Leah LOVES hair. So much so, she dedicated an entire website to it! One of the founders of Hair Everyday and Chief Editor, Leah enjoys reviewing all the hair products and showcasing the best. She believes her most underrated articles are her hair care tips!
Are wet to dry straighteners bad for your hair? Can you straighten your hair damp? And how exactly do you use a wet hair straightener brush? Learn it right here!
Do you often have rushed mornings where you are juggling between each of your morning chores and styling your hair and ended up running late?
I must admit that the struggle is real and I’m sure you aren’t alone!
Many women face this problem and are often in a predicament of whether to blow dry their wet hair or just use a wet to dry hair straightener when in a hurry.
Are wet to dry straighteners better than blow dryers? Are they actually safe to use on your hair?
Can they actually be an advantage to you? What’s the right way to use them? Well,
I’m sure that these questions often pop into the minds of many of you women out there and this article has got it all covered for you!
So let’s get into the details.
Related: Best Wet To Dry Flat Iron
What are wet to dry straighteners and how do they work?
Wet to dry straighteners are exactly what the name suggests them to be! They look just like any other normal hair straightener would, but they do the job of a blow dryer and of a hair straightener, combined!
Yes, a two-in-one device you got there!
Usually, after we wash our hair and before we begin to straighten our hair perfectly, we need to make sure that it is completely dry before using a regular straightener on the hair.
Well, this two-step process becomes redundant if you own a wet to dry straightener because that device will dry your hair while also straightening it, so it not only saves you the money but also your time!
Wet to dry straighteners will obviously not work on soaking wet hair, but on damp hair (after you’ve pat dried your hair with a towel). They work on the steam technology of drying the hair by getting rid of the excess water.
While blow dryers strip your hair of all the moisture, using a wet to dry hair straightener will prevent all the moisture from getting lost from your hair because of the latest steam technology it uses.
Are Wet To Dry Straighteners Bad For Your Hair 2023
Can wet to dry straighteners damage our hair?
Now while I have provided information on the advantages of wet to dry straighteners, I’m sure this question still does cross most people’s minds and it is definitely a fair thought to have.
Well, I am going to have to be completely honest here and tell you that the answer to this question is most definitely a yes.
It can certainly cause some amount of damage to your hair because working on wet hair itself isn’t a recommended method.
The reason being that hair is very fragile when wet, so when combined with high temperatures, the chances of hair breakage increases.
Therefore, using wet to dry straighteners on a regular basis is not ideal.
Even though the results may be better and the time you can save is an advantage, the damage it can do to your hair in the long run (over frequent usage) should definitely be taken into consideration.
Overall, wet to dry hair straighteners aren’t necessarily dangerous, as long as you use them correctly. Before commencing the process, make sure that you are familiar with any safety instructions associated with the product and always ensure that you are using the appropriate heat levels at all times.
What is the right way to use a wet to dry straightener to prevent damage?
Here are the ideal steps to be followed while using a wet to dry straightener:
Step 1: Getting rid of excess water
This step is very essential while using a wet to dry straightener because these straighteners will not work on hair that is soaking wet. They only work on hair that is damp.
So there are two ways you can get rid of the excess water by either pat drying your hair with a towel before starting the straightening process or using the blow dryer for a couple of minutes instead of towel drying.
Step 2: Untangling and using a heat protection spray
It is essential to get rid of all the tangles in your hair before starting the straightening process. (Now this is another reason why you cannot do it on wet hair because untangling wet hair will cause it to break easily).
After the tangles have been removed, use a heat protectant spray all over your hair, to protect hair from heat damage.
Step 3: Setting the right mode on the straightener
Remember to switch the mode to ‘wet’ mode and choose the right temperature setting as per your hair type and texture.
Caution: Remember not to hold the straightener too close to your scalp because the steam released from the steam vents can cause scalp burns.
How to choose the right wet to dry straightener?
Choosing the right device is very important. Here are two tips you could use when buying a wet to dry straightener.
One important aspect to take note of is the type of plates the device has. Most devices come with either ceramic of titanium plates and choosing the right one depends on your hair type.
Ceramic plates are gentle on the hair, as compared to titanium plates and help reduce frizz and make the hair look more smooth and shiny.
Titanium plates are more studier as compared to ceramic plates and are often used on hair that is coarse and thick in texture and volume.
When it comes to choosing the right plates, keep in mind the plate size as well, because the longer, thicker and coarser your hair is, the broader the plates need to be (at least 2 inches wide).
If you have shorter and normal or thinner/fine hair, then going in for a 1 or 1.5 inch wide plate would be ideal.
Another important aspect is, certain wet to dry straighteners have built-in nano combs attached to the plates.
These combs help further detangle the hair while the straightening process is going on. They not only help evenly disperse the heat, but also provide the user with more control over the device while straightening their hair.
Can I Straighten My Wet Hair?
The debate about wet to dry hair straighteners has been raging for a while now and the answers may vary between different sources.
So, can wet hair be straightened? The short answer is yes, but it’s a more complicated situation than most think. When you use hair straightener on wet hair, high temperatures will quickly put a stop to any water molecules evaporating from the wet strands, meaning that they may become sealed in place.
This can cause open cuticles which can lead to hair damage and even breaking. Furthermore, the steam created during the process can potentially cause burns – not something you’d want to experience!
If you still wish to go ahead and straighten wet hair, using a quality straightener that is specifically made for the job is absolutely essential. These will likely feature adjustable temperature levels and most importantly, they will be designed to significantly decrease the amount of steam they create, which should make the process less risky.
As with anything, taking the necessary care when straightening wet hair will create safer results than those of someone who’s a little too trigger happy.
As tempting as it may be to apply a significant amount of heat all at once, this will only cause more damage. Start with the lowest setting and gradually build up the temperature as you become more comfortable with the task at hand.
Why not use a blow dryer instead of a wet to dry straightener?
While wet to dry straighteners are definitely time saving, blow dryers will always remain a convenient hair tool for most women. Yes, there’s no convincing some! But let us discuss the details and you guys can make your choice thereafter.
Well, it is no secret that any sort of heat treatment is harmful for the hair, be it a regular hair straightener, wet to dry straightener, curling iron or blow dryer.
But then, what makes blow dryers different from a wet to dry straightener here is the way the heat falls over your hair.
Blow dryers, even though they use heat treatment, the heat gets dispersed all over your hair because the blow dryer is constantly being moved around to evenly dry up the hair.
On the other hand, while using a wet to dry hair straightener, the application of heat is doubled and the heat is concentrated in one particular area of hair for a longer time, in repeated movements to the same area.
Since wet to dry straighteners also have to dry up the hair while straightening it, the damp hair requires more heat to dry it up.
Therefore, some people prefer using a blow dryer to reduce the excess water on the hair, before using the wet to dry hair straightener.
Do wet to dry straighteners work on all hair types?
Yes, they most certainly do! But like I mentioned above, choosing the right type of plates and plate size is definitely something you should consider keeping in mind your hair type and texture.
What are the benefits of wet to dry straighteners?
Just like every other product, while the wet to dry straightener has its fair share of disadvantages, it does have certain advantages as well.
Here they are:
1. Lesser time consumed:
Now a regular hair straightening process takes up quite some time between blow-drying the hair to get rid of all the moisture and then using a regular straightener to straighten your hair.
This reduces to half the time spent if you use a wet to dry straightener.
If you simply use it while your hair is damp, the steam technology will get rid of the moisture while at the same time straightening your hair in the process.
2. Better hold over the hairstyle:
Whenever you use a wet to dry straightener you can expect good results like keeping your hair smooth and frizz-free for longer periods without having to do frequent touch ups.
Well, isn’t that a boon? Getting rid of frizz is always hard, because frizz appears when the cuticles of the hair shaft often due to excessive heat.
3. Prevents excessive hair damage:
Well, while it is no secret that any heat hair tool causes hair damage, using a wet to dry straightener can definitely minimize this damage.
Firstly, it doesn’t completely strip the hair of all its moisture. And also, using the heat treatment combined with steam technology retains a certain amount of moisture to straighten the hair with reduced damage.
The final takeaway on wet to dry hair straighteners
Well, guys, I must admit that this topic is rather debatable.
While the wet to dry straighteners have their advantages, their disadvantages may seem overpowering.
So in my opinion, I would say that using these wet to dry straighteners on a less frequent basis is advisable.
Also Read:
How To Straighten Hair With Blow Dryer
To Summarize
