Prep your hair for styling
Heat protection and treatments
Prepare and protect. Here are hair treatments to consider before you start styling. Heat protection before using hair dryers, curlers and straighteners reduces damage and protects your hair's health. Also, you can enhance your styling with products like anti-frizz or volumiser based on your hair needs.
Hair dryers
Best hair dryers for curly hair
A diffuser will dry your hair evenly and maintain the natural shape of your curls. Hair dryers with ionic technology are the best choice for you as they will prevent static and avoid overheating. Stick to low-speed settings to protect your curls from dropping and finish with a cool shot to set it.
Best hair dryers for fine hair
High heat will damage fine hair, so choose a hair dryer with variable heat settings. Ceramic technology is best for this hair type, as it provides even heat distribution and will prevent damage to fragile hair. Look for a narrow concentrator nozzle to add some volume to the roots. Steer clear of ionic dryers as they can reduce volume.
Best hair dryers for thick hair
Drying thick hair can be time-consuming. Pick a hair dryer with a higher wattage to reduce drying time. Go for a lightweight hair dryer, so your arm won’t ache as you dry. Titanium or ionic dryers are often best for thick hair as they are speedy. Use a higher heat setting to avoid your hair going frizzy but keep the dryer moving constantly to avoid heat damage.
Hair straighteners
Best hair straighteners for curly hair
Tourmaline plated straighteners are ideal for people with curly hair. The tourmaline gives the plates a super-smooth snag-free finish meaning they'll glide through even the curliest of hair without catching. Highly effective even at lower temperatures, they'll help you avoid damaging your hair.
Best hair straighteners for straight hair
Straight hair doesn’t need too much taming so opt for a ceramic plate as you won't need the high heats of titanium plated straighteners. If you're mainly going to use it to create curls then look out for straighteners with floating plates, these will give you the most flexibility. Also, a wider plate would be more effective if you have long hair.
Best hair straighteners for fine hair
Fine hair is easily damaged by heat, so we'd recommend going for straighteners with adjustable heat settings and sticking to the lower temperatures. Choose straighteners with Tourmaline ceramic plates, which give fast, even heat with less damage. Plus, they glide effortlessly through hair making them the perfect pick for thin hair.
Best hair straighteners for thick hair
Thick hair? Look for straighteners with a higher heat setting and titanium plates. The titanium plates reach high heats very quickly, making them the perfect pick for thick hair. Choose straighteners with wide plates which offer faster straightening, saving you time when taming your mane.
Best hair straighteners for Afro hair
When it comes to straightening Afro hair, ceramic plates are the best tool for the job. Great at distributing heat quickly and evenly, they glide smoothly through hair, minimising damage. Afro hair can be time-consuming to straighten, so look for straighteners with wide plates, which can straighten more hair at a time and help you save time.
Best hair straighteners for frizzy hair
Frizzy hair is caused by a lack of moisture. The best straighteners to combat frizz is ionic conditioning which removes the static. Opt for ceramic plates which offer even heat distribution and help lock in moisture. This frizz taming combo will give you a sleek, silky-smooth finish.
Hair curlers
Choosing a hair curler and don't know where to start? Fret not. There are a range of hair curler options, but they come in 2 main choices:
- Hair curlers for wet hair: A perfect combo, these are meant for curling your hair while you dry it. You can pick an option from hair rollers, hot air stylers or hot brushes in this category.
- Hair curlers for already dry hair: Meant for styling your hair when dry, these hair curlers include curling tongs, curling wands, wavers, automatic curlers and more.
Best hair curlers for fine hair
If you have fine hair, you'll know how hard it is for curls to set and stay. High heats can damage fine hair, so go for a tool with adjustable heat. That way, you can experiment with different heat settings until you find the right temperature that holds the curl. A ceramic or tourmaline barrel will help protect fine hair from heat damage.
Best hair curlers for thick hair
For thick hair it’ll take time to curl, so opt for a lightweight tool. (You don't want an achy arm!) You’ll need a hair curler that reaches high temperatures as a lower heat will not set curls on thicker hair. This makes titanium coated barrels the best option as they're lightweight and produce high temperatures.