Why Is My Hair Poofy After Straightening?

Have you ever had this happen to you? You’re casually straightening your hair, and as soon as you’re done, your hair looks less straight and more like a static poofy mess. Many people who come to Brazilian blowout salons complaint about this and then opt for permanent hair straightening. Here are some reasons why your hair becomes poofy after flat ironing.

You Have Thick Hair

This is probably the most common reason why your hair might be turning poofy after you straighten it. Everyone’s hair has different porosity levels and mostly, hair can get poofy if your hair has high porosity. High porosity means that your hair absorbs moisture very quickly, but it also doesn’t retain it either. If you want to test out the hair porosity theory for yourself, then you can try the water test.

Spritz your hair with water and see how much time it takes for the mane to get fully wet and saturated with water. Now, let the hair dry and observe how much time it takes for the hair to dry. If both time windows are short, then probably your hair has high porosity. But, what does porosity have to do with straightening hair?

When you straighten your hair, the flat iron can strip the moisture from the hair, causing it to dry out very quickly. This is what causes frizz, puffiness, and overall static in your hair.

You’re Using Too Much Heat

Another thing that might be making your hair very poofy is the heat. Using a hair straightening tool is a bit of work and you need to understand the mechanism of heat settings. If you’re bumping up the heat from the get-go, then it’s going to damage your hair to no extent and you’ll feel your hair getting poofy.

This can happen even if you don’t have high-porosity hair. Let’s face it; heat can cause frizz and static like nothing else and if you want to achieve sleek and glossy hair, then you need to start with lower heat.

Your Hair Is Dry

Sometimes, your hair type can also play a role in the way it looks after getting it straightened. If you already have dry hair, then straightening it with a hot flat iron will only make matters worse. Your hair can be stripped off the moisture when you sandwich it in between two very hot plates and that’s not good for your mane at all.

If you have dry hair, then the best advice that you can get is to try to limit the use of heat at all times, otherwise, your hair will turn poofy and it won’t be a pleasant sight.

Your Hair Is Damaged

If you are a fan of coloring your hair, heat styling it almost every day, and exposing your mane to a lot of chemicals regularly, then you can see your hair getting poofy and frizzy after straightening it. Even if you don’t straighten the hair, it will look very dry and brittle and it won’t be able to settle down. These are all signs of damaged hair.

Straightening damaged hair is like inviting more and more permanent damage to the mane and it’s not recommended at all. You should give your hair a breather immediately.

Wrong Hair Straightener

Sometimes, the tools used to straighten the hair can make all of the difference. If you’re new to hair straightening and want to invest in a good straightener, then you’re going to want to search for something with ceramic plates because these plates will glide through the hair and prevent friction and frizz from forming in your strands, hence no puffiness.

However, if you’re using a straightener with plastic plates, then you can kiss your hair goodbye because plastic will rub on your hair a lot and will leave a trail of frizz behind. Not to mention that your hair will look very poofy as well.

You’re Not Using The Right Products

The products you use also have a direct effect on how your hair looks after straightening it. If you have color-treated or special hair that needs more attention and care than normal hair, then you need to invest in moisturizing products that have damage-restoring properties.

You also need to invest in shampoos that don’t have sulfate in them and go for something that has a natural ingredient list, because your hair needs all of the nutrients that it can get from hair care products. So, make it a habit to do some research, when buying new hair products.

How To Fix The Puffiness Of Your Hair

Here are some things that you can do to get rid of the puffiness in your hair.

Use Appropriate Products

Using the right products will make all of the difference when it comes to dry and damaged hair. If you don’t want your hair to look like a bird’s nest after straightening it, then you’re going to need to change things up.

You need to invest in good products that are not only going to hydrate your hair but will also get rid of the frizz building in your mane. Moisture and damage-restoring products will become your holy grail. This is helpful for getting hair extensions in salon Potomac as well.

Hydrate The Hair

If your hair is extremely dry and it’s getting poofy after you’ve straightened it, then it means that your hair needs a bit of hydration.

Invest in hydrating hair masks or make your own by using a banana, olive oil, and an egg. Mix them and if you want a smooth paste, then throw everything in a blender and whiz it up. Apply this whipped mask on your hair. Keep it on for 30 to 60 minutes before washing it off with cold water. You will instantly feel the difference.

Start With Low Heat

This tip can’t be stressed enough. You need to start with low heat, if you don’t want to shock your hair and, worse, burn it. If you’re new to hair straightening, then you need to understand the heat levels and the amount of heat that your hair can endure without getting damaged. This is why starting with the lowest heat setting is recommended.

It’s not only going to get rid of the frizz in your hair, but it will make the result look a lot more professional and sleek and you’ll be rocking straight and frizz-free hair in no time.

Protect Your Hair

Your hair also needs protection from certain things. Just like how your skin needs SPF to protect it from the sun, your hair also needs a protective barrier against nature’s reactive chemicals and substances, like chlorine, sunlight, and heat.

Make it a habit to cover your head, if you’re going to be out in the sun for a long time. This will not only prevent dryness, but it will also prevent your hair from turning prematurely gray. Also, wear a swimming cap, if you’re going to hop into chlorinated or salt water.

Conclusion

Now you know exactly why your hair is poofy after straightening, and even ways by which you can fix the mess. If you want to ditch this flat ironing routine altogether, get keratin treatment by hairstylist Potomac.