Using hot tools to style your hair is one of the most fun things to do! Curling irons, hair dryers, straighteners, etc. are all incredible heat tools that we can use to adjust our hair texture and transform our hair into something completely different.

You may have heard that heat can damage our hair. This is especially true for many of us as we get older. As we age, our hair becomes more susceptible to dryness. Straightening your hair every day adds heat to your hair and we all know that heat can make hair very dry. Is using a hair straightener every day a bad idea?

So is straightening your hair every day harmful? And how often should we use hair heating tools to help eliminate possible hair damage?

Dry with air or heat tools?

Some of us don't feel comfortable letting our hair dry naturally. Some people feel that the wave pattern of their natural hair can be straightened using a hair straightener. Sometimes we feel most comfortable straightening or curling our hair with hot styling tools on a daily basis - there's nothing wrong with prioritizing your appearance!

But when we use something that affects our appearance and can cause harm, we may have to think twice. If daily hair straightening is not good, how can we solve the problem?

Daily use of hair straighteners, straighteners, and hair dryers can dry out our already dry hair. Hair that is not properly moisturized can lead to frizz, split ends, and even breakage.

If you want to straighten your hair every day, there are some things you should know. Being armed with the right hair care products and knowledge can help protect the integrity of your hair as you age.

The science behind hair straighteners and heat

Let's say you're getting ready for a date night or a girls' day. Without hesitation, we would all straighten our hair. But what exactly is happening to change the structure of our hair and should we be worried?

When enough heat is applied to the hair, the hair structure will actually change. Our hair is made up of three different bonds. The bonds that make up our hair are called hydrogen bonds, ionic bonds, and disulfide bonds.

Disulfide bonds are the strongest, with hydrogen being the weakest. This means that hydrogen bonds are more likely to be broken by external factors.

Hydrogen bonds in your hair can break when you use a straightener or curling iron. These bonds are the reason your hair is always curly. When the bond is broken, the hair will lose its natural shape and can be straightened or curled with heat, thereby regaining its original shape.

Heat tools use electricity to heat metal or ceramic plates to a certain temperature and then apply them to the hair. Your hair care treatment temperature will depend on your hair type and whether it is currently damaged or has been bleached.

For people with thin and damaged hair, temperatures below 150 degrees Celsius are ideal. Starting at 150 degrees Celsius and increasing to 175 degrees is a suitable average for others.

If you're still not getting the results you want, sometimes stepping up to 380 degrees can be safe. You should not exceed 200 degrees Celsius; Higher levels can cause hair to break and become damaged very quickly and irreversibly.