Has anyone tried this technique to help conditioner absorb?

[Zhennni(:]

I saw a video on youtube a while ago and this girl showed a way of conditioning her hair using a flat iron covered with foil. She put conditioner on damp and and run the iron through, she said the iron will help open the cuticles so the conditioner would penetrate better.
I tried this today after a henna treatment; I wrapped three layers of foil around a cermic flat iron and set the temperature to 140 degrees. The plates are warm, I ran it through each section of my hair and I definitely feel there are less conditioner on my hair after I run it through twice. I then rinsed the conditioner off after I am done and my hair felt super conditioned:) Has anyone else tried this technique? do you think it works?

[katsrevenge]

...I just rub it in like lotion. Works great.

I'd be worried about possible shock (to me) and heat damage over time!

[Zhennni(:]

The foil protects the hair from direct heat right :o I think it should be more effective since youre going over each section of your hair...but Im not sure. Could this be damaging?

[katsrevenge]

Unless she had that foil super smooth it would be all wrinkly and rough. I wouldn't do it...but I don't do heat.

I henna too.. afterwards I do a oil/conditioner soak and get silky hair.

It might be OK for you since you say you are a M/C?

[Zhennni(:]

I haven't noticed damage yet :p I'm going to wait for other peoples opinion on this before I do it again :o I do have coarse hair so it might work better on me :p

[Darkessa]

Im with Katsrevenge.
I simply massage the conditioner into the length of my hair while I shower, ill sing or talk to myself while doing it to help pass the time.
The foil and heat scare the crap outta me.
Foil alone scares me.......

[morrigan*]

Nice that it worked for you but i still think that 140 degrees is very hot to put on hair.

[Zhennni(:]

seems like this technique is risky :/ is foil really that bad..:P

[Zhennni(:]

With the foil the plates are just slightly warm, not hot at all:P

[OhioLisa]

Foil is metal. Metal is a heat conductor, not a diffuser. Then there is the issue of potential mechanical damage from pulling downward on the hair as it is tightly held between the plates. I think a heat cap is a much better solution.

[Zhennni(:]

:o thanks for the feedback, I probably won't do it again then x)

[blondie9912]

I agree, metal is a conductor of heat, which is potentially problematic. I'm also having a hard time visualizing this... Sounds pretty dangerous :p I wouldn't recommend repeating this.

[blondie9912]

You can try a heat cap, or simply having conditioner in your hair during a hot shower.

[Zhennni(:]

:o I found the orignial video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqruPfjYpEg

[Amazinggrace]

I would not do it. Wet conitioner, with foil ,that conducts heat going over your damp hair.

I think it is, at best a risk of damaging your hair, at worst a risk of electical shock. Flat iorns are not made to have foil placed on top of them.

[Zhennni(:]

:o I'm glad I asked before I did it again ! I didn't notice damage whew:)

[Amber_Maiden]

I would definitely not do that to my hair. I doubt the foil would protect my hair from the heat damage.

[pepperminttea]

Foil is metal. Metal is a heat conductor, not a diffuser. Then there is the issue of potential mechanical damage from pulling downward on the hair as it is tightly held between the plates. I think a heat cap is a much better solution.

Agreed. If it's hot enough that it would hurt to touch it with your hands, it's too hot for your hair.

[morrigan*]

You can also wrap your hair in plastic bag or cap and then put wool cap on top off that, or slightly warm it up wit blowdryer.

[molly_grue]

yikes, I would be too scared of frying my hair to do that!

[Katze]

Okay, water boils at 100 degrees, right? So what does that do to your hair to be heated that hot?!?

Not good things, I would bet!

[xoxophelia]

As a general rule of thumb, anything that significantly causes expansion of the cuticle and opens the shingles of it, will cause some damage to your hair. If hair is significantly damaged, the cuticle is already less even and so the conditioner will fill in more gaps and possibly cling to hair more.

Gentle heat, like from our scalps when the hair is under a shower cap, is really enough.

Plus, with this technique, the jagged hot metal rubbing against wet hair sounds like a recipe for disaster.

[xoxophelia]

Okay, water boils at 100 degrees, right? So what does that do to your hair to be heated that hot?!?

Not good things, I would bet!

Well water boils at 100 degrees C.. I am guessing that the OP was posting temperature in F.

[Long_hair_bear]

I wouldn't try it mainly because my hair does not like heat at all. It hissed like a cat at it. :whip:

[Henrietta]

I would never try it. Sounds like cooking hair.
And if the temp. was given in F, not C, then 140F is 60C. I don't think we need that much heat, still, to help a conditioner adsorb. It's enough to wrap a plastic bag and a towel around one's heat, and maybe warp it up with a blowdryer. I would never apply heat so directly on wet hair.

And sorry for auto advertising but with my method of applying a conditioner (the link in my signature) you can end up with much less condish on your hair too, some people reported it, which means the absorption is better as well. Without heat.

[kittensoupnrice]

Well, I'm looking at the video, and it seems to me that you'd probably get just as good, if not better, results with conditioner, shower cap, and heat cap.

The foil in this case isn't a diffuser, it's adding distance and air between the plates and the hair.
I'm guessing mostly minimal damage from the foil, as the conditioner is lubricating everything.

Still, I'd opt for the heat cap like I mentioned above. Less hassle, less risk of electrocution, and really, why risk it? The heat cap gets you the heat, the moisture, and you won't be doing extra hair manipulation/pulling/brushing/etc. That, and you can watch TV (or read LHC!) while you're letting your hair marinate. :)

[snowfaery]

I wouldn't do this method though it probably wouldn't damage my hair anymore than what I already do when I straighten at 360 degrees F. My hair doesn't respond well to lower heat temps yet, I'm slowly training it to respond lower and lower considering I started at 410 degrees.

[PixxieStix]

"eek" was my first thought. I'd much rather put conditioner on my head with a shower cap and warm it up a bit, and leave it on longer than try to use extra heat to squeeze it into the hair shaft so to speak. I don't think one time would show significant damage by any means, but could see it being potentially harmful over time. I've found that time on your head is really the best method to allow conditioning / oil treatments to "soak in." The theory behind it is not bad (warm hair absorbs more conditioner, etc.), but the execution is where it goes wrong. The less manipulation on your hair, the better.

[lapushka]

She wraps foil around a hot straightening iron. ?! :thud:

[Zhennni(:]

okay sounds like I have amde a mistake trying this out :/ thanks everybody though! I'll just leave the conditioner in like i nomrally do ..xD

[morrigan*]

And if the temp. was given in F, not C, then 140F is 60C.
I have never seen flat iron which would have lower temperatures than 140 °C, even that is not very comon, so i dobout that this was in F.

[rusika1]

Okay, water boils at 100 degrees, right? So what does that do to your hair to be heated that hot?!?

Not good things, I would bet!

Psst, Katze--youve been in Europe a long time now! 100C=212F ;)

[Hollyfire3]

To the OP, although the idea turned out to be bad in the long term, please do not feel as though you made a mistake. You found an idea, wanted to try it and it worked, despite the long term and short term possibly problems. Be grateful you tried something new and did not get an damage No harm, No foul (excuse the cliche). Just know that while the thinking was good, in practice the idea seems dangerous. Do what you will with the advice given by everyone, but i am happy you tried something new and reported here before continuing and risking further damage.:D

[Seeshami]

seems like this technique is risky :/ is foil really that bad..:P

Sweet foil is going to conduct the heat, it will be just as hot as the iron.


I would honestly soak your hair in conditioner and let it sit in there. Take a bubble bath and read a book while you wait. This sounds like one of those crazy things people try only to find their hair hating them months later.