How can I reduce heat damage to my hair?

While stay-home orders allowed us to reduce hair-washing and the subsequent blow-drying and heat styling, polishing up our coifs to leave the house may be becoming more frequent this fall. There are a range of things that can damage hair, such as rough brushing, chemical treatments and heat caused by tools including blow-dryers, curling irons and straightening irons. To reduce heat damage, try increasing the distance of your dryer from your hair. A 2011 Korean study found that blow drying hair from a distance of 15 centimetres with continuous motion caused less damage. It can also help to reduce the temperature of your tools.

My recommendation: My usual hair-styling routine has always been to blow my hair dry as quickly as possible by flipping my head upside down and aggressively running a round brush through it, a technique that doesn’t require much skill or finesse. The results are not great, so I often then use my flat iron to smooth things out. I started using Dyson’s new Flyaway attachment a few weeks ago and have noticed a huge difference in my hair’s appearance. Designed to reduce flyaways and leave hair smooth using the Coanda effect (where hair is gently pulled toward the device with air flow), it’s meant that I no longer need that added time with the flat iron. Dyson’s hair appliance is definitely an investment but it could be helpful if you share my lack of styling skills.