8 Ways To Prevent Heat-Damaged Hair

Many of us have a love-hate relationship with our hot tools. On the one hand, hair straighteners, blow dryers and curling irons can be amazing for speeding up dry time, shaping curls and achieving sleek, shiny styles. On the other, without proper prep and protection, they can wreak havoc on healthy hair—resulting in dryness and breakage.

Fortunately, there are ways to make heat styling safer for your hair, and they go beyond simply using a heat protectant (an essential step!). Keep reading to learn exactly what causes heat damage and how to protect your delicate strands.

What causes heat damage?

Hair is made up of a protein called keratin. This complex protein helps smooth the outer layer of hair (aka cuticle), giving it that strong and healthy look. Then, there’s something called hydrogen bonds—these help to hold the keratin together.

Hydrogen bonds are super important for shaping your hair. You know those indentations you get after wearing your hair in a ponytail? Those happen because of hydrogen bonds. The same goes for when your hair dries in a weird shape while sleeping on it.

When you heat style your hair, the high temperatures break those hydrogen bonds, making your hair more flexible and easier to mold into the style you want. As your hair cools, new hydrogen bonds form and hold that style in place.

But here’s the catch: that heat doesn’t just change your hair’s shape; it also strips away natural oils and causes water molecules attached to keratin to evaporate. This can weaken your hair’s structure and lead to cracks in the cuticle. As a result, your hair might end up dry, brittle and frizzy, making it more prone to damage. This damage exposes the inner layers of your hair and lets even more moisture escape, further weakening the hair.

On the bright side, minimizing heat damage is easy if you follow the right care routine and remember a few simple rules. Let’s walk through how to prep and style your hair for less damage (and better results).

How to prevent heat damage

1. Start in the shower.

Think of shampoo and conditioner as your first line of defense. Start by cleansing your hair thoroughly with a sulfate-free shampoo—the goal is to remove all traces of product buildup and excess oil so these don’t get burned into your strands come styling time. From there, use a damage-fighting conditioner to hydrate and fortify your strands.

2. Follow the 90% rule.

Wait until your hair is about 90% dry before using hot tools. We know—it’s tempting to blast your hair with the blow dryer straight out of the shower, but applying heat to wet (or very damp) hair can cause permanent damage over time. High heat makes the water in your strands evaporate extremely quickly, which can stress the cuticle to its breaking point.

You can speed things up by squeezing out excess moisture with a microfiber towel or boosting airflow by combing through your strands with a wide-tooth comb.

3. Add a protective shield.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: always use a heat protectant! A good-quality heat protectant creates a barrier between your hair and the heat—one of the easiest, most effective ways to reduce damage.

Check out our Leave-in Detangling Tonic for a heat shield that hydrates, adds shine and delivers all kinds of additional benefits.

4. Turn down the temp.

Aim to use the lowest possible temperature when styling your hair. Many tools heat up to 450 degrees, but unless you have ultra-coarse strands, you probably don’t need to crank them up to the highest setting to achieve results.

Consider your hair type: Fine hair is more fragile, while coarse, curly or coily hair may be able to withstand more heat. If you notice sizzling, smoking or a burning smell, that’s a sign to turn down the temp!

5. Work in small sections.

Whether you’re using a blow dryer, curling iron or straightener, go over one small section at a time to ensure you don’t over-apply heat to any one area of your hair. If you do need to pass over a section more than once to get the look you’re after, dial down the heat to reduce damage.

6. Apply a weekly hair mask.

Heat strips moisture from your mane, so it’s important to replenish it to prevent dry, brittle strands. Deep moisture treatments (like our Moisture Mask!) are especially great for restoring moisture and strength in heat-processed hair. If you use heat to dry or style your hair regularly, use a hair mask in place of your regular conditioner once a week for major nourishment.

7. Don’t use heat on dirty strands.

The best time to use heat on your hair is when it’s freshly washed and dried. As mentioned above, applying heat to dirty hair can cause damage by “baking” dirt, oil and product residue into your strands. And on a related note, save Hair Oil as your final finishing step—don't apply before heat styling.

Take steps to preserve your style from day one so you don’t have to do touch-ups on dirty hair. Try wrapping your hair in a satin scarf or bonnet while you sleep to protect it from sweat and friction. Another tip for prolonging a heat-styled ‘do? Use a powder-based dry shampoo to soak up grease and revive volume.

8. Take breaks.

Even if you’re taking all the right precautions, it’s best not to apply heat to your hair every day. Alternate between heat and heat-free styling to minimize the stress on your strands. These days, there are all kinds of tricks for getting the curl wand or blowout look without using any heat whatsoever!

For heat-free days, it helps to have a styling cream or gel that enhances your natural texture. Our Air Dry Styler is a favorite for smoothing frizz and boosting shine on straight to curly hair types.