Odds are that you use heat on your natural hair on a regular basis without thinking twice. However, this could actually be causing a lot of damage to your hair that you may not see right away but will build up over time. 

If you already see the signs of damage, you’re in the right place! Here’s what you need to know about heat damage on natural hair and how to help your hair recover.

Table of Contents: 

• What Is Heat Damage and Why Is It Bad for Your Hair?
• How To Help Your Natural Hair Recover From Heat Damage
• Tip 1: Use a Clarifying Shampoo
• Tip 2: Use a Protein Treatment
• Tip 3: Deep Condition
• Tip 4: Hot Oil Treatment
• Tip 5: Cut as Needed
• How To Avoid Heat Damage From Happening in the First Place?
• Step 1: Use the Right Tools
• Step 2: Use the Right Settings
• Step 3: Use the Right Products
• Step 4: Use the Right Routine

What Is Heat Damage and Why Is It Bad for Your Hair?

Heat damage occurs when too much heat is applied to hair through styling tools like blow dryers, flat irons, curling irons, etc. 

After all, some of these tools are applying temperatures above 400 degrees Fahrenheit to your hair! 

Temperatures this hot would easily burn your skin, and they’re effectively burning your hair as well. 

To understand why heat damages your hair, it’s helpful to understand the composition of your hair as it’s made up of different bonds, including 4% fats, oils, and pigments; 17% water; and 79% keratin proteins. 

So, while you might not be able to see the damage right away, it slowly builds up over time as the heat zaps moisture from your hair and strips it of its natural oils. 

High levels of heat dry up all the water in your hair and leave it totally parched. It also dries up the natural oils in your hair that also keep it nourished and moisturized. 

Enough damage can actually change the protein structure of your strands and affect your curl pattern — transforming your previously curly and vivacious locks into dull and flat strands. 

How To Help Your Natural Hair Recover From Heat Damage

When you’re dealing with heat-damaged hair, it may seem like you’re stuck with dull and dry hair forever. The good news is that there are things you can do to help your strands recover from the heat. 

With the right approach and products, you can transform your hair from damaged to delightful in no time!

Tip 1: Use a Clarifying Shampoo

To start your recovery journey off on the right foot, you need to use a clarifying shampoo. Clarifying shampoos are used to effectively cleanse the hair of any leftover product buildup and natural oils. 

While this may not seem like it would do anything to repair your hair, it’s actually an important step. 

This is because many of the products you’re using for heat styling your hair are designed to keep moisture out of your strands to prevent heat damage and frizz. 

Unfortunately, this also means that moisturizing products are unable to properly penetrate your strands and provide them with some much-needed moisture. 

Clarifying shampoo is able to get rid of these ingredients and prepare your hair for the moisture and nourishment it needs to rebound from heat damage. 

If you’re looking for the best natural clarifying shampoo that’s not too harsh on your already delicate strands, try WOW Skin Science’s Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo. 

This product is formulated with raw apple cider vinegar designed to help clarify and rebuild your hair by removing excess oils and buildup while also restoring shine and vitality. 

And while this product is strong and effective, it’s also all-natural and plant-powered — so you know it’s safe to use. For the best results, use this product once or twice a week to keep your hair properly cleansed.

Tip 2: Use a Protein Treatment

Once your hair is prepared for its repair journey thanks to a clarifying shampoo, the next step involves a protein treatment. 

A protein treatment is necessary for heat-damaged hair because the heat used by styling tools is actually so intense that it damages the very structure of the proteins in your hair. 

This damage is what leads to the loss of your curl integrity and also leads to cuticle damage. To repair this damage, you’re going to need a protein treatment. 

These treatments can be found in most beauty supply stores, but if you’re looking for a really effective treatment, you may want to go to a salon since they will have access to professional-grade treatments that you won’t be able to buy at a store and use on your own.

Tip 3: Deep Condition

Now that your hair is well on its way to recovery, you need to supplement the moisture taken from your hair by the heat with a deep conditioning treatment. 

There are tons of different deep conditioners, but the best ones are jam-packed with naturally moisturizing ingredients like coconut milk, shea butter, and argan oil. 

All of these natural ingredients — and more — are found in WOW Skin Science’s Coconut Milk Hair Mask. 

This product, along with other WOW products, is all-natural, vegan-friendly, gluten-free, and cruelty-free. These ingredients are designed to strengthen brittle strands, reduce breakage, and smooth damaged hair to achieve a silky shine. 
Simply apply it to your damp hair, finger comb it through, and leave it on for at least 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, rinse with water and follow with a cold-water rinse to seal your cuticles. 

You should start to see results almost immediately, but if you don’t, WOW offers a 60-day money-back guarantee.

Tip 4: Hot Oil Treatment

Another thing you can do to repair your heat-damaged hair is a hot oil treatment. Hair oils are able to effectively penetrate your strands and supplement the vitamins and minerals lost from the heat. 

And since different hair oils have different benefits, the best approach is to combine them in a single product — which is exactly what WOW Skin Science did with our 10-in-1 hair oil.

Our 10-in-1 hair oil is designed to promote softer and smoother hair that’s able to grow more quickly thanks to increased circulation to the scalp. 

These benefits are achieved thanks to a formula that incorporates 10 different hair oils, including extra virgin olive oil, sweet almond oil, Moroccan argan oil, jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, safflower oil, tea tree essential oil, rosemary essential oil, Vitamin E, and bhringraj extract. 

Simply heat up the oil either on the stove or in hot water and gently work it into your strands. Massage it into your scalp to boost circulation and truly start your hair recovery journey at the root. 

You should let the oil sit and work its magic for 30 minutes to two hours. If you want, you can even sleep with the oil on overnight — just make sure to cover your hair. 

After letting the oil sit, shampoo as usual and finish the treatment with a cold-water rinse to seal the cuticles for added shine.

Tip 5: Cut as Needed

If you’ve followed these four tips to no avail, you may want to consider a nice haircut to restore your natural hair to its former glory. 

But before you reach for the scissors for a fresh start, it’s important to be patient with your hair and give it time to recover. Consulting with a hair care specialist will help you make the right decision for your hair. 

How To Avoid Heat Damage From Happening in the First Place?

Thankfully, there are ways to help your hair recover from heat damage, but this is definitely something that you should try to avoid in the future. 

So how can you care for your hair in a way that prevents heat damage?

Step 1: Use the Right Tools

For starters, you need to use the right tools to prevent heat damage to your natural strands. You need to invest in professional-quality styling tools that are safe and healthy for your hair. 

While it may be tempting to buy the cheapest tool you see at the store, this might not be the best approach for your hair. 

Instead, make sure that your tools are made by reputable brands like Revlon, Dyson, CHI, and Drybar. Also, be sure to check out reviews and tutorials of any styling tools before buying them. 

Google is a great place to look for text reviews, and YouTube is a great source for video reviews and tutorials to help you make an informed decision. 

Step 2: Use the Right Settings

Once you have found the right styling tools for your natural hair, you need to use the right settings to avoid heat damage. 

So, before you immediately set your new styling tool to the highest heat level to get your hair done in record time, you may want to rethink this approach. Using the highest heat level is likely going to do a lot of damage to your hair. 

A better approach involves budgeting extra time into your morning routine so that you can use the lowest heat level. 

It may take longer to get your hair done, but maintaining your healthy hair is well worth the extra time in the morning.

Step 3: Use the Right Products

You also need to make sure that you’re using the right products to prevent heat damage from ravaging your hair. Before styling your hair with any heat, you need to protect your hair using a heat protectant.

Heat protectants often come in the form of sprays, creams, or serums that you apply to your hair before styling to reduce heat damage. 

There are tons of different products to consider here, so check out online reviews and buy a few in order to find the right match for your routine and your hair.

Step 4: Use the Right Routine

Speaking of routines, you also need to make sure that you have the right routine to prevent heat damage to your hair. 

Specifically, you should not heat style wet hair as it will just end up frying it. Instead, wait until your hair is dry — or mostly dry — before you reach for the flat iron. 

You also need a healthy hair routine to prevent heat damage from ruining your beautiful natural hair. This means that you need to go to the salon for trims on a regular basis. 

Generally speaking, you should try to go once a month or at least every six weeks to get rid of your damaged ends and allow your hair to grow longer and healthier.

With these tips and tricks, you can transform your dull and damaged hair into the strong and luscious locks you deserve. 

Just make sure to maintain a proper hair care routine to prevent heat damage from occurring again in the future with natural yet effective hair products from WOW Skin Science.