Is heat training really a thing?
Is there a difference between heat training and heat damage? The short answer is no. Heat training is just a kinder way to say controlled heat damage for natural hair. Heat training is a term that refers to frequently (a few times a month in most cases) applying heat to natural hair to gently loosen your curl pattern and create humidity resistance. Is it bad for your hair? Yes and no. It honestly depends on your haircare regimen and how well you keep up with its consistency.
Why do some women choose to heat train? Well there’s several different reasons but a few main reasons are to loosen their curl pattern, create humidity resistance while in straighter styles and to create longevity in straighter styles. Heat training helps loosen curls by slowly, over time, breaking the molecular bonds that causes your hair to curl. If you’re thinking…. “Well Kat, that’s basically heat damage” … you’d be correct. The difference comes with the fact that heat training breaks those bonds down at a slower more controlled pace. So once you receive the results you’re trying to attain, you should keep that routine and don’t add any extra heat (temperature) or added frequency.
HEAT DAMAGE CAN COME FROM
Flat Irons
Blow Dryers
Curling Irons
Hot Combs
Etc.
Jumping into the other two reasons women choose to heat train. The perfect blowout without worrying about walking outside and instantly ruining said perfect blowout. Us naturals all know that frustration of going through the timely process of getting a blowout (hair straightening process) only for it to become frizzy the moment Outside gets her raggedy hands on us. With heat training breaking down the bonds of your curls, it also helps prevent your hair from reverting back easily causing the frizz we all seem to hate.
Throughout all of my high school and college days, my hair was heat trained. People were so amazed at how well my hair held its sleek, “straightness” regardless of how humid it was outside. I could also straighten my hair on wash day and it would stay just as sleek on day fourteen as it was on day one. I loved the convenience of straight hair and so it did not bother me with the fact that my curls were limp and lifeless. Now that I wear my hair primarily curly, my hair is no longer heat trained. But it took me years to get to the point at which my curls looked more like curls and less like Ramen Noodles. My heat training journey ended up damaging my hair and it took years for me to revive my curls from the soggy grave I put them in. The biggest thing that helped my curls come back to life was taking a year off from any added heat and creating a consistent haircare regimen.
Now I’m going to give you some tips on how to avoid the damage I put myself through (still going to therapy for it… jk). First things first, HEAT PROTECTANT… and a good one at that. Please use heat protectant before applying any form of heat to your hair, whether you’re trying to heat train your hair or not. And please make sure to read up to what temperature the heat protectant is active at. A couple I’d suggest are Chi Keratin Silk Infusion if you like using serums or Silk Elements Megasilk Heat Protectant spray if you’d like something lighter. Next, choosing the correct temperature for your hair thickness/type. If you have fine natural hair, I would suggest temperatures in the mid-high 300 F range. If you have medium to coarse natural hair, I would suggest high 300-low 400F but no higher than 450 F. At temperatures higher than 450 F hair begins to break down too fast which leads to severe heat damage. This is not what you want if you are looking to have versatility with your heat training journey. Lastly a good moisture to protein balance in your haircare routine/regimen. I know with heat training, moisture is what we’re trying to get rid of but not all moisture is bad. Moisture can be attained with a deep conditioning treatment in between straight styles, leave in conditioners during the blowout process and even through oils while your hair is straight. But as I’ve mentioned several times, heat breaks down the proteins in your hair that causes your hair to curl and that also protects the health of your hair. So for this reason, also look for ways to incorporate protein into your routine to help combat the negative affects of the bond breaking. This could be done with protein treatments between straight styles and/or during wash days. While heat training can be helpful for certain people, it is most important to ramp up and stay consistent with a good haircare regimen/routine if you want to maintain health and length. If you are needing help with creating or tweaking your haircare regimen, book a Hair Consultation with me here.
XO,
Kat
