitable. It is noted that the most effective are compounds related to professional or premium products. But the means of the mass market category often do not live up to expectations.

For information on why thermal protection is necessary for hair and how to use it, see the next video.