Stop rubbing your hair back and forth with a regular cotton towel after washing. This roughens the hair cuticle and makes the strands generally coarse to the touch. Instead, switch to a microfibre towel that can soak up moisture without frizzing up your strands. Dry your hair as much as you can with the microfiber towel to reduce your blow-drying time.

Then, apply a heat-protective lotion over all the strands before using the hairdryer. This will help reduce friction and the breakage that could result when blow-drying.

The Dyson Supersonic hairdryer ($599) has a powerful Beauty digital motor to deliver high-pressure air that will dry your hair quickly. It’s a smart device that also comes with a heat monitor which measures and regulates the temperature of the air 20 times a second to keep hair damage at bay. It has four heat settings, three airflow settings, and a cold-shot function to allow styling versatility.

The ghd Air (available at Sephora outlets) has a professional-strength motor and patented removable air filter to deliver high pressure air flow for super-fast drying, The advanced ionic technology reduces frizz and flyaways to give a smooth salon-style finish. It also has variable power and temperature controls, plus the choice of two nozzles, and a cool shot button that helps lock your finished style in place with a blast of cold air. 

Philips’ MoistureProtect dryer uses Infrared MoistureProtect technology that continuously monitors and adapts the drying temperature to match your hair’ drying needs. The intelligent sensor measures your hair’s surface temperature 4000 times in one drying session, and adjusts the heat to prevent moisture loss and cuticle damage. It also contains ThermoProtect temperature which provides the optimal drying temperature and gives additional protection from overheating the hair, six speed and heat settings and a cool shot button as well. 

Thinner, finer hair is more prone to damage, so if you have this hair type, you should use a lower heat setting when you’re blow-drying or heat-styling. Remember to keep a distance between yourself and the gadget you’re using – hold your hairdryer between 15-cm and 25-cm away from your hair and direct the air down the hair shaft, not at your head. If possible, use a diffuser attachment for more even heat distribution.

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Aside from protecting hair against heat from styling tools, you also need to protect it against the sun, which can dry it out and fade its colour. While you’re styling your hair, also mist a protective spray all over it to prevent moisture loss throughout the day.

READ MORE: 10 Beach-Ready Hair Products To Protect Your Locks From Sun Damage

Don’t run your styling tool repeatedly over the same section of hair or keep the heat source targeted at one spot for a long time. Doing so will overheat that spot and can cause the hair there to break. You may think that piling on the heat is a good way of reinforcing your hairstyle, but it will actually do more harm than good.

READ MORE: Here’s How To Prevent Split Ends From Ruining Your Hair

Replenishing your hair’s natural moisture after heat styling is essential – you can do this by applying a hydrating mask once or twice a week at home and getting a protein treatment at the salon every month or two. This combination of at-home and salon care can improve the condition of your hair.

Besides all the pointers about heat styling tools given here, you should also bear this commonsense practice in mind: Don’t wash your hair with hot water, as this can irritate your scalp and damage your hair. If you’re not comfortable with cold showers, at least try to go with room-temperature water.

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Text: Simone Wu and Lynnett Yip, HerWorldPlus / Additional text: Cheryl Lim
Image: Pexels