1. Hydrate Your Hair: Dehydration is the main result of heat styling. Heat from the sun's UV rays, your washing water, or your favorite flat iron can dry out your hair, making it brittle and drab.
2. Protect Your Strands: Using your flat irons, blow dryers, and curling wands on hair that isn't protected? That can't happen. Before you use a hot tool on your hair, you should spray or work a heat protectant through it.
3. Give Your Hair a Styling Break: Do you heat style daily? Relax and enjoy your hair's natural texture. When it rains or is extremely humid, use a leave-in conditioner to damp hair and let it air dry or be braided or bunned.
4. Keep the Heat Low: When using hot tools, select the lowest setting that still gets you the desired outcome. Flat irons and curling irons can be used on a medium setting and blow-dyers on their lowest heat setting with speed adjustments to dry faster.
5. Never Use Hot Tools on Wet Hair: Never let your hair sizzle like fried food. If you hear a sound while styling, your hair isn't dry and you may be damaging it. Avoid hot tools until your hair is completely dried!
6. Boost Shine: After styling your hair, you might want to use a hair oil that conditions and makes it shine. A drop or two can help your hair get back its wetness, look healthy and shiny, and smooth out your strands.