While heat-based styling products such as a hair dryer, straightening iron, curling iron or hot rollers can make hair look good, their frequent use can cause damage over time. Signs that hair may be altered due to the heat include the presence of split ends, dryness or dull-appearing hair. The reason for this is that heat products can zap moisture from the hair, as exposure to heat products can cause the hair's outer layer to expand and release trapped-in moisture, which leaves your hair feeling brittle or dry. While some damage, such as split ends, may be permanent, it is possible to reverse and improve some of the damage to the hair.
Use Safe Heated Hair Products
Throw away any heat styling products older than five years. As your heat styling appliances age, the temperature gauge becomes more likely to work incorrectly.
Additionally, you should use the safest forms of heated hair styling tools, which tend to be ceramic-plated. A ceramic-plated--preferable to ceramic-coated--straight iron or curling iron heats more evenly, preventing damage to small portions of the hair.
Use a Heat-Protecting Styler
Before using heat products, you should apply a heat-protecting conditioner, lotion or spray. These products strengthen the hair's cuticle and penetrate the hair to prevent moisture from seeping out of the hair shaft.
You should also regularly use a conditioner, which will retain and restore moisture. Look for ingredients such as silicones, polyquaternium, amino acids, panthenol or mineral oil, which all have conditioning properties. Deep condition with a hair mask that contains products such as stearyl or cetyl alcohol, both fatty alcohol sources associated with repairing heat styling damage.
Follow Directions Carefully
Heat styling products do not always damage hair, but their misuse can result in problems and signs of heat damage. Make sure you read the directions of any heat styling product correctly and avoid a higher heat setting than is absolutely necessary. As a general rule, the thicker or more coarse your hair, the higher the setting. If your hair is very thin or fine, you should not have to apply a significant amount of heat.
Be sure to dry the hair to the point where it is between 80 and 90 percent dry and wait a few minutes before applying heat products. If the hair is still wet, it is more vulnerable to damage, yet blow drying it completely can often lead to excessive dryness.
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