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I was looking up guides on how to do finger wave curls and ended up falling down a rabbit hole of 1940s and 1950s hair routines. One thing that stuck with me was women sleeping with literal tin cans in their hair overnight just to get their hair to do what it was “supposed” to do the next day.
That is insane to me.
I’m willing to put effort into my hair for special occasions, but the level of commitment was very different back in the day..
There are also a lot of modern hair tools I take for granted. I can admit that. I definitely used to put my hair dryer through its paces.
One day there was a power outage, it was -15 degrees outside, and I still had to go to work. I went in with wet hair wrapped in a towel and brought another towel with me to swap into later so I would not get sick. I will never forget that day.
But aside from extenuating circumstances, I do make an effort to avoid unnecessary heat on my hair. I’m already regularly bleaching it. The least I can do is try to avoid piling heat damage on top of that.
Why I Stopped Using Hot Tools Every Day
This is the most obvious way I protect my hair from heat. This applies to both my curling iron and my hair straightener.
If I’m not plugging something in, waiting for it to get hot, and pressing it against my hair, then I’m doing my job.
Hot tools can heat up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit or more. That’s hot.
Why I Let My Hair Air Dry
A lot of people shower and immediately dry their hair with a blow dryer. Even if the air does not feel hot to the touch, have you ever tried drying your hair using only cold air? Exactly.
A blow dryer is still exposing your hair to heat, even if you are using a lower setting.
By letting my hair air dry, that exposure becomes zero for however long I can avoid using the dryer. I already went on my split ends rant, so I won’t spiral again here.
I’m more conscious now about what time of day I wash my hair because I like going to bed with fully dry hair.
And even if I’m short on time, letting my hair partially air dry still reduces how long I’m blasting it with heat.
This isn’t to say, I never use a hair dryer, I’m just selective about styling and use.
Why I Use Heat Protectant
Using heat protectant is one of the easiest things you can do for your hair if you regularly use heat styling tools.
It creates a lightweight barrier between your hair and the hot tool. It can also help reduce dryness and roughness caused by heat exposure over time.
I like using Kenra Blow-Dry Spray before blow drying my hair if I absolutely have to use heat. It also smells nice, which never hurts.
Why I Don’t Wash My Hair Every Day
I do not avoid washing my hair daily because of heat specifically. A lot of it comes down to maintaining my hair color and the overall feel of my scalp. It is just my preference at this point.
That said, this habit naturally pairs with air drying which is a part of my actual routine.
Because I am not washing my hair every single day, I also reduce how often I need to dry and style it afterward. Less washing usually means less heat exposure overall.
Final Thoughts on Heat and Hair Damage
These are relatively small changes, but I think people underestimate how much repeated daily habits can affect their hair over time.
The steps I take are not extraordinary. I just started paying more attention.
Even though I’ve managed to keep my hair blonde and long for over 10 years, I became much more conscious about hair maintenance sometime after the second pandemic shutdown in the United States. I had managed to get my hair done in between closures, and because nobody knew how long everything would last, I suddenly became very aware of wanting to preserve it as much as possible.
These are simply the habits that worked their way into my routine over time. I’m not here to change anyone’s mind. I’m just sharing what worked for me.
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