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As much as we’d love to wake up to sleek, silky waves every morning, some hairstyles only come to life with the help of a heated styling tool. Whether you swear by your flat iron or can’t start the day without a blast from the blow-dryer, you’ve probably heard your hairstylist’s dire warnings about heat-induced damage echoing in your mind. The good news? You don’t have to ditch your styling tools entirely. With the right approach, you can train your hair to handle heat—but how do you know if your strands are heat-trained or simply damaged? We turned to an expert to find out.
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If you felt a pang of guilt reading that, chances are you already suspect where your strands fall on the damage spectrum. But just to clear things up, here’s a refresher: heat damage occurs when excessive exposure to hot tools—think straighteners, curling irons and blow-dryers—breaks down the protein structure of the hair.
“The most common signs of heat-damaged hair include dryness and brittle strands that lack elasticity,” says Dr Sravya C Tipirneni, consultant trichologist at Manipal Hospitals in Bengaluru. Along with noticeable breakage, split ends and thinning, she adds that damaged hair often struggles to hold styles, ironically requiring even more heat to maintain a look.
At the other end of the spectrum is heat-trained hair—strands that have been gradually and consistently exposed to heated styling tools, allowing them to become more resistant to heat. “Think of it like building muscle,” explains Dr Tipirneni. “With consistent, moderate exercise, the body becomes stronger. Similarly, with gradual heat exposure, the hair’s protein structure can become more resilient, reducing the likelihood of severe damage.”
Dr Tipirneni believes that there are some key telltale signs to watch for. When assessing hair health, she recommends paying special attention to how it retains moisture—heat-damaged hair generally feels dry and parched. “Testing the elasticity is another handy measure. Start by gently tugging on a strand of hair. Heat-trained hair will stretch and return to its original shape, while damaged tresses will break easily. It is also important to examine your hair routinely for split-ends, breakage and thinning,” she advises.
Another key area to monitor is the ease that you have with styling. Heat-trained hair generally holds styles better with less heat, while heat-damaged hair may require higher heat settings and still not hold well.
Frequency: How often do you use heat styling tools?
Heat settings: Do you use high temperatures consistently?
Heat protectant usage: Do you always use a heat protectant spray before styling?
If you want to keep styling without the fear of long-term damage, the key is to use heat wisely. Start by applying heat only to freshly washed, well-prepped hair with a heat protectant. Begin styling at lower temperatures and give your hair regular breaks between heat-heavy days. Over time, you’ll find your strands responding better to styling with less heat.
At the end of the day, balance is key. “Even with heat training, it’s crucial to use styling tools responsibly and prioritise hair health,” advises Dr Tipirneni.
If you felt a pang of guilt reading that, chances are you already suspect where your strands fall on the damage spectrum. But just to clear things up, here’s a refresher: heat damage occurs when excessive exposure to hot tools—think straighteners, curling irons and blow-dryers—breaks down the protein structure of the hair.
“The most common signs of heat-damaged hair include dryness and brittle strands that lack elasticity,” says Dr Sravya C Tipirneni, consultant trichologist at Manipal Hospitals in Bengaluru. Along with noticeable breakage, split ends and thinning, she adds that damaged hair often struggles to hold styles, ironically requiring even more heat to maintain a look.
At the other end of the spectrum is heat-trained hair—strands that have been gradually and consistently exposed to heated styling tools, allowing them to become more resistant to heat. “Think of it like building muscle,” explains Dr Tipirneni. “With consistent, moderate exercise, the body becomes stronger. Similarly, with gradual heat exposure, the hair’s protein structure can become more resilient, reducing the likelihood of severe damage.”
Dr Tipirneni believes that there are some key telltale signs to watch for. When assessing hair health, she recommends paying special attention to how it retains moisture—heat-damaged hair generally feels dry and parched. “Testing the elasticity is another handy measure. Start by gently tugging on a strand of hair. Heat-trained hair will stretch and return to its original shape, while damaged tresses will break easily. It is also important to examine your hair routinely for split-ends, breakage and thinning,” she advises.
Another key area to monitor is the ease that you have with styling. Heat-trained hair generally holds styles better with less heat, while heat-damaged hair may require higher heat settings and still not hold well.
Frequency: How often do you use heat styling tools?
Heat settings: Do you use high temperatures consistently?
Heat protectant usage: Do you always use a heat protectant spray before styling?
If you want to keep styling without the fear of long-term damage, the key is to use heat wisely. Start by applying heat only to freshly washed, well-prepped hair with a heat protectant. Begin styling at lower temperatures and give your hair regular breaks between heat-heavy days. Over time, you’ll find your strands responding better to styling with less heat.
At the end of the day, balance is key. “Even with heat training, it’s crucial to use styling tools responsibly and prioritise hair health,” advises Dr Tipirneni.
If you felt a pang of guilt reading that, chances are you already suspect where your strands fall on the damage spectrum. But just to clear things up, here’s a refresher: heat damage occurs when excessive exposure to hot tools—think straighteners, curling irons and blow-dryers—breaks down the protein structure of the hair.
“The most common signs of heat-damaged hair include dryness and brittle strands that lack elasticity,” says Dr Sravya C Tipirneni, consultant trichologist at Manipal Hospitals in Bengaluru. Along with noticeable breakage, split ends and thinning, she adds that damaged hair often struggles to hold styles, ironically requiring even more heat to maintain a look.
At the other end of the spectrum is heat-trained hair—strands that have been gradually and consistently exposed to heated styling tools, allowing them to become more resistant to heat. “Think of it like building muscle,” explains Dr Tipirneni. “With consistent, moderate exercise, the body becomes stronger. Similarly, with gradual heat exposure, the hair’s protein structure can become more resilient, reducing the likelihood of severe damage.”
Dr Tipirneni believes that there are some key telltale signs to watch for. When assessing hair health, she recommends paying special attention to how it retains moisture—heat-damaged hair generally feels dry and parched. “Testing the elasticity is another handy measure. Start by gently tugging on a strand of hair. Heat-trained hair will stretch and return to its original shape, while damaged tresses will break easily. It is also important to examine your hair routinely for split-ends, breakage and thinning,” she advises.
Another key area to monitor is the ease that you have with styling. Heat-trained hair generally holds styles better with less heat, while heat-damaged hair may require higher heat settings and still not hold well.
Frequency: How often do you use heat styling tools?
Heat settings: Do you use high temperatures consistently?
Heat protectant usage: Do you always use a heat protectant spray before styling?
If you want to keep styling without the fear of long-term damage, the key is to use heat wisely. Start by applying heat only to freshly washed, well-prepped hair with a heat protectant. Begin styling at lower temperatures and give your hair regular breaks between heat-heavy days. Over time, you’ll find your strands responding better to styling with less heat.
At the end of the day, balance is key. “Even with heat training, it’s crucial to use styling tools responsibly and prioritise hair health,” advises Dr Tipirneni.
