While our trusty hairstyling tools undoubtedly create the hair of your dreams, they can be seriously damaging. Enter: heat protection sprays. If you’re anything like us then you probably use your hair dryer at least twice a week, and your curling wands and hair straighteners nearly every time you step out the door.
But you wouldn’t go out and sunbathe without lathering yourself in sun cream, would you? We’d certainly like to think you wouldn’t. Well, that same protection is needed for your hair when it’s exposed to heat (as well as UV rays). Unsurprisingly, using burning-hot heat on your locks can in fact increase the risk of split ends, long-term breakage and colour fade. And no one wants that.
While things like investing in the best silk pillow cases, hair masks, hair oils and hair wraps is always a good idea, you should really use preventative methods of protecting your hair too so that your need for all those boujee extras isn’t so extreme. Heat protection sprays are your answer to silky smooth and healthy hair for the long run.
Do heat protection sprays actually work?
Heat protection sprays are clever formulas that basically create a shield between your precious tresses and your super hot styling tools. While things like leave-in conditioners are great for replenishing your locks with nourishment, heat protection sprays reduce the amount of damage caused by heat styling. Keep in mind, however, that they don’t offer 100% protection – using a high temperature will still cause some damage, even with a heat spray – and they don’t offer broad protection from other threats either (like air pollutants).
Having said that, a lot of brands nowadays have created formulas which also condition, nourish, tame strands, protect colour and help to detangle your hair as well as shelter it from scorching temps. How clever? Sounds a worthwhile purchase to us.
Which is the best heat protection spray?
The answer to this question depends on a few things, the first being what type of hair you have and the second being how much money you want to spend. Say your locks are prone to dryness, the Shea Butter Thermal Shield Heat Protect by Cantu is well worth picking up. Made with pure shea butter to replace vital moisture and reveal stronger, healthier hair with a natural shine, this formula is a pre-treatment for all hairstyles to prevent damage and create smooth results.
If you want to treat your tresses to something a little fancier, Balmain Hair’s Thermal Spray is perfect. Ticking all the right boxes with its ultra-fine spray that defends against all styling tools, it’s infused with silk protein and pro-vitamin B5 to create an invisible shield that locks in moisture all while protecting the hair from breakage and heat damage up to 220°C. It’s also humidity-resistant, so you can say goodbye to Monica from Friends’ Barbados hair.
For more from GLAMOUR UK’s Associate Commerce Writer Georgia Trodd, follow her on Instagram @georgiatrodd.