Kayla Young
Hair texture isn’t just limited to straight and kinky. There are various textures in between. All of them are beautiful!
One common thing that many of those with curly textured hair has done at least once in their life is to straighten it with a flat iron. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to experience silky straight hair.
However, one might wonder “do flat irons change hair texture”? Well, the answer is yes, a flat iron can change hair texture. But that will vary from one case to another.
When your hair texture changes due to your use of flat irons, you might find that your natural curls don’t coil or curl up the way they used to even after washing your hair.
That could simply mean that your hair has suffered from heat damage due to using a flat iron.
However, it’s not always the fault of the flat iron you are using. Most of the time it is how you are using this styling tool.
Contents
Do Flat Irons Change Hair Texture? How?
Flat irons are like magic wands. Sometimes, it takes just a single pass through a section of hair to turn curly to straight. That sounds absolutely fantastic but it isn’t true for all.
Some people who used a flat iron felt like they’re in a nightmare. Why is that? Well, it’s because their hair got damaged due to the heat of the flat iron.
Burnt hair is damaged hair and changes in hair texture are only one of the results you could get.
Heat damage to hair can cause the hair texture to change. That’s why your hair’s curl pattern may not be how it used to be.
Heat Damage From Flat Irons
When hair gets damaged due to the use of flat irons, it’s easy to blame the flat irons themselves for being at fault.
Sometimes, it is really due to the poor quality of the flat iron. But there are also times that it is due to the user’s fault.
Here are a few things you could be doing that are causing your hair heat damage whenever you use your flat iron:
Using Just Any Flat Iron
A quick search online will lead you to lots of different flat irons for your hair. There are more affordable ones than there are more expensive ones.
What makes them expensive is the quality of the product plus the materials used for the plates. If you want to better prevent heat damage on your hair, it is best to get those ceramic , tourmaline, or No products found. flat irons.
Just take note that they may be more expensive. Plus, watch out for products that say “ceramic coated”. These still have metal plates but are just coated with ceramic. See Titanium vs Ceramic Flat Iron for details.
When the coating wears off, you can expect your hair to develop heat damage due to uneven heating.
Additionally, you should select a flat iron that could be adjusted when it comes to temperature. Some hair textures do not necessarily need the highest temperature to be straightened.
They could work well with lower ones and using higher ones just increases the chances of heat damage.
Wrong Use Of Flat Iron
Using a flat iron on damp hair should not be done. That sizzling sound may seem satisfying. But that is the sound of boiling water and your hair getting fried!
Rough dry your hair before you use a flat iron to prevent heat damage.
Another common thing that you can be doing is to go over the same section of hair over and over again. That will just expose your hair to too much heat.
Instead, make sure that there is enough tension while using the flat iron to help you better straighten the hair. In that way, you don’t need to repeat straightening the section.
Additionally, you could also be grabbing thick sections. That may be the reason why you need to go over the section over and over again.
It’s just too thick.
It would be best to grab thinner sections. That way, the flat iron can efficiently straighten them and you won’t need to repeat heating up that section again.
Lastly, you could also be using a flat iron on hair that’s already damaged. Bleached hair is almost always weaker and dryer. Using a flat iron on a high setting is only going to worsen the damage.
Remember to give extra conditioning treatments to hair that is already prone to damage.
Not Using A Heat Protectant
High-quality flat irons are great because they are less likely to cause heat-damaged when used properly. You can further lessen that chance by using a heat protectant.
Never skip using your favorite heat protectant before ironing your hair!
Over-Styling Your Hair
When you’ve used too much product on your hair, you’d likely see smoke coming out from it. That means whatever product you put on it, like hair spray, has been burned.
Burnt hair products could also cause damage to your hair. It can cause breakage or it can also aid in the heat damage your hair receives.
Additionally, you should also be regularly cleaning your flat iron to remove the hair products and oils that have accumulated in it. If not, those gunk will just transfer to your hair.
That can worsen the heat damage because it is like frying your hair with those hot substances. Those burnt substances can also have negative effects on your hair.
Conclusion
Flat irons can make curly hair into straight hair. But that is not the only effect it can cause. Sometimes, it could also cause changes in your hair texture.
When your previously curly hair has changed texture, that could mean that there is heat damage. Your curls won’t be the same as before when this happens.
Aside from the flat hair iron itself, there are also other reasons why your hair could have heat damage due to the flat iron. It could also be due to improper use of the flat iron, not using a heat protectant, and too much product on your hair.
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