Can applying oil before flat ironing fry your hair? Learn what a hair expert has to say

Hairdressers all over social media are divided over whether coating the length of your mane with oil can work as a replacement to your regular heat protectant. Before you run a flat iron and hear the dreaded sizzle, check out the do’s and don’ts as listed by Dr Kalyani Deshmukh, Consultant Dermatologist at Traya.

Digital creator and trichologist Abbey Yung shared a reel on Instagram, reacting to a hairdresser on TikTok talking about applying hair oil as a protectant can end up causing more damage to the hair than expected. She explained how latest hair oil formulations in the market have dimethicone in them which helps protect the hair ends from ‘getting fried’, so to speak.

In the caption, she mentioned “So many hair oils in the market are not made up of just oil. They often have other ingredients like Dimethicone that offer amazing protective benefits too!”

 

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A post shared by Abbey Yung (@abbeyyung)

“Oils do not offer much protection, so you should always opt for a heat protectant before applying heat or using any tools on your hair. Coconut oils as such may work on fine hair, but I wouldn’t recommend using it as it may end up frying the hair a bit. Instead, use them to tame frizz and flyaways in general,” said Deshmukh.

“Heat protection sprays come with an ingredient called propolis which protects the cuticles from heat damage,” she added.

She suggested opting for certified products recommended by salons and dermatologists instead of resorting to natural alternatives for  everything.

Deshmukh suggested applying moisturizing serums, masks or conditioners on towel damp hair and wait till they are fifty percent dry before heat styling your hair. “The ingredient dimethicone in these products is a silicone that forms a barrier sealing cuticles and preventing loss of moisture from hair strands,” she explained.

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