What’s Heat Training and Why Do Women Do It?
There are many natural haired women who still yearn to have straight hair and there are many relaxed haired individuals who seek a healthy alternative to obtaining straight hair. The process of heat training gives women an option of having a more permanent straighter style without the use of harsh and toxic chemicals. Heat training is the repeated process of using heat to straighten natural hair in order to make the hair less textured over-time. Unlike natural or relaxed hair that’s damaged, people often times refer to heat trained hair as “controlled damage.” The heat that is applied to the hair is a process that is done over time with the heat being set at a moderate temperature. With the constant use of heat, the proteins in your hair are weakened and begin to break down. This makes it difficult for your hair to revert to its original curl pattern.
Is Heat Training Healthy For The Hair?
With the hair strands broken protein bonds and its inability to revert back to its original state, heat trained hair is a form of damaged hair. Your heat trained hair can have a healthy look depending on how frequently you apply heat to your hair and the steps you take in caring for your natural heat trained tresses. When heat training, using high heat or multiple passes down the same group of strands isn’t necessary. The gradual and repeated process of using heat will cause your hair to become straighter in texture without obtaining the “damaged unhealthy-hair” appearance.
How To Care For Heat Trained Hair?
In order to have “healthy” heat trained hair, it’s important that you moisturize frequently with an oil conditioning method or with other products that will penetrate into the hair. Stay away from sulfate shampoo’s, as they are extremely harsh to the hair by stripping away the hair’s natural oils. Never skip a deep condition. Use heat in moderation. The optimal results of heat training isn’t a process that is done in one sitting, remember, the process is gradual. When applying heat, monitor how your hair responds to it. Take your hair type into consideration, it’s texture, porosity, if it’s color treated, and its overall heath condition, when choosing how often you use heat on your naturally textured hair. Alternate heat styling with heat-free styles. Start off with heat training once per month and decrease it if you feel as though your hair can take heat being applied every three or two weeks. If your hair becomes brittle, dry, sheds, and breaks off easily then keep your heat to a minimum. Everyone’s hair type is different and heat will affect people in a multitude of ways. Heat training your hair twice or three times per month might work for some, while others will have to heat train once a month or longer to get “healthy’ results.
Featured Image Credit: Lesley
