Hair Damages by Blow Dryers and Flat Irons – What Should You Do?

Hot tools like blow dryers or flat irons are the most common hair tools as they can prepare your hair for having your desired styles with some simple tricks.

Featured Image of Hair Dryer Versus Flat Iron Which One Creates More Damage

But no matter how useful those tools are, with frequent use, they will damage your hair gradually. Most of these hair tools use heat, and we all know that heat is one of the greatest enemies for hair strands. Heat soaks up all the moisture from hair and makes it dry, damaged, and frizzy. It happens more on thick, curly, or coarse hairs as these tend to take more time to style.

Hairdryers and hair straighteners both damage the hair more or less. The question is, which one is more damaging?

Related: Best straightening blow dryer

The Damages – Hair Dryer Vs. Flat Iron

Before using any hot tools for hairstyling, drying the hair is a must.  Air drying or drying your hair naturally is the best option. But if you use a hairdryer, your hairstyling becomes very easy. It saves time and helps you to achieve the desired look you wish for.

Even though a hairdryer might make the process easier, it will damage the hair in the long run. Because of the heat, the pores in our scalp open up. As a result, hair fall increases. It also damages the hair follicles and breaks the hair. It will make the hair frizzy if you use it regularly. After some time, you will also lose your hair’s natural texture and be left with dull hair without any shine. And when you are not careful enough, it can burn the scalp, ear, or neck area.

After the drying, the actual styling of your hair takes place. The flat iron is one of the most popular heat tools for having sleek, straight, and many trendy hairstyles. You can create several hairstyles by only using a flat iron. Most girls tend to straighten their hair with a flat iron, but it can also create different curly or wavy hairstyles. It makes the hair sleek and manageable.

However, while using the flat iron, your hair can be damaged significantly. It can cause your hair to get burnt, make it fragile or cause breakage. Using a flat iron is one of the main reasons for split ends. It draws all the moisture from the hair and makes it dry. Dry hair is a common reason for fizziness. Like the hairdryer, a flat iron can also cause hair fall, and in some cases, permanent hair loss. Moreover, a flat iron can trigger some allergic reactions and cause itchy skin on the scalp and the body.

Both hairdryers and flat irons use direct heat on our hairs, and the damage inflicted is similar. Some hair expert says flat irons do more damage as most people tend to hold the hair straightener in one place and our hairs get direct contact with the hot plates. Thus, the overuse of flat iron does more damages than a blow dryer. But we would like to give the two tools a tie this time.

However, you always have options to minimize the damages. Let’s check below to see how you can reduce the damages.

READ MORE: Does Blow Drying Damage Hair?

So, What Can You Do Now?

It is true that, if you use heat tools, your hair will gradually get damaged. But there are many ways to reduce this. The first step would be to choose the hot tools wisely. Nowadays you can find much high-quality hair dryers and flat irons in the market. Those are made with materials that will protect your hair from heat as much as possible. Recently, they have also added heat settings so that you can adjust the heat as your hair needs to prevent damage. As we all know different types of hair have different heat tolerance.

Secondly, before you use those tools, you need to prepare your hair. This starts from the day when you wash it. Use a shampoo and conditioner that provides moisture and volume to the hair. After that, use any moisturizing serum in your damp hair. Never forget to use heat protectant spray or balm, whichever you prefer, before using any kind of heat tool. It is the most important part of the preparation process. Now, your hair is ready for blow drying and straightening.

READ MORE: Pros And Cons Of Blow Drying Hair

Make sure your hair is completely dry before you use the flat iron. Only use the hairdryer and the flat iron as needed. Because if you overdo it will only damage the hair even more. Do not straighten the hair right after you have blow dried it. Try different types of styles throughout the week. After you finish styling the hair, use some leave-in serum or oil to make the hair moist.

To keep the hair healthy and prevent damages, you should apply some moisturizing or repairing mask once or twice a week. It will repair the damaged hair and provide the lost moisture. Every time you wash your hair after styling, apply oil before shampoo.

Aside from choosing the right heat styling tool, you must also never forget about heat protectants. Applying an adequate amount of heat protectant not only protects your hair from the damaging effects of heat but also makes it silky, smooth, and moisturized.

Conclusion

Heat is not good for hair, no matter in what form. A hairdryer and flat iron will damage the hair if you do not prepare the hair before using it or use those frequently. So the best option is to use a hairdryer or flat iron. When you do this, make sure you follow all the steps described above.

Sources

Reviewed By

Comments

  1. Hi,

    I rarely use a hairdryer or flat iron to dry or style my hair; maybe once or twice every month. Still, my manes are damaged and look so lifeless. I just never let them loose and sport them proudly because of their luster-less nature.

    I am really worried.

    Should I stop using these tools?

    Please help me here.

    Reply
    • Dear Tinker Bell,

      Thank you very much for confiding in us. We love to help our readers.

      Using hot tools once or twice a month is okay. Such limited use won’t cause any dreadful damages to your tresses.

      We assume some other factors are causing your hair damage. We would suggest you visit an expert as soon as possible to identify the root of the problem and care for your hair accordingly.

      We hope we could help.

      Reply
  2. Holy crap!

    After going through this article I feel like throwing all my hair styling tools. I never knew these tools were so damaging for my precious hair locks.

    Then again, all my heated styling tools are super expensive and come from well-known brands. I don’t want to throw them away.

    What should I do?

    Really in need of some expert opinion!

    Reply
    • Dear Patricia,

      We are sorry to hear that you are worried about your hair as well as the styling tools.

      You don’t need to throw out all your head styling dryers and irons. What you can do is limit the usage of these tools and never forget to apply a liberal amount of heat protectant before putting heat to your delicate hair strands to protect them from burns and damages.

      We hope this would help you.

      Reply
  3. Hello there,

    I read somewhere that a concentrator nozzle attached to the blow dryer helps to limit the heat damage. Is it true? And to what extent this statement is true?

    Thank you for reading this.

    I would appreciate it if you answer.

    Reply
    • Dear Janet,

      What you read is not true. A concentrator nozzle might do many things but it won’t limit heat damages. Putting heat in your hair in any type of form would surely cause damages.

      Don’t believe anything you read on the web.

      Reply
  4. Hello there,

    In one part of your article, you have mentioned that some materials would save my hair from heat as much as possible. I have fine hair. Can you suggest to me which material should I prefer to style my tresses without any burns?

    This would be really helpful.

    Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • Dear Josh,

      To style your delicate fine tresses, try to adopt a hairdryer and flat iron that is made from ceramic material and incorporates ionic technology. The ceramic material generates and delivers very moderate heat which is not at all damaging to the hair strands.

      We hope this would help you.

      Reply

Leave a Comment