Though there are many people in the curly community who have chosen to stray away from applying direct heat on their manes, there are some who still appreciate the versatility that it provides. And whether or not you use it once a week or once a month, the prospect of encountering heat damage is still there.

Here’s how you can prevent your hair from falling victim to it.

Limit your use of heat.

Though there’s no issue with applying heat to your natural hair if that’s what you’d like to do, you want to be cautious with the amount of heat that you’re adding. If you have healthy hair, limiting your direct heat application to once or twice a week is ideal. Be reminded that hair burns at 450F, but if your hair is already damaged, that amount can be less.

Don’t skip the heat protectant.

Regardless of the oil you choose to use as your heat protectant, if you are applying direct heat onto your mane, you’ll want to ensure that you don’t skip this step. Heat protectants provide a barrier between your hair and the heat source and prevent moisture from reaching your hair, too.

If you use heat, make sure that your hair is not wet.

If you are applying direct heat to your hair (flat iron or curling tool), the first thing you should remember is to make sure your hair is completely dry prior to doing so. By applying direct heat onto a wet head, you are creating damaged and dull hair that may not be reversible.

Stay away from hair dye.

If you’re already dealing with hair that has been affected from heat damage, you’ll want to avoid any additional treatments that could cause further damage. And getting a hair dye is one of those things. Dying your hair raises the hair’s cuticle and in turn, removes the moisture. So, if your hair is already damaged, dying it can take it a step further and hasten the breakage process if not treated correctly.

Cut off dead ends.

As much as we would like them to, dead ends don’t just go away on their own. It may be tempting to want to hold on to those heat damaged ends, but if you don’t eliminate them, your hair will become dry and brittle. As a result, length retention and healthy, shiny hair will fell impossible to achieve.

Be sure that it is is moisturized and deep conditioned. No matter the style you choose to wear your curls in, the importance of moisture is never underestimated. So before applying your hair, be sure that you give yourself a deep condition with either our Fix My Hair Intensive Repair Conditioning Masque or our Coco Repair Deep Conditioner to strengthen your curls or coils.