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Can High Heat From Hair Straighteners Affect The Colour Of My Hair Extensions?
When it comes to styling tools, most of us like them hot hot hot. Why?…because it allows us to style our hair to within an inch of its life, quickly and easily. But is this healthy for our hair?
The short answer is of course no. High heat from tools such as hair straighteners can cause damage to the hairs cuticle, resulting in split ends and dry hair regardless of whether you are straightening your natural hair or hair extensions. However, a few split ends aren't the only affect high temperature hair straighteners can have on your hair and hair extensions, they can actually cause them to change colour.
Hair Straighteners Can Cause Hair Which Is Coloured To Fade And Change
Whether you wear hair extensions or not, if you apply a semi or permanent colour/toner to your hair, excess heat from your straighteners can cause this colour to change and fade.
This is why after freshly colouring your hair, or toning your blonde, you are back in the hairdressers 6 weeks later in desperate need of a colour injection.
As hair straighteners are applied directly to the hair, coming into contact with the cuticle, this rush of heat reacts with the colour pigment, changing it dramatically. This means that colours such as blacks and brown will fade, vibrant colours may change completely, and blondes coloured with a toner can be stripped back to reveal a brassy undertone.
Don't just take our word for it…check out the one and only Guy Tang testing this theory on freshly coloured hair pieces.
All Heated Styling Products Can Cause Hair Colours To Change
If your shower water is scorching hot, or your hair drier is on the highest setting, these too can alter your precious colour, changing it suddenly or dramatically as demonstrated in Guy Tangs videos.
How To Prevent Heat Changing The Colour Of Your Hair And/Or Hair Extensions
It is unrealistic to expect anyone who colours their hair, whether wearing hair extensions or not, to not apply any heat to their hair. Taking a cool shower and then allowing your hair to air dry with no styling just isn't going to happen, however there are some very simple steps you can take in order to prevent a colour change in your hair.
Wash Your Hair Extensions In A Cooler Temperature To Protect The Colour From Changing
Most of us ladies like temperatures high in the shower, and this is absolutely fine for our bodies, however for our hair it is less than ideal. Turn the heat down to a warm (but not hot) setting when washing your hair. This will help to prevent exposing your hair to a rush of heat, and the temperature can be turned straight back up as soon as you are finished with your hair.
Air Drying Your Hair And/Or Hair Extensions Is Much Healthier Than Blow Drying
Where possible, try to air dry your hair. This is absolutely fine for micro ring and nano ring wearers, however those wearing prebonded glue should dry their bonds first on a cool setting to avoid the bonds becoming soft.
If you need to blow dry your hair, do this on a medium or cool setting. Not only will this prevent you colour from fading, but it will also keep your hair nourished and healthy.
Use Hair Straighteners On A Low Setting To Prevent Them Causing Damage To Your Hair Quality And Colour
Most importantly, TURN DOWN YOUR HAIR STRAIGHTENERS. Most will come with a variety of heat settings, and if yours doesn't now is the time to change it for the sake of your hairs health and colour. You will be amazed at how even on a low setting, you are still able to achieve the same results as you were on the hottest setting, but without running the risk of ruining your hair colour.
As demonstrated by Guy Tang, no matter what brand of colour you are using, excess heat from straighteners can have dramatic effects on your hair colour. Turn down the heat, and focus on healthy hair practises for both your natural hair and hair extensions in order to protect the colour, and the quality of your hair.
