Saturday 10th October,2009

The use of Hair straighteners has become an extremely popular method of transforming wavy or curly hair into poker straight locks and most recently to create waves and curls for people with naturally straight hair. With the huge increase in the use of hair straighteners over the past 5 years, there has been much debate surrounding the damage they can do to your hair.

The effectiveness of hair straighteners is determined by the high temperatures at which they operate. The temperatures of hair straighteners can vary, most tend to be between 80 - 180 degrees however some heat up to over 200 degrees. Such high temperatures are extremely effective and produce styles that will last all day, however they have also sparked concerns about long term damage to hair.

It may be such reports that have caused the development of ceramic plates which are microscopically smooth and have a more even heat distribution on the plate surface, both aspects which aid the straightening of hair. Ceramic plates can also mean that the temperature used is more controlled as the plates heat up and cool down at a quicker rate. Such ceramic plates produce infra red radiation which breaks down the water molecules on the hair surface making them easier for the hair to absorb thus helping to seal in the moisture and preserve the condition of your hair.

Hair straighteners can also have an adjustable temperature feature. Depending on the type of hair, different temperatures may be required to achieve the desired result, for example thick or curly hair will require the highest temperature, where as hair that is naturally quite straight may only require 80 degrees.

It is obvious that applying heat directly to your hair on a frequent basis may harm your hair. HG Professional therefore incorporates cutting edge technology and features to ensure that the least possible damage is caused.

There are numerous other ways to protect your hair from heat damage. Firstly, never use hair straighteners on wet hair, as hair is weaker when it is wet and is therefore more susceptible to damage. Prevention is always better than cure therefore most hair styling ranges include shampoos, conditioners and styling agents that are specially designed to protect against heat damage. The most important thing to remember is that heat dries out hair, therefore an intensive moisturising mask should also be used regularly.