We tested and reviewed the best heat protectants for years. Here are the ones that made the cut for 2024 from amika and Redken to Bumble and bumble and IGK.
Vividly coiffed icons like Billie Eilish, BTS’ V and Megan Fox make colour cool but remember that it can come at a cost to your hair – make considered decisions and don’t forget to look after your locks during and afterwards
Perhaps one of the most controversial topics in the natural hair community is the use of heat styling tools. Should you use them? If so, how often is too often? Most importantly, how can you protect your curls while using heat to change their shape? And then, once you get past the ‘should I?’ questions, you have to decide which tools to use. Are ceramic straighteners better than titanium? Are hot combs still a thing? Can type 4 hair rely on the increasingly popular straightening brush?
One thing you’ll need regardless of the heat styling tool you choose or how often you use it? A heat protectant. Adding a heat protectant to your routine can be the difference between healthy curls post-heat and a heat-induced disaster. It’s also important to remember that heat damage does not have a universal appearance; it can present itself as damage to the cuticle layer (probably the most noticeable sign, resulting in the appearance of dry and dull hair), to the denaturing of hair proteins