5 Tips to Protect Your Hair From the Damage Caused By Heat

As the sultry season sets in, you can expect the rising temperatures to wreak havoc on your skin and hair.

Dull, lifeless locks can be attributed to the scorching heat, and this, coupled with dust, pollutants, and other environmental toxins can quickly turn your hair from fab to drab. "Exposure to the sun, heat and humidity, for extended periods of time, plays an important role in damaging our hair. However, the thing about damage is that it's a gradual process—while you may not see it all at once, the quality of your hair will deteriorate over time. If your tresses feel rough to touch, the natural or artificial colour has lightened, or you notice split ends, assume that your hair has sensitized, which in lay man’s terms suggests that its damaged to a great extent," informs Adhuna Bhabani.

While you certainly cannot escape the weather, there are multiple ways in which you can limit the damage it causes to your mane. Celebrity haircare expert, Adhuna Bhabani urges you to follow these essential steps to safeguard your hair from the heat:

Prevention > Cure

When it comes to the matters of the hair, it's all about being prepared beforehand, so that you don't have to deal with the consequences after. If you're looking to colour your hair or heat style it frequently, it's important that you protect it with a range of products developed to tackle any resulting damage. BBLUNT's Repair Remedy range consists of products that are comprised of a special concoction of keratin and Argan oil—that serve as the ideal fix to help dry, damaged hair come back to life.

Follow the S-C-L Hair Rule

Similar to the C-T-M (cleanse-tone-moisturise) rule for your skin, you must put a specified regime in place for your hair as well. Considering that you're scalp is an extension of your skin, ensure that you cleanse it well with a suitable shampoo, based on your hair type. As a toner is used to balance the pH levels of your skin and seal open pores, a conditioner can help close the hair follicles post shampooing. The primary purpose of using a conditioner is to smoothen down the cuticle layer of your hair, thus protecting it. Post application of the shampoo, add a generous amount of conditioner on the lengths of your hair, leaving it on for at least 2 to 4 minutes before washing it off.

Last but not the least, once you’ve rinsed out the conditioner, follow it up with a leave-in-cream that will give your hair a boost of hydration, along with doubling up on protection. Pump a coin-sized dollop into your palms and apply it evenly across your hair—focusing on the mid-lengths and ends, away from the scalp.

Prep Your Hair Before Heat Styling

If you're a sucker for styling your hair with heated tools, remember to treat it before you heat it. Repeated use of heated tools including hair dryers, hot rollers, flat irons or curling tongs will surely damage the hair if not adequately protected. If you apply heat to your hair without prepping it beforehand, consider it to be as damaging as stepping out in the sun without applying an SPF sunscreen! Prep your hair with a protection mist or spray—such as BBLUNT's Hot Shot Heat Protecting Mist—that can shield your hair against damage up to 230 degree celsius. Remember, a heat protection product must precede the application of any heated styling tool, to ensure minimal hair damage.

Quench Your Hair's Thirst With a Deep Conditioning Treatment

A thorough deep conditioning treatment is what our hair craves most, especially during summer. A quick-fix solution to quench, nourish, and moisturise your hair at home involves cleansing your scalp with an intense moisture shampoo, followed by the application of a conditioner. Starting at the ends, work the product up to the mid-lengths of your hair and massage it thoroughly through, moving your fingertips in a circular motion to stimulate blood flow. This feeds the roots of your hair and makes way for a healthy scalp. Wrap your hair in a hot towel for 15-20 minutes, for deep conditioning. Remember, if you take care of your roots, the lengths and ends will take care of themselves!

Get a Regular Trim—Every 6 to 8 Weeks

Damaged, unhealthy hair not only lacks moisture and lustre, but elasticity as well, making it more prone to breakage, split ends and ultimately, hair fall. Besides, if your hair appears to be lifeless and limp—along with uncontrollable frizz—take it as a sign of injury. To avoid further harm from the heat during summer months, make sure that you get a regular trim every 6 to 8 weeks, in order to rid your hair of split ends, maintain the shape of your mane, and keep your hair looking and feeling fresh.

Apart from this, ensure that you stay hydrated at all times. Drink up!