Hair tips and tricks will help keep your locks free from heat damage and looking healthy and beautiful!

Let’s be honest ladies, hardly a day goes by when we don’t use some form of a heat styling tool on our hair for the sake of beauty, be it a hair dryer, straightening iron or curling iron. The dangers of excessive or improper use of heat styling tools when drying or styling your hair and the resultant heat damage are vast. One could be left with atrocious split ends or dry and brittle hair, to name a few. The allure of sleek, straight hair or bouncy curls is tempting, but if you keep in mind the following tips, you are sure to keep your locks looking healthy and damage free.

Investing in the correct tools will be your first line of defence against heat damage. The cheaper the price of the heat styling tool usually lends towards a lower quality grade of products used to manufacture the heat styling tool. Thus, it’s worthwhile to pay an extra penny for your heat styling tools as they will be made with a higher quality grade of products, as well as allowing for a variety of heat settings which will be kinder on your hair in the long run.

Want to know how to choose the best hair tools for your hair type.

Try to allow your hair to air dry as much as possible as this will lessen the amount of heat exposure your hair receives.

Before using any heat styling tool, it’s best to always apply a heat protectant spray to your hair. You will find a variety of heat protectant sprays to suit any budget retailing in stores these days.

When you start using your chosen heat styling tool, be it a blow dryer, straightening iron or curling iron, it’s beneficial to start using the heat styling tool on the lowest heat setting first and then slowly increase the heat setting if needed.

Hold the hair dryer a fair distance away from your head while drying your hair. About 10cm will allow the heat to dry or style the hair without impacting too much direct heat onto the hair. Also, remove any attachments or nozzles when blow drying your hair as these nozzles direct the hot air flow in a very specific and dense area which leads to faster heat damage. By keeping the nozzles off the hair dryer you are allowing the air to flow through freely and onto a much wider area of hair.

Decide if you want to use a hair dryer or straightening/curling iron…don’t use both as that is doubling the amount of exposure your hair is getting to  heat damage. If you are going to be using a straightening iron or curling iron, try to provide for time to allow your hair to air dry first thus minimizing the amount of heat exposure your hair receives.

It is possible to style hair without heat damage. You can choose to forego heat styling tools altogether a few times a month and give your hair a break from the relentless pounding of heat. You can achieve ready to go styled hair without the heat damage when air drying your hair as you can throw your hair up into a loose messy bun or a ponytail leaving your hair to dry overnight or as you go about your day. An easy way to achieve loose bohemian type waves without letting your hair suffer through heat damage is by gathering your hair into loose braids after washing and towel drying your hair. The more braids you gather your hair into, the tighter and curlier the waves will be. Proceed to leave your hair in braids overnight. When you awake in the morning, undo the braids and you will be left with gorgeous wavy hair.

Try and limit the use of heat styling tools and try to go without it when you don’t need it, such as when you are staying in or over the weekend.

I hope these hair tips and tricks will help keep your locks free from heat damage and looking healthy and beautiful!

Article by: Renée Andrea Reddy http://www.beautybulletin.com/blog-directory/our-bloggers/the-lite-side-of-life