Why You Should Heat Style Once Weekly, According To This Derm

Heat styling—be it in the form of curling wands, flat irons, blow dryers or the like—can do a number on hair. This is especially true if your hair is already vulnerable to begin with: Dry, fragile, or chemically treated strands are far more prone to breakage from heat styling than other hair types. So that's why hair experts and dermatologists agree that to protect your hair, you should resist, as best you can, excessive heat styling. 

"I get lots of questions about heat styling, as it can cause a lot of damage. For my patients that are experiencing breakage and hair loss, I tell them to try to limit it to once weekly if possible," says Cochran Gathers. "For fragile hair types, daily heat styling is likely to be damaging. Personally, my hair is very naturally dry, so I try to limit the amount of heat styling that I do, too!"

Now, she goes on to explain that you don't need to fear the heat—but she does say to use it smartly and in moderation. (An outlook we can certainly get behind!) "It's not that these are off-limits," she says. "Just be smart about your use of your flat irons, hairdryers, or curling wands. Ultimately learning how to use these is more important than not using them altogether."