Do Heat Protectants Really Work?

vtoodler

vtoodler

New Member
Do you think heat protectants really help protect your hair from heat? Or are they just another way to take your money?

Feel free to share your personal experiences.
 
In my opinion, yes, - but only to a certain degree. Prior to using them I used heat weekly and stayed at a little below SL. After using them (and this is before finding LHCF and DCing) I was able to retain more length and made it to APL. Then after finding LHCF and DCing I was able to get to MBL when using them. However, I have always noticed a split or two here and there so they cannot guarantee no damage. I noticed the splits the most when I was flat ironing on higher heat though, so I guess they work to an extent. But of course, they should be used in conjunction with healthy hair practices.
 
Yes. I use Silk Elements brand. I have never used one before until recently. I immediately felt a difference in my hair. It blow dried straighter in half the time. My new growth easily straightened while I was blowdrying. It was awesome. I had a great time flat ironing too.

I will never be without them now.
 
they work I like john friedas, but most of my leave ins have some sort of heat protectant in them. I notice my hair is does not fry as it would if I weren't using heat protectants. the heat protectants coat the hair with a protective layer/film.
 
ajoyfuljoy said:
Yes. I use Silk Elements brand. I have never used one before until recently. I immediately felt a difference in my hair. It blow dried straighter in half the time. My new growth easily straightened while I was blowdrying. It was awesome. I had a great time flat ironing too.

I will never be without them now.
Click to expand...

I agree.
I use the sally's generic version of chi's silk infusion and I love it-when I blow dry and flat iron-what a huge difference and I noticed my hair is way more healthier than it would have been if I was not using a heat protectant.
 
From what I've read when looking for particular "heat protectant ingredients", they are money wasters and that a leave in conditioner is sufficient. But I'm so used to using them and having great results that I won't fix what isn't broken. I'm just not heavy-handed with them so I maintain silky swang.
 
I like the Tresemme Heat Tamer Spray. I've used it in the past and had good results. Nowadays I prefer serums, though - they give a little slip in addition to protection. Some of the time I will layer products - use a spray heat protectant and then a serum on top.

I me it's like of like oven mitts. Have you seen those new oven mitts and oven safe dishes made of silicones? Silicones are the main ingredients (and at times the only ingredients) in heat protectants - especially serums. Just like the silicone coats objects and protects them from heat it coats the hair strand. Because of it's viscosity (and you have to be careful not to overuse them) the coating is flexible and thin - allowing hair to move and shine.
 
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This is interesting.

Yesterday, I went to visit with my childhood hairdresser (who my mom still goes to) and he was flat ironing his daughter's hair, who has hair in the 2's. I asked her if she put heat in her hair regularly. Her response: She flat irons in the winter and wears it wavy/curly in the warm months.

He'd washed and conditioned her hair and used the hood dryer to dry her hair about 75%. He blew it dry for the remainder. I was cringing the entire time because he was just so harsh with her hair...yanking, pulling, and when he finally pulled out the flat iron, he went soooooo slowly down each section. I mean, it took about 11 seconds from root to tip for each section of ironed hair (she's a little longer than APL). Sometimes, the iron would get caught and I could see what I call a "burn bend"...an indentation/line in the section of hair that the iron had stopped on for a bit too long. It was so hard to watch.

I asked if he used heat protectants and he said, "Why would I do that? There is nothing that can keep the heat off of strands of hair that you are flat ironing. I read the product information, and it's baloney. Look at this." He clamped the iron on her hair again. "This thing is hot. It's touching her hair. There's no getting around that. Heat protectant? Baloney."

Honestly...he made perfect sense to me. I began to wonder yesterday what heat protectants actually do. I mean the iron is hot...and it does touch the hair. If I put Sabino on my finger and then clamped a flat iron on my finger, I would still feel all the effects of having been burned. The protectant wouldn't do a thing. I would love to understand the science behind a protectant and figure out if, for the most part, we are being ripped off.

I know that they do something, but considering the example with my finger...what do they really do outside of making the hair feel different in a good way?

Great thread!

cj
 
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I use a serum sometimes, just because, but I really don't think it makes any different. My best friend is natural and puts oil in before she blowdries and then flat-rons with nothing else and her hair is sooooo healthy its crazy. Its so long, thick, and luscous and she hardly gets splits. She has always done this. She always says that moisture is the key to keeping your hair healthy with heat. My last wash, I did this, well I used the qhemet Cocoa leave-in which is oily to blow-dry and my flat-ironed hair was so soft and healthy looking.
 
vtoodler said:
What do you guys think of Tresemme's Heat Protectant? Have you heard of it before?
Click to expand...

^ yup Tresemme Heat Tamer spray...I use it everytime I Bdry......when I use it to flatiron, I spray my hair, comb it thru and let it dry for a few minutes before I section my hair off and proceed with the iron. I do this to avoid my hair from sizzling, altho most professional grade flatirons can be used on fairly damp hair

HTH Love!
 
For those of you who don't believe it makes a difference: are you willing to flatiron your hair at the same temperature without using a heat protectant?
 
melodies815 said:
This is interesting.

Yesterday, I went to visit with my childhood hairdresser (who my mom still goes to) and he was flat ironing his daughter's hair, who has hair in the 2's. I asked her if she put heat in her hair regularly. Her response: She flat irons in the winter and wears it wavy/curly in the warm months.

He'd washed and conditioned her hair and used the hood dryer to dry her hair about 75%. He blew it dry for the remainder. I was cringing the entire time because he was just so harsh with her hair...yanking, pulling, and when he finally pulled out the flat iron, he went soooooo slowly down each section. I mean, it took about 11 seconds from root to tip for each section of ironed hair (she's a little longer than APL). Sometimes, the iron would get caught and I could see what I call a "burn bend"...an indentation/line in the section of hair that the iron had stopped on for a bit too long. It was so hard to watch.

I asked if he used heat protectants and he said, "Why would I do that? There is nothing that can keep the heat off of strands of hair that you are flat ironing. I read the product information, and it's baloney. Look at this." He clamped the iron on her hair again. "This thing is hot. It's touching her hair. There's no getting around that. Heat protectant? Baloney."

Honestly...he made perfect sense to me. I began to wonder yesterday what heat protectants actually do. I mean the iron is hot...and it does touch the hair. If I put Sabino on my finger and then clamped a flat iron on my finger, I would still feel all the effects of having been burned. The protectant wouldn't do a thing. I would love to understand the science behind a protectant and figure out if, for the most part, we are being ripped off.

I know that they do something, but considering the example with my finger...what do they really do outside of making the hair feel different in a good way?

Great thread!

cj
Click to expand...

No offense to your childhood hairdresser, but he's making excuses. Of course heat protectants are not going to shield your hair from all heat. If they did, then nobody would use them, because the hair would never get straight. As he said, the iron is hot, touching your hair, there's no getting around that. But the way that I understand it, the cones in heat protectants wrap around your hair and form a protective barrier, so even though you aren't protected from all the damage that heat can do, it does take "the edge" off.

And with the example of your finger...I think it's a little faulty, just because of the inherent differences between the living tissues of the skin and the dead material that is hair. Heat protectant works for the hair the same way that like..cloth works for skin. If you go outside on a really cold day with a sweater, you're still going to feel the cold. But it's better than going out there butt naked, because at least you're getting some kind of protection. Imo, any protection is better than none.

And lastly, I think if anyone doubts that they actually work, then they should try straightening once a week with heat protectant for a month, and then straightening the same amount, the same time, but without heat protection. I bet they won't make it that full second month. :lachen:
 
soulie said:
For those of you who don't believe it makes a difference: are you willing to flatiron your hair at the same temperature without using a heat protectant?
Click to expand...
^^I wouldn't! and now that I know better, I won't let my stylist anymore either...meaning I will likely have to bring my own next time I go to the salon because sadly, most stylists don't know about heat protectants (or at least the ones I've been to).

I've noticed a tremendous change in the strength of my hair/quality of my results when using a heat protectant. And it also cuts the bdrying time in half for me. My hair likes serums for straightening and leave ins/ liquids for bdrying.
 
Your Cheeziness said:
From what I've read when looking for particular "heat protectant ingredients", they are money wasters and that a leave in conditioner is sufficient.
Click to expand...

What source are you reading?
Beauty Brains says ingredients do make a difference:

Helpful heat treatments

Blow dry damage can be prevented by using products containing glycerin and propylene glycol because these actives retard water evaporation. Products like Tresemme Heat Tamer Spray
ir
should be helpful in this regard. You can also look for an ingredient called “hydrolyzed wheat protein polysiloxane copolymer,” which also showed significant reduction in cracking.


link
 
Your Cheeziness said:
From what I've read when looking for particular "heat protectant ingredients", they are money wasters and that a leave in conditioner is sufficient. But I'm so used to using them and having great results that I won't fix what isn't broken. I'm just not heavy-handed with them so I maintain silky swang.
Click to expand...


In my opinion they work--especially since more often than not all my other products are cone-free. I think anything with cones should be reasonably effective.

but REALLY I just wanted to quote you because your hair is GORGEOUS. :yep:
 
I think they work, I use oil sheen though, it doesn't weigh my hair down, but I have a gloss heat protectant, that I like and I have a soft and beautiful straightening thermal lotion that I have, I used before I blow dry, I notice that my hair does not split much or break off much, but I deep condition all the time.....and I think that has helped more.
 
i think they can work but they need to be used judiciously. do not burn your hair with 450 degree iron and think that the heat protectant is going to save your strands. that is not happening. the only thing that could save your hair is divine intervention (trust me i know).
 
jamaraa said:
I use Sunsilk Therma Shine. Nice stuff...smells wonderful, works well, and it's cheap (drugstor stuff). Hope that helps. :yep:
Click to expand...
Ow wow, thanks for responding so quickly! I'm looking on the Sunsilk website, and I only see Therma Shine shampoo & conditioner. But I do see a ThermaShine detangling spray at drugstore.com...is that the one you use?
 
Only to a certain degree. You can still get heat damage even while using a heat pro if you aren't careful so I'd never consider my hair 100% protected.
 
mstar said:
Ow wow, thanks for responding so quickly! I'm looking on the Sunsilk website, and I only see Therma Shine shampoo & conditioner. But I do see a ThermaShine detangling spray at drugstore.com...is that the one you use?
Click to expand...

Yes, that's the one I use. Got it at WalMart.
 
Pokahontas said:
Only to a certain degree. You can still get heat damage even while using a heat pro if you aren't careful so I'd never consider my hair 100% protected.
Click to expand...

If you put enough heat on anything, it'll burn! :grin: It's always good to use common sense on anything. Great reminder.
 
melodies815 said:
This is interesting.

Yesterday, I went to visit with my childhood hairdresser (who my mom still goes to) and he was flat ironing his daughter's hair, who has hair in the 2's. I asked her if she put heat in her hair regularly. Her response: She flat irons in the winter and wears it wavy/curly in the warm months.

He'd washed and conditioned her hair and used the hood dryer to dry her hair about 75%. He blew it dry for the remainder. I was cringing the entire time because he was just so harsh with her hair...yanking, pulling, and when he finally pulled out the flat iron, he went soooooo slowly down each section. I mean, it took about 11 seconds from root to tip for each section of ironed hair (she's a little longer than APL). Sometimes, the iron would get caught and I could see what I call a "burn bend"...an indentation/line in the section of hair that the iron had stopped on for a bit too long. It was so hard to watch.

I asked if he used heat protectants and he said, "Why would I do that? There is nothing that can keep the heat off of strands of hair that you are flat ironing. I read the product information, and it's baloney. Look at this." He clamped the iron on her hair again. "This thing is hot. It's touching her hair. There's no getting around that. Heat protectant? Baloney."

Honestly...he made perfect sense to me. I began to wonder yesterday what heat protectants actually do. I mean the iron is hot...and it does touch the hair. If I put Sabino on my finger and then clamped a flat iron on my finger, I would still feel all the effects of having been burned. The protectant wouldn't do a thing. I would love to understand the science behind a protectant and figure out if, for the most part, we are being ripped off.

I know that they do something, but considering the example with my finger...what do they really do outside of making the hair feel different in a good way?

Great thread!

cj
Click to expand...

He makes sense to me.

soulie said:
For those of you who don't believe it makes a difference: are you willing to flatiron your hair at the same temperature without using a heat protectant?
Click to expand...

Yes i would.
 
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