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advice: am i wrecking my hair if i use a flat iron every day?

don't ditch your flat iron just yet.

by karen hawthorne

published dec 13, 2022

4 minute read

join the conversation

4 minute read

join the conversation

when it comes to using a flat iron, it's all about technique and tools

getting some how-to advice from a professional stylist can help keep your hair healthy and glowing, according to morgan tully, toronto hair stylist and founder of thic studio. getty

dear asking for a friend, i am a regular user of a flat iron for my hair, but my stylist says it is contributing to breakage and making my hair dry. i love my straight iron, please don’t tell me i need to stop using it.

signed,

worried about my hair

dear worried about my hair,

the pursuit of sleek, shiny, straight hair can take a bit of work with styling tools – unless you have your own styling team like beyoncé or kim kardashian to create silky, pressed hair for the red carpet.

that said, many people love the look and make the effort part of their regular routine. as with any heated hair tool, there’s risk of damage and breakage with a straight iron because of technique, length of exposure to too-high heat, and the need for additional hair products to protect your strands and get best results.

a 2020 study in the indian dermatology online journal looked at hair loss in women and the connection to frequent use of blow-dryers, flat irons (also known as straightening irons) and chemical processing. the researchers found that ongoing use does cause microscopic changes to the hair structure, leaving it more vulnerable to loss and damage.

so how do you mitigate potential problems?

getting some how-to advice from a professional stylist can help keep your hair healthy and glowing, according to morgan tully, toronto hair stylist and founder of thic studio salon and haircare products and accessories. the barbados native has been in the industry for 20 years and is known for her signature “effortless waves” that she styles with a flat iron. it’s one of her favourite tools.

“i use a flat iron all the time on my own hair and my clients,” tully says. “i definitely use it for multiple different things, not just to make it straight. i use it to make it wavy, to give it more of a beach wave, and i use it for a really strong bouncy curl that you can then brush out and turn into hollywood waves.”

it’s about the tools and the technique

the only caveat for tully to refuse the flat iron would be on hair that is extremely fragile from processing and bleaching. the health of your hair is one of her top concerns. she recommends using a quality iron where you can adjust the temperature, turning it down to protect hair if you have a finer texture. dyson, for example, has three heat settings – 330°f, 365°f and 410°f – to help people control the heat exposure.

another important tip is instead of doing multiple passes on your hair for flattening, aim for one single pass, says tully.

make sure your hair is completely dry before you iron and use slow, controlled movements in smaller sections.

“as you progress, you learn a little bit more about your hair and what it needs to become fully straight when you’re flat ironing it,” she says. “good technique definitely goes a long way.”

part of her pro technique is preparing your for the iron by blow-drying the hair smooth with a boar bristle brush or metal round brush before starting that first single pass.

“as hair stylists, we love a good flat iron. i think the key to having healthy hair isn’t only how you use the flat iron itself, but it’s also having a really good haircare routine,” she says. tully developed her own thic line to fill a missing niche in the market for paraben-free, vegan products with high-performance ingredients for all hair textures that “actually perform and do what they’re supposed to do,” she explains.

on top of a good shampoo and conditioner, she suggests a nourishing hair oil with heat-protectant natural properties like grapeseed oil which is lightweight and really helpful when you’re using a flat iron regularly for styling. smooth a little into the hair before you blow-dry.

there’s also a lot of merit in hair masks or deep conditioning treatments to strengthen and protect hair from heat damage.

“i would use a hair treatment every week, unless you have extremely dry hair where i would swap conditioner for the treatment and just use treatment every time you wash your hair,” she says. “conditioner generally will just lay on the hair shaft, whereas the treatments can really penetrate into the hair shaft and give you much more moisture and nourishment.”

is there something about health that you (or a friend, wink, wink) have always wondered about but are too embarrassed to ask? send a note to info@healthing.ca. we promise your ‘friend’s’ secret — and identity — is safe with us.

karen hawthorne is a toronto-based writer.

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karen hawthorne

karen hawthorne worked for six years as a digital editor for the national post, contributing articles on health, business, culture and travel for affiliated newspapers across canada. she now writes from her home office in toronto and takes breaks to bounce with her son on the backyard trampoline and walk bingo, her bull terrier.

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