How healthy is your hair? I mean, how healthy is it really?
If use hot styling tools – a blow-dryer, curling tongs, straighteners or the like – then it’s likely your hair isn’t in as good condition as it could be. Below, I’m going to take a look at a couple of compelling reasons to ditch hot styling tools. I’ll also provide you with some bonus tips to ensure that your hair is as strong and healthy as it can possibly be.
What do we mean by healthy hair?
When your hair is healthy, it will have a lovely gloss and shine to it. Healthy hair is strong and flexible, meaning that it’s less likely to break. The hairs are well nourished and don’t have any split ends.
When your hair is unhealthy, it may look dull and flat. It may also have broken ends, which detract from the overall appearance of the hair.
What are hot styling tools so bad for your hair?
Hot styling is notoriously bad for your hair. Yet so many of us do it every day in order to achieve the looks that we want. So, what is hot styling actually doing to your hair?
When you apply intense heat to your hair, you are stripping away the hair’s natural, protective oils. You’re also breaking down the hydrogen bonds within the hairs. This allows you to change the texture of the hair – to make it curlier or straighter, for example – but over time makes it more prone to breakage. Intensive heat styling can also give the hair an irregular texture, making it harder to manage.
Compelling reasons to ditch your hot styling tools
Clearly, you can do much for the health of your hair by ditching you hot styling tools. But that’s not the only reason to start taking a more natural approach to your hair. Firstly, there is the planet to consider. Using electricity to style your locks every day increases your carbon footprint. Ceasing using your hot styling tools can therefore be part of a lifestyle change that sees you prioritize the planet, instead of your appearance.
Another reason is that natural tresses are very much on trend right now. A recent roundup of styles and hair trends for 2022 by All Things Hair flagged up the beauty of naturally messy, effortless braids. This laid-back look is a direct result of increasing numbers of people ditching hot styling in favor of embracing what nature gave them.
Ditching you hot starting tools can also free up plenty of time – and who couldn’t do with a few extra minutes curled up in bed in the mornings, instead of in front of the mirror?
Other tips and tricks for keeping your hair healthy
Laying aside your hot styling tools is a massive step forward when it comes to prioritizing the health of your hair. But what else can you do to keep your tresses looking fabulous? Well, plenty of things actually. Regular trims should be high up on your priority list, even if you’re trying to grow your hair. Trimming regularly, counterintuitive though it may sound, can actually support faster growth by keeping the hair healthier and avoiding issues such as breakage and split ends.
Thinking carefully about the products that you use can also do you wonders for your hair health. Be sure to use products that are nourishing and that help your hair to regain some of the moisture that it naturally loses as part of everyday life. This is particularly important during the winter months, as the cold air makes your hair drier, more brittle and more prone to breakage. However, you still need to nourish your hair regularly during the summer months as well, particularly if you spend a lot of time in the pool or the sea. Sun exposure can also damage your hair and scalp, so look for products that will defend against the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays as well as moisturizing your hair.
In addition to your daily products, opt for a weekly oil treatment or conditioning mask to keep your hair as nourished as possible. Preventing it from drying out will keep the strands stronger and more flexible and thus reduce the likelihood of them breaking.
Heat styling halfway house options
On the subject of products, if you really can’t face the prospect of ditching your hot styling tools for good, then at the very least use a decent heat protector spray before styling. Don’t even think about reaching for those tongs without one!
You could also consider some kind of halfway measure, whereby you only use your hot styling tools some of the time, instead of daily. Perhaps just on the days you have to head into the office? Or the evenings when you have a big night out? Even a single day’s break from using them each week will make your hair healthier than it would otherwise be, so play around with your schedule and see what you can factor in when it comes to taking a break from applying heat to your locks.
Embrace your natural beauty
Finally, remember beauty is all about confidence and about loving the way that you look. You don’t need to conform to certain look or style in order to be beautiful, despite what all those glossy magazines might like you to believe. Embrace your natural look and you’ll glow with an inner confidence that achieves more than any hot styling tool could.
Of course, confidence doesn’t just appear overnight. If you’re not sure about how to deal with your hair without applying heat to it, it’s time to do some research. There are products out there to help you, such as primers designed specifically for air-drying hair, root boosters for volume and essential oil-laden salt sprays to give you beautiful beach waves, all without a curling iron in sight. You can also use techniques such as braiding and hair wrapping to provide texture or to preserve your style while you sleep. Practice makes perfect, so why not get started today?
