Hair endures heat styling regularly, from straightening and blow-drying to curling and waving. Although all of those hot tools tend to make our hair look more put together, all of that heat styling can lead to severe hair damage. What is heat damage? Heat damages include dryness, breakage, and split ends due to too much styling using hot tools.

How YOU Can Avoid Heat Damage

People love their hot tools, and abandoning them isn’t going to happen. Even though you cannot stop using your hot tools, you can minimize the damage they make by following these helpful tips from hair care experts. These hacks help reduce the likelihood of heat damage, improve your hair’s health overall, and are easy to implement into your styling routine.

DON’T HEAT-STYLE DAMP HAIR

No matter how late you are or how big of a rush, you should NEVER use hot tools on your damp hair. When you do this, you are frying your wet hair, which is much more fragile than dry hair. To avoid this kind of damage, you should use these hot tools on dry hair only.

KNOW THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE

You should always make sure that you are using the right temperature when styling your hair. Keep in mind that thinner, more delicate hair is more susceptible to damage, so it is always better to use a lower temperature. Keeping the temperature under 200 degrees Fahrenheit when straightening or curling your hair is a good rule of thumb. If your hair is thicker and can take more heat, keep your hot tools set between 200 and 300 degrees, but try not to style your hair as often.

DON’T OVERDO IT

Even though heat-styled hair is pretty, you should do your best to heat-style as little as possible. Most people don’t realize the extent of the heat they are exposing to their hair. You should take a week to assess how often you reach for your hot tools. If it is more than once or twice, your hair may become damaged and brittle, no matter how cautious you are or how much deep conditioning you use. You should try cutting back on heat styling, and try heatless hairstyles.

USE HEAT PROTECTANT

A good silicone-based heat protectant will create a barrier between hair and heat exposure, which will prevent hair damage. Silicone coats the strand and prevents moisture from reaching the hair shaft. It also keeps moisturizers from being absorbed into your hair, so make sure to apply a light moisturizer before using a heat protectant.

For more information on how to protect your hair from heat damage consult with one of our expert hair stylists at Clayton Hair Salon. Call 919-795-6742 for an appointment.