Saving Energy Saves on Hair Damage

In these times, people are concerned about the amount of energy they consume. They’re worried about leaving a too big environmental footprint.

But did you know that by taking the right steps to conserve energy, you can also keep your hair looking beautiful?

That’s right, a little cut back on energy is a win-win situation for you. Not only do you help conserve energy and protect the environment, you can also avoid damaging your hair.

Here are some tips on how to do both: save energy and protect your hair.

But first, we’ll address a couple of other issues.

Hair Styling Tools & Your Hair

One of the biggest drawbacks to using heat styling tools is that these tools don’t contribute anything to your hair except to make it look better faster.

Heat reshapes your hair by temporarily breaking hydrogen bonds in the hair shaft. Too much heat, too often, damages the hair itself.

Heat can also strip moisture from the hair shaft, leaving it dry, brittle and frizzy.

The overuse of heat styling tools not only consumes energy, but it also defeats your purpose in having a great head of hair.

Cutting back on heat styling tools is one small way to lower your environmental footprint.

The Damage Heat Styling Tools Do To Your Hair

We understand that there are times and styles that demand the use of heat styling tools. Their use might be a vital part of a woman’s preparation for a big date or an office meeting, or whatever.

It’s not just women, people of all genders use heat styling tools to get the look they’re after.

BUT their overuse can defeat the purpose of using these heat styling tools. Heat styling tools bring nothing to the table when it comes to hair health. The American Academy of Dermatology warns that excessive heat can damage every hair type. Damaged hair is dry and more likely to break, which can make it look thinner.

If you notice your hair is getting thinner, cut back on heat and see a board-certified dermatologist. Thinning hair has many causes, and some are treatable.

Heat styling tools are only great for styling, not keeping your head of hair healthy.

Our Tips

1. Let nature dry your hair

Air drying is the safest way to protect both your hair and save on energy. You can also save time.

Instead of rushing in the morning to do your hair routine, so you can be on time to work, wash your hair the night before and simply let it air dry.

This can make your morning less rushed. You save time, protect your hair and consume less energy.

2. Skip A day

There’s no law that says you have to use heat styling tools every day. To save on your energy use and protect your hair, feel free to skip a day.

Be innovative and try a different hairstyle that doesn’t require using too much energy. This strategy will show your creativity, your flexibility and protect the integrity of your hair.

3. Use lower temperatures

Cutting back on energy use doesn’t mean you have to eliminate heat tools altogether. You may need them to achieve those hard to style hairdos.

You can lower your environmental footprint by using the adjustable temperature controls and selecting a lower heat setting. The AAD suggests a low or medium setting for flat irons and using them no more than every other day.

4. Cool is cool

One smart way to limit hair damage is to use your dryer’s cool setting. It’s gentler on your hair and uses less energy than the hot setting.

It takes energy to heat up your hair dryer and so on. You can feel good about yourself and look good because you’re not being an energy hog.

5. Your hair should be dry

Flat irons and curling irons should only be used on dry hair. Using them on wet hair takes longer, wastes energy and is harder on your hair.

Let your hair dry before using a flat iron or curling iron. Towel drying is good if you don’t rub vigorously. You can combine towel drying with air drying to save on your energy bill.

6. Use hair ‘sun’ screen

If you’re bent on using heat styling tools then do for your hair what you do for your skin when sunbathing. Put a heat protectant product on your hair before styling.

Dermatologists recommend this small step to help limit heat damage. But make sure you use a lower temperature, so you conserve energy.

7. Avoid repetition

There’s a myth going around that the more you do one area the better the reinforcement of the style. That’s incorrect.

All you’re doing with being repetitive is bringing damage to your hair. You’re also wasting electricity.

There’s no need to cover the same part of your hair repeatedly. One and done isn’t just for college basketball, it applies to your hair styling too.

Some Final Words

It’s a given that we all want to look our best, and whatever gender we are, heat styling tools might be our secret weapon!

Unfortunately, these tools can work against our purpose and in this environmentally friendly world that may not be the smart action to take.

Heat styling tools hurt the hair if overused, and they use energy every time you plug them in.

But you can prevent hair damage while conserving energy! It’s not the impossible dream.

Send the right message to everyone you meet. You’re just as concerned about the environment as you are about your looks.

Jack Hoover​​​​​

Editor in Chief ​

​​The Barbr

Jack Hooveris the editor in chief atThe Barbr – a Hair Care blog dedicated to providing honest advice, trustable information about the topic. To learn more about his work, you can visit his Twitter.

Sources

• Tips for healthy hair, American Academy of Dermatology
• Hair styling without damage, American Academy of Dermatology