Hair care with Flair - too hot to handle

No matter how hard we try, it seems everything we do to make our tresses beautiful in the short term - blow-drying, curling, flat-ironing - ends up causing grave damage in the long term.

Any hair-care expert will tell you that in order to prevent damage and breakage, it is crucial to be careful when applying heat to your hair. It is essential to use a form of heat protectant - spray, serum, mousse or cream - before subjecting your strands to high temperatures.

Excessive heat weakens and destroys vital proteins in your hair as well as depletes your hair's natural oils. Thus, hair subjected to constant use of irons and dryers requires additional maintenance. So to help you better care for your hair, we combed through the shelves of Discount Beauty Supplies for the highest-rated styling products with heat-protecting properties in order to give you a fresh start for healthier hair.

So stop the abuse and replenish your hair's moisture - defend against frying, and put the bounce back into wilted strands with these items that are all below $1,500.

For permed hair

Women with permed hair, though easier said than done, try and use as little heat as possible. But if you must, invest in a flat or curling iron that is ceramic coated along with a heat protectant such as TRESemme Thermal Creation, Shea Moisture's Styling Lotion or IC Fantasia Heat Protector Serum. Certified cosmetologist Cynthia Clarke recommends, "When it comes to drying your hair, especially when hair is damaged, air dry at least partially before using a blow dryer on a low to medium temperature setting. Hair should be completely dry before you use a curling or flat iron. Make sure to use a heat-protection product prior to any heat use. In addition, do not repeatedly run the iron or dryer over each section of your hair. Instead pass the heat appliance over the hair once, no more than twice."

For natural hair

While most women with unprocessed hair take the time to maintain a healthy hair regime, some naturalistas overlook using a heat protector. While many of your hair-care routines will keep your curls moisturised and full of body, most won't actually protect your hair against heat damage. Therefore, it is very important to use a protectant made specifically for natural hair. Though blow-drying techniques vary when working with different hair textures, the one thing that will never change is the need to protect your hair from heat damage.

For transitioning hair

It is best not to use heat to dry or style hair. When transitioning, try not to straighten your natural hair to look like your relaxed ends - this will create further damage by causing your hair to break. Before you blow-dry or flat-iron, deep

condition! According to Clarke, "A good deep-conditioning session is the first step to preventing heat damage. Hydrated hair is crucial to

preventing heat damage - preserving vital

moisture that prevents breakage."

In addition to protecting your hair from getting fried, these products will also add shine, de-frizz and help straighten or enhance your natural curls - depending on the style you're going for. Once applied, you can heat style your hair with the greatest confidence knowing your tresses are protected.