8 tips for cutting down on damage when straightening your hair
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Lather your hair with a smoothing shampoo and conditioner.Start when you're washing your hair to save time later. Daniel Berehulak/Getty ImagesStarting the process in the shower will allow your hair to take to straightening easier. This means less time that your hair needs to be under the heat, according to professional hair-care brand Schwarzkopf. Use clips to section off your hair.This will allow you to only go over each spot once. Parilov/ShutterstockThis allows you to have better access to each section of your hair, preventing you from having to go over the same pieces again and again. Instead of reaching behind the top layer of your hair, clip it up to allow for easy reach to your bottom layer. Wait until your hair has fully dried.Don't try to straighten fresh-out-of-the-shower hair. Roberto Peri/Getty ImagesIf you try to straighten your hair before it’s fully dry, odds are your hair won’t take to the heat as easily. As a result, you’ll be forced to go over the same hair more times, leading to increased damage. According to SELF, "Ironing wet hair causes the moisture to burst out in little steam explosions. This causes a bubbling and buckling of the cuticle that appear as tiny hair blisters under magnification." Apply a heat protectant before straightening.They can make a huge difference. stockfour/ShutterstockWhile you may not want to buy an extra product if you don’t need it, heat protectants can make a huge difference in keeping your hair healthy. Just spray on or rub in a little right before you straighten your hair to maximize its effects. Even better, some heat protectants double as a smoothing or sine product, making your hair look even more amazing once you’re done. Hold your hair out tightly.Be sure to create tension. Tookapic/PexelsInstead of running your straightener over loose hair, take the current strand and hold it away from your body until it becomes tight. Creating this tension can improve the efficiency of your straightener, meaning you won’t have to go over the same section as often. Use hair masks regularly.Hair masks can do wonders on damaged hair. progressman/ShutterstockIn order to lessen the impact of your straightener, use a restorative hair mask. This will allow your hair to rejuvenate, staying healthy longer. For more great stories, head to INSIDER's homepage. Read next LoadingSomething is loading. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. More... I remember the first time I was ever introduced to a straightening iron. I was in fifth grade, and I watched in awe as my friend turned her hair full of ringlet curls into smooth, flat locks. It was a moment that launched my mostly love but sometimes hate relationship with flat irons. After many years of trying almost everything possible that promised to smooth my strands, I've picked up on important tips and tricks to achieve the look I want: straight hair without heat damage — aka, attaining sleek, frizz-free style that doesn't compromise a healthy head of hair in the process. If you're like me, and part of your daily beauty routine involves smoothing out natural curls or waves, there are many ways for you to achieve the look you want while eliminating the unwanted damage to your locks. It could be as simple as snagging a thermal protecting product to shield your hair against heat damage, or you might need a heat-adjustable iron to avoid using the wrong temperature on your straightener that causes strands to dry out or break off. So, shake off the haters who tell you that you can't have your cake and eat it, too, because these damage-free flat hair fix-ups are total game-changers. Prep Your Strands With A Smoothing Shampoo And ConditionerRusk Deepshine Keratin Care Set, $21, Amazon This heat repair shampoo and conditioner contains natural Keratin, a high-shine smoothing agent, as well as marine botanicals to prep and protect your hair for future heat styling. The conditioning agents replenish moisture your hair has lost during countless battles with the flat iron, and the set is able to restore vibrancy and elasticity to color-treated hair, too. Use A Powerful Thermal Protectant Before Applying HeatBamboo Anti-Breakage Thermal Protectant Spray, $13, Amazon This replenishing protective spray works its magic in three steps: It protects your hair from the damaging effects of exposure to high temperatures, it smooths and adds shine as you run your straightener through, and it repairs existing dryness and breakage. With this simple prep step, your hair won't have a straw-like, unmanageable texture after your next flat-ironing session. Section Your Hair While Straightening Using Taming Hair ClipsHair Tamer Styling Clips (6 pack), $6, Amazon By sectioning your hair while you straighten using these heavy duty hair clips, you will cut your morning prep time in half. These clips will hold up even the thickest hair as they self-adjust to your mane. Start with your bottom layer, splitting your hair down the middle in the back and pulling each side forward. When you're rushing and trying to straighten random chunks of hair, the heat isn't being fully applied to hair — leaving you frustrated and likely resigned to a messy bun, yet again. Use A Straightener With Ceramic PlatesXtava Goddess Flat Iron, $35, Amazon Having a flat iron with ceramic tourmaline plates is vital to maintaining healthy hair when it's constantly exposed to heat. The ceramic plates on this straightener protect the hair with negatively charged ions, and tourmaline is a gemstone that also works to keep your strands smooth. This iron even protects color-treated hair and includes an adjustable LCD temperature display, so you can stay in control of how much heat you want. Or Avoid Re-Straightening With A Fast Recovery-Time ToolMHD Professional Hair Straightener, $36, Amazon Between strokes, your straightener loses heat and can take time to get back to its start setting. It's important to choose the ceramic-plated straightener with a fast recovery time to keep styling consistent and to reduce damage caused by going over strands repeatedly to reach the look you want. This iron also has an instant heat-up feature that's perfect for hectic mornings or last-minute date prep. One user claims it's truly "the best straightening iron" and cut nearly 20 minutes from her routine. For Travel, Choose the Easy Temp-Control, Dual Voltage ToolKadori Temperature Control Dual Voltage, $50, Amazon If you're in the habit of always setting your flat iron at the highest possible temperature setting, turn down the heat with an easily adjustable flat iron. Hair with an average texture should be ironed at 300 to 380 degrees, and thick or coarse hair should be at a temperature in the 350 to 400-degree range. If you hear sizzling, smell strands burning, or see creases that are being created by the heat, you have your setting up too high. (Bonus: This straightener comes with dual voltage, so it's perfect to pack for your next travel overseas!) Treat Hair With Repairing Coconut Oil Once A MonthHair Chemist Coconut Oil Deep Repair Masque, $11, Amazon If you apply heat to your hair on a daily basis, show your locks some extra love by applying this deeply restorative hair mask once a month. (One user even said applying this mask once improved her hair's condition ten-fold.) The mask's coconut oil is the perfect solution for dry or damaged hair, thanks to its jojoba seed oil, beeswax, and cocoa seed butter. Just comb it through your hair post-shower, and leave it on for seven minutes before rinsing it out to let your revitalized hair air-dry. Embrace The Good Ol' Fashioned Air-Dry With A Bamboo Hair TowelBamboo Hair Towel, $10, Amazon Give your hair (and arms) a break at least once a week, and reduce your hair's exposure to heat by letting it air-dry with a towel made with the sustainable bamboo plant. This absorbent towel is the perfect alternative to terrycloth towels that cause breakage and damage when rubbing against your mane. (Bonus: For extra hold on thick hair, the towel includes an elastic loop. ) When You're Blow Drying, Use A Smoothing Dryer to Prep HairPanasonic Hair Dryer with Nanoe Technology, $130, Amazon By directing heat downwards while drying with a precision nozzle attachment, you are prepping your hair for the flat iron by giving strands direction. That means you have less work to do later (and less frizz to deal with, too). This fast-working hair dryer has three temperature settings and two speeds — use a lower temperature and a higher speed for the most healthy end result. Don't Think Blow Drying Long Hair Is Less Damaging Than A StraightenerSpornette Ion Fusion Aerated Hair Brush, $13, Amazon Using a flat paddle brush while applying the heat of a dryer can put a lot of stress on your strands, causing major breakage. Use the professional round brush that promises healthy hair and no snagging, instead, for days when you need to brush and dry. Air can flow past hair through the brush's holes, for less stress on your strands. (Still, keep brushing while drying to a minimum: You may think you're killing two birds with one stone, but this can be more damaging to long locks then air-drying and straightening.) Finish With The Right Products To Seal DamagePhyto Phytolisse Glossing Finishing Serum, $30, Amazon This grease-free serum's lightweight formula penetrates your hair to leave it feeling silky-smooth and free of frizz. It can be used throughout the day to keep glossiness going, and users said the serum adds body without weighing hair down, in addition to smoothing out those pesky baby hairs on your hairline. (Pro Tip: Never spray or apply a product when your hair is still cooling down to steer clear of sizzling strands and causing excess damage and unwanted frizz.) Bustle may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was created independently from Bustle's editorial and sales departments. Images: Fotolia (1); Amazon (11) How do you straighten your hair the least damaging?Apply a heat protectant before straightening.
Just spray on or rub in a little right before you straighten your hair to maximize its effects. Even better, some heat protectants double as a smoothing or sine product, making your hair look even more amazing once you're done.
Will hair damage after straightening?Using hot styling tools to straighten hair strips your hair of moisture, causing breakage. Over time, blow-dryers, ceramic straighteners, and hot curling irons can cause damage that makes even the most carefully styled hair look dry and coarse.
How much can you straighten your hair without damaging it?In most cases, you can get away with flat ironing your hair a maximum of one or two times a week. As long as you use the proper technique, flat ironing healthy hair once or twice a week shouldn't lead to too much damage.
What is the healthiest way to straighten your hair?Use plastic rollers
This is a great way to straighten your hair without using any kind of heat. Use wide curlers and roll them in tightly, and use a hair-straightening spray to achieve the desired result. Leave the rollers for a good amount of time — at least 4 hours — and then take them off and brush.
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Can you straighten your hair without it getting damaged?
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