1. Make sure you are using professional styling tools
YES! This absolutely matters! Non-Professional styling tools tend to use low quality metal which heats up to temperatures so high they really shouldn’t even be on our hair, and even with super high temperatures they don’t tend to get the hair as smoothe or hold a curl as well as professional styling tools. Did you know that non-professional styling tools are one of the leading causes of dry, brittle hair?
2. Keep the temperatures low
Commonly enough, we all put our hot tools on the highest heat setting, . "All heat tools are not created equal. Some hair textures cannot handle high heat settings causing breakage and dryness. Start with a lower setting especially if you have fine or fragile hair chemical services like keratins, relaxers, and color."
3. Make sure your hair is fully dry before styling with heat
The high heat in flat irons and curlers can instantly vaporize any trapped water in the hair, aka flash drying, causing significant damage to both the internal structures, hair proteins, and cuticles". So before going in with any sort of iron, make sure all the moisture has been blowdried or airdried away.
4. Don't overdo it on the hair spray
If you overspray a spot, the iron can accumulate more heat in that section, causing it to burn the hair. Instead, you should use a flexible hairspray when you curl and stronger hold hairsprays when you're setting.
5. Be gentle around your hairline
Sometimes people have more fragile hair in the front than the back, which is entirely normal, especially if you pull your hair back or twist it. Between the tension and high heat, the hair is over manipulated and snaps. The way we fix this is to lower the heat setting when styling the front pieces. Also, keep in mind how long you are in one spot of the hair when styling so the heat doesn't accumulate too fast."
6. Should you use ceramic or titanium hair tools?
Well, that depends on hair texture and preference.
Ceramic tools are softer on your hair and, thus better for dry, damaged hair. One of the most significant factors in using titanium plates is the heat transfer capacity. Titanium hair tools usually heat up within seconds and are an effective flat ironing option to heat up the surface of your hair immediately.
Blow Dryers:
Hot Tools Professional Rainbow Turbo Ceramic Hair Dryer
Drybar Buttercup Blow-Dryer
Elchim 3900
Flat Irons:
GHD Platinum +
BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Ultra
Bio Ionic 10X Pro Styling Iron
Curling Irons:
Bio Ionic Long Barrel Styler
BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium
HOT TOOLS Pro Artist Nano Ceramic
Beachwaver B1 Rotating Curling Iron
Amika The Chameleon