Avoid Heat Styling Damage to Fine Hair

Fine hair may be prone to environmental and heat styling damage than any other hair type. Do you find yourself having to choose between flat strands or the frizzies?

I'm often told that my hair looks really healthy. It is somewhat thick, but also very fine, which means I turn to heat styling for volume. How do I do it? Here are some tips I use to avoid damaging my fine hair, despite using heat styling tools nearly every day.

1. Apply a heat-protectant spray. I spray my hair and comb it through while it is still damp, whether I plan on styling my hair or not. It can be used on either wet or dry hair, but always be sure to spray before drying, curling or straightening your strands.

2. Blow dry damp hair, not wet. Towel dry your hair and let it air dry for a while, if at all possible. Blow drying soaking wet strands will cause more damage than if it is already halfway dry.

3. Dry hair for twenty minutes, tops. This is something I just recently learned; however, I only need about five minutes to dry mine.

4. Finish with a blast of cool air. I always start out on the lowest setting to avoid as much damage as possible. Once your hair is considerably dry, you can pump up the heat to finish drying. Does your dryer have a cool air setting? I always use it last, to seal the strands and protect it from further damage.

5. Avoid curling damp hair. Okay, so my hair is usually still slightly damp after drying it. If you don't have time to dry it completely, don't curl or straighten the wet areas. Luckily, I can usually style the hair framing my face, which is the most important part, anyway.

6. Straighten the top layer of hair. Unless you have really curly hair, you might be able to get away with straightening only the top layer of your hair, causing less damage to the rest.

7. Keep the heat moving. The longer a heat styling tool has contact with your hair, the more damage it will cause. To avoid burning your locks, keep the hair dryer at least three inches away, and keep the heat irons moving.

8. Give your hair a break. Every once in a while, particularly on the weekends, I will give my hair a break from heat styling products. Even one break a month will help you avoid a considerable amount of damage.

9. Use a weekly deep conditioner. Since my hair is colored, I like to use a special conditioning treatment each week, which also helps strengthen my hair and protect it from heat damage. After shampooing, apply the treatment, comb through and let it soak into your strands for the recommended amount of time.

10. Get regular hair trims. You will not be able to avoid damage to your hair forever. Even though I am trying to grow it longer, I go in for trims every three months. It helps to get rid of dry ends, and my hair feels much healthier afterward.

References:
The Guide to Healthy Hair , CNN Living
How Can I Get My Fine Hair Healthy?