Let’s face it; hair styling tools are hard to give up on. On days when you don’t have the time to towel dry your long locks or want that perfect salon blowout at home, the blow dryer is your friend. On days you are keen to experiment, styling tools such as flat irons and curling irons can help you transform your entire look.
However, there’s a downside to the wonders of what styling tools can do to your hair. Exposure to heat increases the chances of hair damage significantly. Moreover, some styling tools come with only a single setting or basic options, i.e. low, medium and high. Some offer more control but allow temperatures to reach up to 450°F/232°C.
How does heat damage the hair?
Exposing hair to high heat fundamentally changes the shape of hair strands. Temperatures over 300°F/148°C convert ⍺-keratin to β-keratin, weakening hair over time. It eventually leads to loss of elasticity and makes hair more prone to damage. When keratin melts, hair maintains that shape on a molecular level, and that’s something that cannot be reversed.
When using hair styling tools with heat, natural oils get stripped from your hair, water molecules evaporate, and hair’s protein structure changes. The high temperatures cause water to dry up rapidly, affecting the structure of each and every strand. It can even crack cuticles and leave your tresses vulnerable to further damage.
In fact, cuticles are what protects the cortex. When they are broken, damage can easily reach the cortex, leading to highly porous hair. Hair with high porosity lacks moisture because while it easily absorbs water or moisture, it cannot hold on to the moisture.
Moreover, heat damage can also lead to the pigments of your hair oxidising. Whether you have coloured hair or not, the result is faded colouring. As a result, you lose your original hair colour. If you do dye your hair, you might need to go for colouring more often, leading to more damage.
How can you prevent heat damage on hair?
By using the right hair care products, you can protect your tresses from the negatives of styling tools. Heat protection hair serums should be an indispensable part of your beauty kit.
The iluvia Intensive Hair Care Serum adds a barrier between your styling tool and hair, effectively sealing in moisture. The heat protection serum also smoothens cuticles, making your tresses look smooth and feel extremely soft.
The best hair serum for women and men alike, it works to restore the lipid barrier. Moreover, it comes enriched with pure Moroccan Argan oil and Olive Squalene Oil, both of which keep the hair’s elasticity intact. Argan oil is a natural emollient that helps soften your hair while making it more manageable and controlling frizz.
Olive Squalene Oil, also present in the Intensive Haircare Serum, helps restore the hair’s lipid barrier, reduces tangles and improves elasticity and strength. A vegan haircare serum, it makes use of 100% plant-derived Olive Squalene instead of animal-based squalene.
Another enriching ingredient in this hair protection serum by iluvia is baobab seed oil, which is packed with Vitamin B, Vitamin C and Omega 3. The baobab tree is often referred to as ‘the tree of life’ due to its various beneficial properties. The incredibly gentle oil is abundant in antioxidants and can help repair brittle hair.
How to use hair care serums?
The iluvia Intensive Hair Care Serum can be used in multiple ways:
1) Apply the serum before you hit the bed and leave it on overnight to give your hair the nourishment it truly needs and also strengthen its lipid barrier.
2) To protect your hair from heat, take a couple of pumps of the serum in the palms of your hands and apply it along the length of your hair, from mid-length to tips, before styling.
3) Once you’re done washing, pat down a few drops on towel-dried hair, and you’ll immediately notice tangles giving way to silky, soft hair.
With iluvia’s Intensive Hair Care Serum as part of your hair care routine, you can use your favourite styling products without fear. It’s no-paraben, no-sulfate, no-SLS, and no-artificial dyes formula has got your back. Stock up on the iluvia Intensive Hair Care Serum today and make it an essential in your pre-styling and styling routine.