Yes. A thermal brush is a heated styling tool, so use a heat protectant every time you style. Mist Temp Check Heat Protector onto fully dry hair right before you style. It protects up to 450° and sprays on dry, so you can style immediately.
When used properly, heat protectants can help minimize potential damage to your hair caused by heat, which is important for keeping your hair looking and feeling fab over the long term. But what’s the best type of heat protectant and how do you go about using it?
The answer to that question is as layered as a shaggy bob. Heat protectants come in a variety of formats and usually pack extra benefits, so choosing the right one comes down to your styling preferences and goals.
Does heat protectant work?
Yes, heat protectant works to help minimize damage to your hair strand that can happen as a result of heat styling.
The process of blow drying, curling with a curling iron or straightening with a flat iron involves applying heat directly to your hair - a process that can result in weakness of your hair strand, dryness and breakage. While no product can completely eliminate the risk of heat damage, applying heat protectant correctly can help to reduce it - making it an essential step for those who both casually and frequently style with hot tools.
How does heat protectant work?
Heat protectants contain key ingredients that are able to lay on the outside of the hair in order to help minimize damage caused by hot tools.
According to Daniel Eldridge, Senior Lecturer in Chemistry at Swinburne University of Technology, heat protectants are formulated with key ingredients that “create a coating” on the hair strand. “This coating is a protective layer;” Eldridge writes, “it’s like putting an oven mitt on your hands before you handle a hot tray from the oven.”
How to protect hair from heat damage
You can protect your hair from heat damage by minimizing heat exposure, always using heat protection every time you style, and using hot styling tools only on completely dried hair.
Common heat protection mistakes
- Skipping heat protectant when you only style now and then
- Not applying it thoroughly (leave no strand unturned!)
- Applying it too long before styling
- Using a thermal brush, curling iron or flat iron on damp hair
Using heat on your hair will always carry some degree of risk, so the only way to avoid it 100% is to avoid styling with heat, but damage can be minimized with the consistent use of heat protection. “If you use hot tools, you need to always protect your hair before you use them,” says pro hair stylist and Mane founder Jen Atkin.
How to use heat protectant spray with a thermal brush
You can help to protect your hair from heat damage by following a few simple steps.
- Apply before you dry - Apply Temp Check Heat Protector evenly to damp hair for up to 450°F heat protection and to smooth frizz and flyaways.
- Dry thoroughly - Use a paddle brush or round brush and dry your hair completely. Did you already air dry or are you styling day 2 hair? Mist Temp Check Heat Protector on dry hair first; it sprays on dry so you can style right away.
- Use your hot tools - Make sure your hair is 100% dry, then style immediately with your curling iron, flat iron or thermal brush. Heat protection doesn’t stay on your hair forever, so best results are achieved if you dry and style directly after using.
- Touch up - Reapply Temp Check Heat Protector on your dry hair, which sprays on dry for immediate styling, so day 2 touchups can be done in minutes.
FAQ
Does heat protectant actually work?
Yes, heat protection helps to minimize damage caused by heat styling up to a certain temperature. Temp Check Heat Protector by Mane can protect hair against heat damage up to 450° and smooths frizz & flyaways.
How does heat protectant work?
Heat protectants work by creating a film or protective layer over the top of the hair strand that is able to minimize the damage heat styling is able to cause.
Do you put heat protectant on wet or dry hair?
Each heat protectant formula is different, so you want to read manufacturer instructions. Temp Check Heat Protector is a dry spray that can be used on damp hair or sprayed on already dry hair for touchups without making it wet. Hydration Hugs Leave-In Conditioner is recommended for use on damp hair for up to 450°F heat protection along with additional detangling and hydrating benefits. Choose the formula that works best for your hair and desired results.
What temperature does heat protectant need to handle for a thermal brush?
Every thermal brush is different, but Mane’s brushes are expertly designed to reach an optimal heat range for most hair types with the It’s Giving Body Medium and Large and the It’s Giving Petite Mini all reaching 355°F while the It’s Giving Body Jumbo can reach 380°F. Temp Check Heat Protector protects up to 450°F, which exceeds these temps.
Can I use a leave-in conditioner as a heat protectant?
Only if the product says it protects against heat. Hydration Hugs Leave-In Conditioner does, with up to 450° heat protection.
How often should I apply heat protectant?
Heat protection should be used before every heat-style, which includes reapplying prior to touchups on dry, day 2 hair.