Who hasn’t tried straightening wet hair? With so little time and so much to do, everyone has thought about straightening damp hair to dry and straighten it at the same time.
It seems like a reasonable thing to do after all. If you are amongst all the people who tend to straighten wet hair, you must have asked yourself if it is even allowed.
A lot of us want to do things to our hair that are usually not the right thing to do, but due to time constraints, we are bound to do it. Straightening damp hair is one of those things.
Whether or not you can flat iron your hair remains the main question? It is also important to know alternate ways to straighten damp hair just in case you might need it.
I, for sure have indulged in this thought and faced the consequences like the rest of the world. This is why I have curated all the information about flat ironing wet hair.
If you have the same question as the rest of the world and you want a definite answer, then you will find this article very useful.
Contents
Can You Straighten Wet Hair?
Whether or not you can straighten your wet hair is a definitive question with a lot of probable answers. But for your ease, the simplest answer is yes, if you want to get two jobs done at once, and no, if you want healthy hair.
When your hair is wet, it is in its most vulnerable position. Because wet hair is usually washed and rinsed, it is rid of all the oil or sebum to protect the hair strand.
The hair is technically at its purest state at this stage. So, whatever you do to your wet hair, you have to keep in mind that this will directly affect the core of your hair. It will reach the middle of your hair in no time and make your hair strands weaker.
Straightening wet hair is very harmful to your hair and causes irreversible damage to it. It causes breakage and split ends. And most importantly it fries your hair. We use the term “fried hair” because you will literally hear your sizzle up as soon as you place your hair between the flat iron plates.
The process of straightening damp hair is quite gruesome on wet hair. In this straightening process, you place your hair between two extremely hot plates. These plates then press and pull on your wet hair and forcefully straighten them while turning the water from your hair into steam.
You can’t even imagine how grueling it is for your hair to recover from the trauma it goes through when you try to straighten it while it is still wet or even damp. The stress of the heat fries your hair, and it results in causing damage to your hair which can be a nasty job to recover from.
You might want to question why using a flat iron is so harmful when we can blow dry our hair. Which is a valid question. Blow drying your hair is not the same as flat ironing your hair. When you blow-dry your hair, you use the air of the blow-dry from a distance to dry your hair. The dampness of the hair dries off.
However, when you use a flat iron to dry and straighten your hair, the conditions change. You can’t use the heat of the flat iron from a distance to straighten your hair, this causes huge damage to your hair. You are required to press your hair between two extremely hot plates and pull it down.
What Happens When You Flat Iron Wet Or Damp Hair?
When you flat iron wet hair, you are technically boiling off your hair. The high heat temperatures are severely damaging to the hair, making its outermost core fall apart. This makes the hair thinner. The heat takes away the shine and leaves your hair looking dry, rough, and unsightly.
The result of flat ironing wet hair is ghastly. You will end up with frizzy hair that falls off easily. You will face great hair loss and awfully textured hair. As you flat iron your wet hair, the hair cuticles come off of your hair making its condition worse.
How To Flat Iron Wet Hair?
Even though straightening your wet hair is a bad idea. It is good to know what to do if following through is your only resort.
If you have somehow managed to be in a situation where straightening your damp hair is your only option, you better believe that the steps below may somewhat help you from totally destroying your hair.
Though you should avoid such situations if you want to live with healthy hair for a longer amount of time, you can follow these steps to live through the day:
Step1: Prepare your hair. You must prepare your hair before directly bringing them between the extreme hot plates. Use a good heat protectant. Spray it all over your hair. Try to apply a generous amount to be on the safe side.
Step 2: Wring out the water from your hair. Don’t let it be totally wet. It can be damp but not wet. Wet hair will take more time to straighten, and that is not what you want anyway.
Step 3: Partition your hair into big sections. Don’t take small sections to straighten as it will be more harmful to the hair. It is best if you take large portions for straightening at once. This will cause less damage to your hair.
Step 4: Make sure the temperature is low. Remember, the higher the temperature the more damage it will cause to your damp hair.
Once you have followed all the steps, let your hair cool down. For the next few days, you have to take good care of your hair to recover from the damage you just caused.
You have to use almond oil or any other oil suitable for you. Apply oil to your hair at least twice a week so your hair can grow out the outer cuticles that were destroyed while straightening your hair.
It is also advised that you wear a silk cap or use silk pillowcases to reduce friction between your hair and the fabric. The friction causes hair fall, and we do not want that at this stage.
FAQs
This article covers all aspects of straightening wet hair and how it will affect the health of your hair. You will find answers to most of your questions, and if you do not, then have a look at the most common question that people usually ask.
Q1. Can we use a flat iron on wet hair that is dyed?
Ans. You can use a flat iron to dry your wet hair, but you definitely should not. It is a bad idea because the results are awful. Especially if your hair is dyed, you will see that your hair changes color instantly as you dry your wet hair. It’s better to have a bad hair day rather than damaged hair.
Q2. Is it safe to straighten wet hair?
Ans. Straightening wet hair is not a good option for your hair at all. It damages your hair cuticle, and your hair becomes more prone to breakage. Because wet hair is very fragile, you should avoid straightening wet hair.
Verdict
The idea of flat ironing wet hair may seem very tempting, but it is in your best interest that you avoid these temptations.
It has been proven in many ways that using heat on wet hair is a bad idea. They are extremely damaging to your hair.
It breaks the hair cuticles and makes them fragile and brittle. This leads to extreme hair loss and badly textured hair.
If you still need to flat iron your hair, you should use a good iron for it. Use the right heat protectant and let your hair dry a little before you start gliding the hot iron over your hair. The less wet your hair is, the better.