Hot rollers
If you are rolling your hair too tightly, the tension can eat away at your roots, causing hair fall. Keep them tight enough to stay and nothing more.
Pressing with hot combs
Some people still use this method because it offers great results. Although most have their’s set to 150 degrees, it can still lead to bubbles in the hair shaft, which can cause extreme breakage.
It’s a good idea to have a professional do this for you, especially if this is causing you hair problems. It’s also a good idea to only press your hair once weekly.
Hair pins, bands, brushes and combs
These are the other products many of us use when styling our hair with heat. They too can cause damage to your hair if you’re not careful. For instance:
Bobby pins* can sometimes grip your hair too tightly, causing it to cut into your hair shaft. If you like to use them in the same spot, this makes it even more damaging. Make sure to move them around to different areas and avoid using them too often.
Elastic bands can cut into your hair’s shaft, resulting to fraying. Those who wear ponytails and buns daily may end up seeing breakage where they tie their hair with the band. Instead, you should use a fabric-coated band or wear your hair without a band altogether to allow it some time to breathe.
Brushing your hair with the wrong type of brush can be devastating to your hair. The same goes for brushing your hair too much. I only like to use soft boar bristle brushes and paddle brushes on my hair. You should stay away from metal brushes, since they’re known to lacerate your hair. The bristles should either be natural (boar bristle) or plastic, since they don’t snag your cuticle.
Combing your hair to get rid of tangles is a no-no for me, but fora many naturals it’s their main way to detangle. I only detangle my hair with a paddle brush* and only use combs to part my hair. Again, you should avoid combs made of metal, since it can lacerate your hair.
Protect your hair with natural butters
I want to leave you with natural options that you can use to help protect your hair when heat styling and to restore damage. Two butters* I find to be worth a try are murumuru and tacuma.
Both can be used for heat protection and restoration. You don’t necessarily need both, since the two are almost one and the same. You can mix them with shea butter* or whatever other butters* and oils* that you like to use in your hair.
