Most heating tools have settings which make the temperature really high, sometimes more than 400˚F. But have you ever wondered what these high temperatures do to your hair?
Just because heating tools have really high-temperature settings, that doesn’t mean you have to crank it up to the maximum. As a matter of fact, the ideal temperature for hair styling is just 365˚F. This fact has scientific evidence from Dr. Tim Moore, the chief technology officer of GHD.
To prove that high temperatures can damage the hair, he performed an experiment that made a lot of people cringe. He set a GHD Gold Styler to 410˚F then clamped it on a lock of hair that was virgin white-blond in color.
He kept it clamped for 15 seconds before removing it. The styler left an orange mark on the hair and burnt it completely too. What’s worse, it had a horrible smell after.
Then he used the same tool, this time set at 365˚F and clamped it on the same lock of hair. This time, it came out shiny, smooth, and free of damage. This temperature is ideal because the heat breaks down the fat lipids in the hair so you can mold it into shape. But this heat doesn’t burn the hair or cause frizz.
