Heat protection hair spray is a product used to shield delicate strands from damage due to heat styling. The most basic varieties of this beauty product coat the outside of individual strands, providing a barrier between hot tools and the hair. These products also often provide added benefits, including moisturizing or nourishing ingredients and aid in increasing shine or camouflaging dead ends. Certain products may also provide holding power in conjunction with heat protection, helping hair to straighten easier or to hold a curl for longer.
Hair dryers, flat irons, and curling irons can damage the hair with every use, even if they are the highest quality hot tool. Heat protection hair spray is applied to damp or dry hair prior to using one of these hot tools to seal the outside of the hair shaft. This prevents the heat of the tool from overheating or burning the inside of the hair, causing it to break. When used prior to blow drying, and then applied again before using a flat iron or curling iron, this type of hair spray can also help to limit split ends.
While there are several different types of heat protection hair spray available, most products offer more than just protection. These sprays commonly include moisturizing ingredients and nutrients that sink into the hair shaft before it is sealed, nourishing hair while protecting it from damage. This helps to soften the hair, restoring some of the moisture lost due to damage and helping to make it more manageable. Some heat protectants also act to guard hair from sun damage and include UVA and UVB protection.
This type of hair spray can also help to increase shine and temporarily seal split ends, hiding the damage until the hair gets wet. Ingredients such as silicone, vitamin E. and silk protein coat the hair shaft with a shiny finish, protecting the hair while making it look healthier and silkier. In many cases, the shine-enhancing properties of a heat protectant hair spray will also help to eliminate frizz and protect hair from humidity.
Outside of protecting, nourishing, and increasing shine in the hair, heat protection hair spray can also help a style hold longer. The product typically contains ingredients similar to those found in light-hold hair sprays, and, when these ingredients come in contact with heat, they help to lock in a style. Heat protection hair sprays may also include ingredients that help to relax hair, making it easier to straighten, or to activate one’s natural curls, making it easier for straight or wavy hair to hold a curled style for longer.
