Live simulator · Heat
Heat Damage Risk Simulator
Move the sliders to match how you actually dry your hair. Watch the cuticle respond in real time — and see which habit is driving your heat-stress number.
Heat settingMedium
CoolLowMediumHigh
Distance from hair12 cm
5 cm (close)30 cm
Time on one section8 sec
Always movingLingering
Heat-styling per week5 ×
OnceTwice daily
Colour-treated or bleachedMore porous and vulnerable to heat.
I use a heat protectantAdds a buffer between heat and the cuticle.
34/100
Heat-stress level
Moderate
GentleModerateHighSevere
Your cuticle still lies fairly flat — light to moderate stress.
Bring the number down
The biggest levers, in order of impact for your settings:
Distance and steady motion are the habits that move this number most — and they're easier to keep when your hands are free and the dryer holds its own position.
A simplified, educational model for illustration — not a measurement of your hair's condition or medical advice. Directional, based on hair-science research on heat, distance and cuticle integrity.
Good to know
Heat damage & hair — FAQ
The usual signs are dryness, dullness, more frizz and split ends — the cuticle (hair's outer layer) lifting and roughening. The simulator above shows how heat level, distance, how long you linger and how often you style each push that risk up.
Hair is mostly keratin, which begins to soften and become vulnerable to structural change around 150°C. Many styling tools and the hottest dryer settings can exceed that, which is why distance, movement and a lower setting matter so much.
It helps. A heat protectant puts a thin buffer between the heat source and the cuticle and can reduce moisture loss during styling. It's not a force field — pairing it with sensible heat and distance does the most good.
There's no single number, but frequency compounds — the cuticle needs recovery time. Building in heat-free days, using lower temperatures and keeping the dryer moving all lower the cumulative stress, which is exactly what the simulator illustrates.