10 MP3: Persuasive Objects Revised

Julisa Cardona

Jonathan Lashley

English 101-07B

April 28, 2024

Tame your mane with a Hair Straightener

Another day another YouTube hair tutorial! I know from experience how exhausting it can be trying to tame your hair, because I personally use my hair straightener daily. Oxford’s Learners Dictionaries defines the hair straightener as an electrical tool with two metal or ceramic parts that you use to make your hair straight. In today’s modern world, everyone is wanting hairstyles that are “in”. According to the article, Trending Hairstyles for 2024, a couple of the top six trending hairstyles include mini bobs and sleek hair. (Cortiva Institute, 2024) The mini bob consists of hair length can fall anywhere from the cheekbones to the jawline. The sleek hairstyle is all in the name, sleek. It’s a clean-cut style. A common way to style these hairstyles is to use a hair straightener. The use of a hair straightener can most definitely leave you feeling beautiful. While having a great hairstyle can boost your confidence there can also be a few cons to using this hair tool. One con of using this tool is the heat damage that it brings due to the constant heat applied to the hair. But there is good news, there are solutions to these cons. There have been products created to aid in slowly reversing the heat damage.

The hair straightener is a great tool, but one negative effect that it has on the hair is the heat damage that it brings. The constant heat that is applied to the hair shaft leaves the hair dry and brittle. This leads to hair breakage and frizzy hair.  According to Phys.org researchers have found that curling wands and flat irons (also known as hair straighteners) could fry the keratin proteins that make up about 85% of our hair, turning it dry and brittle over time. (phys.org, 2021) A solution to this problem is using a heat protectant. The heat protectant comes in various forms. They come in forms of a spray, serum, lotion, oil, creams, and balms. These products help to ease the problem of having a damaged hair shaft. If you have never used a heat protectant, Wikihow.com provides instructional steps on how to use the product. A quick summary on how to use this product is to start with damp hair, then you detangle hair, next depending on which form of heat protectant you have, you apply or spray the heat protectant in your hair and brush the hair again to distribute the product, lastly you air dry or blow dry your hair then use your hair straightener to straighten your hair. Sofie Tidemand, the author of the article, Heat Protection Spray: How to Protect your Hair from Unnecessary Damage, list the benefits of using a heat protectant. Those benefits include restoring moisture, prevents moisture loss, damage and frizz control and it smooths the hair cuticle so there is no more frizz. These heat protectant products can be purchased in drugstores and specialty stores. They can also be found in salons and barber shops. So although the hair straightener does damage the hair, there is heat protectant to help act as a protective barrier to minimize the damage.

Another solution to reverse the heat damage cause by the hair straightener is to get a deep conditioning treatment. This is a service that is performed at a salon or at home. Deep conditioning usually comes in the form of a thick mask and is meant to stay on the hair longer than a regular conditioner. (Nexxus.com) Deep conditioners are mean to revive and strengthen the hair. They are used to bring back moisture into the hair shaft. Deep conditioners are a great way to reverse damage and not to mention having this service done is relaxing. If done at a salon the cosmetologist will vigorously shampoo the hair then apply the deep conditioning mask, they’ll then massage the scalp and let it sit for about ten to fifteen minutes. If you purchase this product to use at home the process is similar. You wash with shampoo then apply the deep conditioner and let it sit for the allowed time and rinse. Your hair will be left feeling healthy and revitalized. Again, the hair straightener when used continuously does cause heat damage but thankfully there are products that can help. This deep conditioner is one of them.

Still wanting to have that trendy hair or hairstyle but are worried about the heat damage that the hair straightener causes? My decision would be to go ahead and purchase the popular hair straightening tool. The two products I mentioned such as the heat protectant and the deep condition will help tremendously in achieving your hair goals. Depending on which form of heat protectant you have available, it can be applied to the hair while damp and serves as a barrier to the heat from the tool. It is a great product and there is minimal to no damage done to the hair while using the hair straightener. On the other hand, if you have never used a heat protectant and the damage has already been done to the hair shaft, then there is the deep conditioning treatment that I also mentioned. It helps to bring moisture back into the hair. Your hair will feel so much healthier as this product is meant to revive the hair. The service can be done at a salon and while having your hair repaired, you also get a spa like treatment and relax. Or, this service can also be done at home. That’s a win, win for me. You’ll get the tool; you’ll have sleek hair and the trendy hair style that you have been on the fence about. Using these products will give you peace of mind that although the hair straightening tool causes heat damage, these two products have been made to help in repairing.

“Trending Hairstyles for 2024.” Cortiva Institute, www.cortiva.edu/blog/trending-hairstyles-for-2024

“hair straighteners.” Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries, Oxford University Press, www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/hair-straighteners.

“Scientists find new way to treat heat-damaged hair.” Phys.org, 25 Jan. 2021, phys.org/news/2021-01-scientists-heat-damaged-hair.html#google_vignette

“How to Straighten Hair with Heat Protection Spray.” wikiHow, www.wikihow.com/Straighten-Hair-with-Heat-Protection-Spray

“Heat Protection Spray.” Hairlust, www.hairlust.com/blogs/blog/heat-protection-spray

“What Is Deep Conditioning?” Nexxus, www.nexxus.com/us/en/haircare-101/what-is-deep-conditioning/