The "Do's" and "Don'ts" of Heat Styling
Even healthy hair will suffer under the repeated use of hot curling irons, rollers, and blow dryers. Styling with high heat further damages fragile hair, and can make a dry scalp more flaky and itchy.
Follow these styling suggestions to ensure that your hair stays healthy and looking its best:
- Use a conditioner formulated to help protect hair from moisture loss every time you shampoo.
- After washing, towel-dry hair or let it air dry until just damp. Complete drying with your blow-dryer set at the lowest heat setting.
- If you're in a hurry and can't wait for air drying, use a diffuser nozzle on your blow dryer for gentler drying.
- To help long, thick hair dry evenly, divide the hair into layers. Pin up the top two sections and dry the bottom layer first. Next, unpin and dry the middle layer, then the top section.
- Point the blow dryer so that the air flows in the same direction the hair grows, away from the scalp. This will help the hair cuticle lie flat, giving your hair a shinier appearance.
- Hot rollers and curling irons work best on clean, dry hair that has a small amount of styling product added. Heating wet or damp hair on a hot roller or iron damages the hair, and the curl will not hold as well.
- Dry hair completely before straightening it with a flat iron. You will get better results and will avoid "steaming" damage into your hair.
- Keep the flat iron moving through the hair as you straighten it. Press sections that are no more than 1/8 of an inch thick. If you feel you can't eliminate the curl, try reducing the thickness of the section you're pressing.
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