Protecting Hair From Blow Dryer and Flat Iron Damage

If you use flat irons or blow dryers on a daily basic, protecting your hair might be a real concern. Protecting hair from heat damage is one of the biggest concerns stylists hear from their clients in the salon. Whether your hair is curly, thick, thin, long or short, it can be damaged easily by a flat iron or blow dryer. You may be well aware of the damage hair color or chlorine can do to your hair. But, heat damage is much more commonly seen by stylists.

Damaged hair can prevent your hair from looking healthy. Heat damage can cause split ends, frizzy hair or hair breakage. You may think you need to buy expensive hair products from designer lines like Paul Mitchell or Sephora but you can get great protection from many generic hair products as well.

Use these tips to preven

t hair heat damage from occurring and learn how to use a flat iro

n or blow dryer without damaging your hair’s style and shine!

Prepare Your Hair
One of the easiest ways to protect your hair when us

ing a flat iron or blow dryer is to prepare your hair for the heat it will endure. Instead of just using a comb or brush to prepare your hair for drying or straightening, take more action. After you wash and

condition your hair, consider using one of the many new beauty products

which focus on heat protection. These products can be found for the hair in various types such as sprays, serums, lotions and gels. The best products are lightweight, heat-activated and include hair-healthy ingredients. Some of the most popular heat protection products include Redken’s Smooth Down Heat Glide, FHI Heat Hot Sauce and CHI Silk Infusion.

Blow Dry On Low: Use Only The Heat You Need
Have you ever noticed how a professional stylist rarely blow dries your hair on anything but low heat and speed? This is not so they can avoid getting to their next client but is because blow drying can cause a flash drying effect on your hair. When done at excessive temperatures, it can remove surface moisture and hair hydration. This can lead to your hair becoming brittle, dry and frizzy. It’s best to avoid blow drying your hair on a daily basis. But, if you can’t break the habit be sure to take the extra time to blow dry your hair at a lower temperature. With most hair dryers made equipped with several heat levels and speeds, this should not be a problem. Along the same line, be sure to only use as much heat as you need not only when blow drying your hair but also when flat ironing your hair. Thin hair may not require as much heat for effective flat ironing as thick hair.

Only Flat Iron Clean And Dry Hair

Experts say those who flat iron hair with buildup of previously used hair products in it is putting themselves at risk for hair heat damage. Even the slightest dampness in hair can literally cause the hair to “cook” if you try to flat iron it, which will swell the hair shaft and cause the protective hair moisture to be removed.

While you may not be able to give up your blow dryer or flat iron for an extended period of time, be sure to give your hair a little break every now and then. In addition, when you must use heat on your hair be sure to use as little heat as possible and protect it beforehand with a hair protecting product.