can deep conditioning with heat cause split ends?

[blackberry815]

I'm just curious because it is heat... and I have the same question about the steamer... Can't this cause the strand to boil from within? I think I remember reading something about that a while back... Any insight?

 

[Aireen]

Strange but good question. erplexed

From my understanding though, for conditioners that are designed to be used with heat it helps the ingredients seep into the strand better. I know a lot of people use heat with conditioners that don't specifically say on the instructions to do so but for me I avoid it because chemists design conditioners carefully and the directions on the back are made to be followed specifically. I just wouldn't want any possible adverse effects from using heat with a simple rinse out conditioner, excess heat might cause it to react badly on your hair.

Anyway like I said, for deep conditioners that SAY to use extra heat, it helps to have the ingredients penetrate deeper. Therefore, they will NOT cause split ends. For conditioners that don't say to use heat, you never really know and makes me wonder as well.

Sorry for rambling.

 

[MsBoinglicious]

Yes its heat but its indirect heat. Its not directly on the hair shaft like a blowdryer, pressing comb or flatiron. Plus you shouldn't be under a dryer thats so hot that its causing the "water in your hair shaft to boil". lol A dryer that hot would burn your face/skin just being under it I would think.

I can't remember the degrees it takes for the water in the hair to boil, anybody know? Isn't it like 450 or 475 degrees or somthing like that?

 

[mzteaze]

Boiling water and steam are two different things. Water boils at 212°F, steam is produced above that...

 

[blackberry815]

Maybe... That could be true... My steamer does get pretty hot though.. It may not boil it but it could have some effect... Think about when u steam vegetables.. It doesn't boil them but it still cooks them up somewhat...I do notice that my hairdresser never puts me under a dryer to deep condition she just puts the plastic cap on and leaves it on maybe 30-45 minutes... My hair always comes out so much better when she does it. I will start paying attention to what the deep conditioner says to do. Thanks ladies

 

[Aviah]

For a steamer, I can't say, but I'm sure no one DCs with boiling hot condtioner.

 

[blackberry815]

Wow... Yea I know no one conditions with boiling hot conditioner. That wasn't the question that I asked.. Obviously no one is going to put boiling hot anything on their hair. Its good to be sarcastic sometimes though I guess... The reason I asked is because that is what happens when people get heat damage or style damp hair with hot tools. Like I said that is something I read about and was curious to see if that could happen with deep conditioning or steam.

 

[mzteaze]

Maybe... That could be true... My steamer does get pretty hot though.. It may not boil it but it could have some effect... Think about when u steam vegetables.. It doesn't boil them but it still cooks them up somewhat...I do notice that my hairdresser never puts me under a dryer to deep condition she just puts the plastic cap on and leaves it on maybe 30-45 minutes... My hair always comes out so much better when she does it. I will start paying attention to what the deep conditioner says to do. Thanks ladies

When I used to go to the salon, it didnt' matter what products she used, I went under a dryer. however, remember its the technique not really the product that matters with most salons.

One BIG problem with home stylist is they tend to concentrate products on the sections they can see and reach too much and not enough on the sections they can't see and or reach. Point being, strive for even application of the product when doing your hair as your results will be better.

Regarding home steamers, the analogy between veggies and our hair doesn't really fit. Most veggies are largely water, so with light steaming, microwaving, etc - they continue to cook once the water reaches an internal temp and/or they are trapped in a container that doesn't allow the heat to escape.

Your hair is a little more complex in that regard in terms of its complete makeup (its about 10-12% water).

BTW, adjustable hair steamers reach temps 77 to 167°F. The temperature of your tap water on hot, also comes out within this range.

 

[blackberry815]

Regarding home steamers, the analogy between veggies and our hair doesn't really fit. Most veggies are largely water, so with light steaming, microwaving, etc - they continue to cook once the water reaches an internal temp and/or they are trapped in a container that doesn't allow the heat to escape.

Your hair is a little more complex in that regard in terms of its complete makeup (its about 10-12% water).

BTW, adjustable hair steamers reach temps 77 to 167°F. The temperature of your tap water on hot, also comes out within this range.[/QUOTE]


Yes but if your hair is saturated with water then wouldn't that increase the amount of water in the strand? It was my understanding that water penetrates the hair shaft ....that added to covering ur hair with a plastic cap under the dryer wouldn't trap the water under the cap not allowing the heat to escape?

 

[mzteaze]

Yes, your hair can absorb up to 1/3 of its weight in water. BUT there are so real caveats to that...

Dry heat (sitting under a hot dryer) captures SOME heat but also allows some to escape (the plastic caps captures SOME of the heat) so its not constant in the same as having direct contact (concentration) with say a blow dryer or flat iron.

Remember I said the steam leaving the steamer is that temp - however, again, the steam and temperature will start to cool by the time it reaches your hair because there is not a tight "seal" so the warmed droplet lands and starts to cool.

Your hair absorbs what it needs. But lets think about this practically, we all know that DIRECT contact with hot combs and damp hair sizzles - but it also HURTS. Water is also conductive. So, I couldn't imagine sitting under a steamer with sizzle and zap of superheated water on my head (just the pain alone makes me shudder). While plastic caps trap some heat, more heat also escapes.

My point being, you would need CONCENTRATED and consistent water temperature to get water internally to boil like that. EVEN with NO heat loss will 167° water make damp water temps raise to over 212 for boiling.

Also, it makes zero sense to use a plastic cap under a steamer which is designed to provide microbursts of steam for penetration. How is the steam supposed to penetrate the plastic to reach the hair?

 

[Chaosbutterfly]

You're oversimplifying it...even if you sit under a dryer with a plastic cap on your head, there's no way that the air and water under there are going to reach and sustain a temperature hot enough for your hair to start boiling. And even if it did, there's no way you would be sitting there, letting it happen. You'd feel it on your scalp (particularly because the skin is so thin and sensitive there) and get out from under there way before your hair started boiling.

Also, when you DCing with heat or steam, your hair is either wet or it ends up that way. Because water has a nice capacity for heat and the steamer/dryer isn't that hot, your saturated hair is kind of able to regulate its own temperature by simply redistributing the warmth. But when you get hair bubbles, it's because there's intense and direct heat being applied to damp hair. There's basically too much heat and not enough water to carry it, so the water evaporates and you get the bubble. I kind of think of it as the difference between trying to boil the ocean and trying to boil a cup of water, respectively.

 

[stixx]

Kind of OT, but what I don't understand is how a hooded dryer is considered indirect heat while a blowdryer isn't. Now obviously if you're using a comb attachment or something and holding the blowdryer directly on your hair it's comparable to a flat iron, but most people hold their dryer a good ways away? Also even the lowest setting on my hooded dryer gets hotter than what I would usually use my handheld dryer at.

 

[curlyninjagirl]

^^I don't get it either!!

 

[blackberry815]

thanks ladies

 

[mzteaze]

Kind of OT, but what I don't understand is how a hooded dryer is considered indirect heat while a blowdryer isn't. Now obviously if you're using a comb attachment or something and holding the blowdryer directly on your hair it's comparable to a flat iron, but most people hold their dryer a good ways away? Also even the lowest setting on my hooded dryer gets hotter than what I would usually use my handheld dryer at.

A hooded dryer is considered more indirect when used for deep conditioning because you typically use a plastic cap. The hair isn't in the direct path of the heat since the cap acts like a barrier.

However, the heat becomes direct (in a sense) when you use a hooded dryer for drying your hair. But you also consistently sit more than 6-8 inches (or more) away while drying. So, its not nearly as concentrated on one spot as a handheld blow dryer.

Contrast that with a blow dryer. The potential problem with blow dryers is that it gets held in one spot with heat concentrated on that spot. The temps can easily surpass the hooded dryer temps.

 

[Chaosbutterfly]

I consider hood dryers indirect heat since the heat isn't being concentrated on any one part of your hair.
With a blow dryer, you get this rush of hot hair pointed directly at a certain portion of your hair. And when you consider that many professional blow dryers have wattages equivalent to if not greater than many hood dryers, that's alot of freaking heat.
With a hood dryer, you essentially put your head into a chamber where warm air is being blown in and circulated around your head. As long as the bonnet is the right side for your head and your hair isn't pressed up against the vents, then I feel a hood dryer really is much gentler.

 

[Aviah]

Wow... Yea I know no one conditions with boiling hot conditioner. That wasn't the question that I asked.. Obviously no one is going to put boiling hot anything on their hair. Its good to be sarcastic sometimes though I guess... The reason I asked is because that is what happens when people get heat damage or style damp hair with hot tools. Like I said that is something I read about and was curious to see if that could happen with deep conditioning or steam.

I'm sorry OP, but I wasn't being sarcastic . However, flat irons etc on damp hair are much hotter than DCs with heat, and concentrated directly on the strand. The only way the water in the shaft would boil is if the conditioner was boiling.

 

[Supergirl]

It's important not to turn the hooded dryer on its highest setting for conditioning. It should be turned to a moderate setting. Otherwise, yes, damage can result.

 

[EllePixie]

I consider hood dryers indirect heat since the heat isn't being concentrated on any one part of your hair.
With a blow dryer, you get this rush of hot hair pointed directly at a certain portion of your hair. And when you consider that many professional blow dryers have wattages equivalent to if not greater than many hood dryers, that's alot of freaking heat.
With a hood dryer, you essentially put your head into a chamber where warm air is being blown in and circulated around your head. As long as the bonnet is the right side for your head and your hair isn't pressed up against the vents, then I feel a hood dryer really is much gentler.

This is why I don't understand diffusing...Although the diffuser "spreads" the heat out, most people still hold the diffuser in one spot for a period of time...and the diffuser is still closer to your hair than a hooded dryer.

 

[mzteaze]

This is why I don't understand diffusing...Although the diffuser "spreads" the heat out, most people still hold the diffuser in one spot for a period of time...and the diffuser is still closer to your hair than a hooded dryer.

Maybe this will help:

How Do Blow Dryer Diffusers Work?

What a Diffuser Is
A diffuser is an attachment applied to the end of a hair dryer. It is generally rounded and features several long, rod-like pieces. A diffuser is most often used when drying curly or wavy hair because of the special properties this hair type has. A hair diffuser also may be used if you have heat-damaged hair because a diffuser is generally considered to be less damaging to the hair. When a diffuser is attached to the hair dryer and then turns on, the air circulates or diffuses around the curl, instead of being blown straight onto it.

Curly Hair Properties
Curly hair dries in the opposite manner that straight hair does. For example, when wet, curly hair tends to be straight in appearance. It then uses the moisture from the water to absorb into the hair and contract to create curls. Conversely, when straight hair dries, it must shed moisture to be straight. This is why using a diffuser works for those with frizzy or curly hair. If those with this hair type used a regular hair dryer with no nozzle attachment, the hair has a tendency to become frizzy in appearance because the hair was not able to retain fully the moisture it needs to curl fully. Also, extreme amounts of heat applied directly to the hair can break down the chemical bonds, causing the hair to relax. A diffuser is often used on a low heat setting, which allows curly hair to retain its chemical bonds, preventing the hair from relaxing and appearing frizzy.

Applying a Diffuser
When a diffuser is applied to wet hair, the air circulates around the curl. This allows it to mimic the properties of air drying curly hair, which results in more clearly defined curls. Using a diffuser often takes a longer time to dry the hair than using a standard hair dryer might. However, the hair appears softer and less frizzy. Diffusers often are helpful in adding volume to flat hair. The diffuser's rods help to separate the hair better, which gives it an added lift and adds volume for a fuller effect. Drying the hair upside down while using the diffuser also will help to separate the roots of the hair more for an added boost.

How Do Blow Dryer Diffusers Work? | LIVESTRONG.COM

 

[.:Eden:.]

bump...interesting :scratchch

 

[Nonie]

Boiling water and steam are two different things. Water boils at 212°F, steam is produced above that...

mzteaze Steam is produced at the same time water is boiling. Boiling point is the point at which a liquid turns to vapor.

For a steamer, I can't say, but I'm sure no one DCs with boiling hot condtioner.

Aviah Let's consider bubble hair. This has been explained as something that happens when liquid that has been absorbed by hair reaches its boiling point. Now one thing to note is the boiling point of water is 212 degrees F, ONLY if the water is pure. Impurities will lower the boiling point of a liquid.

What makes a liquid turn to vapor is that the pressure within the liquid gets greater than that in the air. When things get hot, they expand and so the molecules in the liquid spread out and bonds between them break and they turn into vapor. Hot air has a lower pressure than cold air which is why when you blow dry your hair it dries even though the water in your hair doesn't reach boiling point. In other words, when you blow dry hair, hot air around the hair having low pressure causes the water on the hair to turn to vapor at a lower temperature because the low pressure above it makes it easy for water molecules to expand and separate into vapor form. This could explain why bubble air forms even when the hair doesn't reach the boiling point of water. The hair may not get to 212 degrees F (100 degrees C), but because the air around the hair is warm, the moisture inside it still reaches a point at which it would turn into vapor. This happens when you blow dry hair.

When it comes to steaming or DCing with heat (under a cap) it is less clear because the presence of steam inside the cap or the steaming "bowl" means the pressure around the hair is kept high. So whether the conditioner+water in and on the hair has a BP below that of steam to the point of making it turn to vapor, I dunno--coz remember impurities do make water boil at a lower temp and heat does cause a low pressure in the space around the hair also making BP lower. But I would say there's a greater chance of bubble hair and hence damage happening from blow drying hair with a hot dryer to dry it than from steaming or from DCing with heat and a cap.

 

[Aviah]

mzteaze Steam is produced at the same time water is boiling. Boiling point is the point at which a liquid turns to vapor.



Aviah Let's consider bubble hair. This has been explained as something that happens when liquid that has been absorbed by hair reaches its boiling point. Now one thing to note is the boiling point of water is 212 degrees F, ONLY if the water is pure. Impurities will lower the boiling point of a liquid.

What makes a liquid turn to vapor is that the pressure within the liquid gets greater than that in the air. When things get hot, they expand and so the molecules in the liquid spread out and bonds between them break and they turn into vapor. Hot air has a lower pressure than cold air which is why when you blow dry your hair it dries even though the water in your hair doesn't reach boiling point. In other words, when you blow dry hair, hot air around the hair having low pressure causes the water on the hair to turn to vapor at a lower temperature because the low pressure above it makes it easy for water molecules to expand and separate into vapor form. This could explain why bubble air forms even when the hair doesn't reach the boiling point of water. The hair may not get to 212 degrees F (100 degrees C), but because the air around the hair is warm, the moisture inside it still reaches a point at which it would turn into vapor. This happens when you blow dry hair.

When it comes to steaming or DCing with heat (under a cap) it is less clear because the presence of steam inside the cap or the steaming "bowl" means the pressure around the hair is kept high. So whether the conditioner+water in and on the hair has a BP below that of steam to the point of making it turn to vapor, I dunno--coz remember impurities do make water boil at a lower temp and heat does cause a low pressure in the space around the hair also making BP lower. But I would say there's a greater chance of bubble hair and hence damage happening from blow drying hair with a hot dryer to dry it than from steaming or from DCing with heat and a cap.

I guess you learn something new everyday! The way I came across understanding bubble hair is through people flat ironing wet hair, causing the hair to boil in the shaft, weakening the cortex. Thus why I couldn't understand why DCing might do it- it just never gets that hot.

Still for some reason I think adding other things into water makes it boil at a higher temperature. I have no evidence for this though...

 

[Nonie]

I guess you learn something new everyday! The way I came across understanding bubble hair is through people flat ironing wet hair, causing the hair to boil in the shaft, weakening the cortex. Thus why I couldn't understand why DCing might do it- it just never gets that hot.

Still for some reason I think adding other things into water makes it boil at a higher temperature. I have no evidence for this though...

You are right. Salts do cause water to boil at greater temperatures because the attraction between the ions in water and those of the salts requires more energy to break and allow the water ions to combine again in order to evaporate as steam.

 

[Naturel]

A little late to reply, but I found this intresting because I stopped conditioning with heat due the damage it was causing to my hair. I am not sure how and why; I just know that my hair doesn't like it!

 

[blackberry815]

A little late to reply, but I found this intresting because I stopped conditioning with heat due the damage it was causing to my hair. I am not sure how and why; I just know that my hair doesn't like it!

I noticed the same thing. If I am deep conditioning with heat I keep it to twenty minutes. Also I turn the heat down now and that's helped. I definitely noticed that too much steaming caused me too many splits. If I'm under the dryer I keep it warm and don't let it get hot. In general when I dry my hair with a warm breezy air under the dryer it comes out shiny vs when the dryer is hot.

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