If you’re dealing with a lot of breakage in your hair, especially in the front of your head, then you might want to do something really simple that will help put the brakes on breakage. 

I know it can be really tough, because using heat can really enhance the appearance of your hair when used in moderation.  Read on for ways to help mitigate the types of damage that excessive heat can cause over time.

Pause on the Use of Heat Styling Tools

I’m speaking from experience here. I started to notice a ton of breakage in the face framing layers of my hair for quite a while. I chalked it up to aging and environmental damage, which is partially true. 

However, when I really thought about it, these pieces of hair where I was seeing the most breakage are where I would most often use a large barreled hot iron - on its highest setting -  to fight the kinkiness and cowlicks out of my hair every day.

Those of us with stubborn inconveniently placed kinks and curls often rely on heat styling tools to temporarily smooth the shape out and get our hair to do what we want it to. All this does is temporarily break the hydrogen bonds that create that shape. The shape inevitably bounces back to its natural state after anywhere from a few hours to a day.

Chemical treatments can help to reshape the hair more permanently, however not everyone is or should be comfortable with doing that. So a heat styling tool can be a good way to just change the shape every day with manual intervention. Related: Best Ingredients to Refortify Hair

Repeated Use of Heat Can Cause Breakage

This repeated every day use of styling tools can really cause damage over time. Especially if you’re utilizing really high heat. Unfortunately though, the higher heat settings are more effective at getting the desired shape. But it comes at the cost of damage and breaking down the structure of the hair, which can result in breakage over time.

There are some different variations of heat styling tools that can help mitigate this sort of damage. Some styling tools come with coatings that can reduce damage while still giving you the smoothing or curling results you’re looking for.

The Best Remedy is Abstinence

If you’re noticing a ton of breakage in the areas where you frequently use heated styling tools like curling irons and flat irons, try taking a break from these styling tools. Even a break of a couple days can help your hair recover.

You can try alternatives like using pins and hair accessories to keep the hair shaped the way you want it. Or, simply try stopping usage of heat styling tools for the times when you won’t be around people. So, if you work from home a couple days a week, target those days for giving your hair a break from the heat.

Try Using a Heat Protectant When You Do Use Heat

Another way to help mitigate the damage is to use a heat protectant before applying heat to the hair. These products are designed to coat the hair in a protective layer that can help reduce the effects of heat styling tools on the shaft of the hair. Related: Heat Protectant Options - Should you Try Them?