Prevent damage to your hair and create the ideal style that lasts
At home many people use curlers or heated styling appliances (hot air stylers, straighteners) as well their hairdryer to create a longer-lasting hairstyle. These heated appliances have a reputation for being more damaging than hairdryers, but used effectively they can be a very useful tool. Unlike hairdryers they can be set to a constant temperature to smooth the cuticles down evenly, making your hair shiny and giving it body.
Here are some points to be aware of when styling with heated appliances:
- Always dry your hair fully with a hairdryer before use.
- Do not use an oil-based heat protection hair product.
- Choose your temperature setting carefully.
If you use straighteners or hot air stylers frequently, or if you colour or perm your hair, keep the temperature no higher than 130°C. To straighten hair near the roots and bring out your hair’s shine, set the temperature from 160°C up to a maximum of 180°C. For the ends of your hair, ideally try to keep the temperature as low as possible. A temperature setting of 130°C should be enough to make your hair shiny and create curls. If you continue using your heated styling appliance frequently, the heat will alter the condition of your hair causing it to become wiry or the colour to fade. If this happens, the heat causes a chemical reaction in the protein within your hair, and chemicals such as perms or hair dye will become ineffective. For this reason, it is important not to overuse your straighteners and hot air stylers.
- Do not look in the mirror while styling your hair with heated appliances. If you focus on looking in the mirror, the straighteners or hot air stylers will not move as you may expect them to. They are easier to use if you are looking downwards.
- When using straighteners, do not pull at your hair. Do not press too hard on the straighteners and do not re-style the same spot over and over.
- When using straighteners, try not to move your wrist too much. Instead, move your arm in a large arc.
- When using a hot air styler, work with small sections of hair. Using small sections of hair makes it easier to get the hot air styler close to the roots and allows you to create a delicate curl at the ends.
Straighteners will heat your hair just by closing the appliance around you hair. Move the straighteners slowly over your hair at a low temperature, without letting it burn. When using a hot air styler, it may seem very difficult to divide your hair into sections, but if you use it in the same way as straighteners, running it through the section of hair starting from the roots, then twirling it through the length of hair, you can create a beautiful curl from the mid-section to the tips. Heated appliances should always be used sparingly and only when necessary. Styling products should be applied after you have finished using the straighteners or hot air styler. You can use hairspray or oil-based products to protect your hair and hold your style in place.