Not everything lasts forever. Even the styling tools you use each day can suffer from daily wear and tear. The best way to make the most out of the styling tools you use is to take proper care of them. Neglecting your tools will only cause them to deteriorate faster, which means replacing them. Save yourself time and money by learning how to make your styling tools last.

Curling Irons

Curling irons are perfect for giving you the volume and body you desire. However, this popular styling tool isn’t invincible. If you’ve found yourself going through 2-3 curling irons a year, chances are it’s human error and neglect that is wearing down your curling iron sooner than expected.

Many women use hair sprays, gel and other substances on their hair to help protect it from the heat while curling it. This is fine but when those substances come into contact with your curling iron, the combination of heat and spray/gel can damage it, resulting in burnt, crusty residue on the curling iron itself. If enough accumulates on your curling iron, this can affect the way it curls your hair. To avoid this, wipe down your curling iron with a dry or slightly damp towel or cloth after each use.

If you find that your curling iron’s grip isn’t as tight as it used to be, check the screws on the side of the iron. Using applied pressure over time can cause the screws to become lose, causing the lack of grip on the hair. Try using a small screwdriver to tighten the screws and see if that helps instead before tossing it for another one.

Blow Dryers

It is important to clean blow dryers often. Just as you would check the lint screen on your dryer when doing laundry, you should also check your blow dryer for accumulation of lint, hair and other debris. If too much debris gathers on your blow dryer, you could be setting yourself up for a fire hazard. Check the status of your blow dryer a few times a week or month, depending on how often you use it. The more frequently you blow-dry your hair, the faster lint and hair will gather. You can remove the debris from your blow dryer using your fingertips or a small tool like tweezers. Make sure the blow dryer is off when you’re cleaning it.

If you use attachments on your blow dryer, be sure to clean those as well and replace attachments that are cracked or broken to avoid injury.   

Flat Irons

Taking care of your flat iron is the same as caring for a curling iron. Since many flat irons have different types of attachment plates, make it a habit of removing them from the iron after it has cooled off and clean them thoroughly. Remove any hairs that have been snagged and don’t allow stray hairs to burn onto the attachment. Read your manual for the suggested cleaning methods and always make sure the flat iron has been unplugged and is completely cooled off before attempting to clean it.

Instead of using water and soap to clean your styling tools, which can cause a fire hazard, use a damp or dry cloth or towel and avoid using cleaning substances that contain harsh chemicals, as this can cause more harm than good.

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