Heat damage is the ultimate “Academy Award winner” of uncooperative hair—a permanent technical shift that changes your curl pattern forever.
As dumb luck would have it, a bad hair day can be fixed with a wash, but heat damage is a blank and spooky reality that stays. It’s a study in tonality: damaged sections look like orthochromatic film that has lost its sensitivity—they are limp, straight, or have a ruddy mess of a texture that won’t coil. You need a technical shift to tell the difference: if a section stays uncooperative after a deep reset, it’s likely heat damage rather than just being dry or coated.
The prep is about the diagnosis. To assuage the insecurities of a bad section, try a clarifying wash followed by the “gold dust” of a protein treatment. If the curl doesn’t capture the glow and return to its studio-endorsed state, you are dealing with a technical failure of the bonds. Mind the resistance when you style; heat-damaged hair has no bounce. By mastering the art of the “reset,” you can identify damage early and adjust your workday habits to protect your profile. Something I think we’re all still kind of into.
—Lauren Maas