Does Heat Protectant Work & Do I Need It?

Does Heat Protectant Work & Do I Need It?

Heat is one of our most useful tools to expand a hair style repertoire, taking hair from sleek, straight strands or powerful, vibrant curls with the twist of a wand. However, too much heat can lead to brittle, dry & damaged hair. 

To protect your marvelous mane & boundless blow dried natural hairstyles, turn to heat protectant. Whether your natural hair sports tight texture, curls or coils, incorporating heat protectant and other essential curly hair products into your hair care routine can keep your tresses buoyant & beautiful. 

From our hair care toolbelt to yours, here are our insider tips on how to use heat protectant spray effectively on natural hair for optimal protection, shine & luster.

How Does Heat Protectant Work?

If you’re new to heat protectant spray, you may be wandering the proverbial hair care aisles wondering, “What is heat protectant for hair?”

Heat protectant is a shield for all curly hair types, protecting against damage from heat styling like straightening & blow drying natural hair. It helps seal in the natural bounce of your curls & coils while providing cuticle protection to keep hair healthy and hydrated.

How Heat Damages Your Hair

To understand a little bit more about how heat protectant works, it’s helpful to get a sense for how heat affects your hair. 

Most of us know that heat on your hair leads to damage—breakage, split ends & an inability to retain moisture. But a less commonly known fact is that without ample protection against high temperatures, heat can actually alter the construction of each hair strand. 

Hair is largely composed of keratin, a protein found abundantly in hair & nails. When heat interacts with keratin, it can fracture these proteins, rendering the hair follicle more prone to fragility & hair breakage.1

Why Do I Need Heat Protectant Spray?

We go to great lengths to defend our bodies against the elements. When the sun is beating down, we slip on a pair of shades to prevent UV damage to our eyes. When the cold hits, we pull on a puffy parka to keep warm. 

Protecting your hair from heat damage should be no exception. 

Heat protectant is essential for both protecting your hair’s health & creating a polished final look—especially for natural hair, which is particularly susceptible to breakage & moisture loss. 

Heat protectant spray can help: 

  • Smooth down unwanted flyaways
  • Activate your curl pattern
  • Reduce hair breakage

Signs of Existing Heat Damage

One of the ways to know whether your hair could benefit from heat protection spray is by observing signs of existing heat damage.

Some signs you’ve got heat-weathered tresses include:2

  • Split ends
  • Dryness
  • Brittle strands
  • Breakage
  • Curls that don’t bounce back

Our advice? Don’t let your natural hair get to the point of damage, as it can take more effort to repair. Instead, care for your tresses proactively with a protectant—your crown & its styling potential will thank you later.

What To Look For In A Heat Protectant Spray

The best heat protectant sprays use a combination of oils & silicones alongside other moisture-maximizing ingredients to fortify your locks against any type of heat styling tool. 

Look for formulas with plant-based oils to secure maximum moisture & provide optimal heat protection, such as:3

  • Coconut oil
  • Grapeseed oil
  • Argan oil
  • Shea butter 
  • Almond oil
  • Abyssinia Seed Oil4
  • Jojoba oil5

If you have carefree curls or fabulous coils, choose a thermal protection spray with lightweight oil. PATTERN’s Heat Protectant Spray contains Abyssinia, sunflower, & jojoba oil—an elixir specifically designed to moisturize & protect natural hair without weighing curls down. 

How To Use Heat Protectant Spray 

Heat protectants are easy to use, quick to apply & often smell like a dream, which can make them easy (even delicious) to incorporate into your heat styling routine. 

Before you embark on your styling adventures, follow these steps when applying heat protection spray:6

  1. Wash & detangle your hair with your fingers or a comb, starting from the bottom. 
  2. Apply leave-in conditioner to your hair while it’s still damp.
  3. Divide hair into sections with a comb & secure it with hair clips.
  4. Spritz heat protectant serum or spray on one section at a time from root to tip.
  5. Blow dry each hair section using a paddle brush for even heat distribution.
  6. After brushing & styling, finish with a shine spray for an added moisture barrier.  Learning how to make hair shiny just got that much simpler. 

Whether you’re in the mood for a blow dry, a silk press, or a coiled crown, using a heat protectant will help maintain your natural hair texture while making it feel effortless to tease style into every hair strand.

Protect Your Natural Tresses With PATTERN

Heat from hair styling can cause irreversible damage, but it doesn’t have to. Heat protectants are an essential product for natural hair styling to protect, moisturize, & smooth. 

At PATTERN, we’re empowering people to discover their most beloved natural hair. That’s why we designed our all-new heat protectant spray (launching soon) for natural hair. 

Our protectant provides your lovely locks with a powerful barrier against harmful heat, letting you focus on all the fun ways you can style your hair instead of damage control. Use the heat protectant in conjunction with our new products from the Heat Collection, including the Shine Spray & state-of-the-art PATTERN Blow Dryer and specialty attachments—all made just for you.

 

Sources: 

  1. "How does heat damage the hair?" The Hair Routine. 26 August, 2021. https://www.thehairroutine.com/blogs/journal/how-heat-damages-hair
  2. Edwards, Chime. "Real Talk About Heat Damage." Essence. 27 October, 2020. https://www.essence.com/hair/transitioning/real-talk-about-heat-damage/
  3. Francois, Alyssa. "Top Heat Protectant for Natural Hair Ingredients." All Things Hair. 29 May, 2022. https://www.allthingshair.com/en-us/hair-products/heat-protectant/natural-heat-protectant/
  4. Sinha, Ramona. "Abyssinian Oil For Hair: Benefits And How To Use It." Style Craze. 24 November, 2022. https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/abyssinian-oil-for-hair/
  5. "What Can I Use Instead Of Heat Protectant." Curling Diva. https://curlingdiva.com/what-to-use-instead-of-heat-protectant/
  6. Syeda, Arshia. "Amazing Benefits Of Heat Protectants For Hair & How To Use Them." StyleCraze. 24 Novmber, 2022. https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/does-heat-protectant-really-save-your-hair/
  7. Bellemore, Meg. "What Does Heat Protection Spray Actually Do For Your Hair?" Elle Australia. 14 November, 2018. https://www.elle.com.au/beauty/does-heat-protection-spray-work-19148
  8. Morosini, Daniela. "How Heat Protectants Work to Shield Hair From Heat Damage." The Cut. 22 June, 2021. https://www.thecut.com/2021/06/how-heat-protectants-work-to-shield-hair-from-heat-damage.html
  9. "Heat & Hair Loss: How to Fix Heat Damaged Hair." Wimpole Clinic. Updated 7 August, 2022. https://wimpoleclinic.com/blog/heat-hair-loss-how-to-fix-heat-damaged-hair/

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