Love Your Hair and the Tools You Use

How to Maximize the Life of Your Styling Tools

If you're the type of lady that is always looking up the latest beauty tips and experimenting with your hairstyle, you know just how important it is to have high quality products. Ceramic and/or tourmaline hair straighteners like the T3 tourmaline, a great (preferably ionic) hair dryer, and CHI curling irons are three products that will allow you to achieve numerous looks. Remember that in most cases buying top of the line supplies is well worth the initial investment. Once you have your bathroom drawers fully stocked, it's important to maintain and care for your tools so they will last for many years to come.

Keep Them Looking (and Working) Like New

• One of the biggest reasons why hair straighteners and curling irons stop delivering the flawless results they should is product build-up. An important part of maintaining a flat iron is keeping the plates clean. There are cleaners available that are specifically designed to remove gel, hairspray, and other product build-up. Spritz a small amount onto a soft cloth and gently but thoroughly wipe the plates. Don't do this when straighteners and irons are hot, they should only be slightly warm. Keeping plates clean will preserve the product and reduce damage to your hair.


• Another point to keep in mind is that you should never click the plates of your straightener together, whether you own a T3 tourmaline or a less expensive product. Doing so can cause the plates to chip, which will reduce the life of the product.


• Always turn off and unplug products and store them in a protective carrying case when they are not in use. You will reduce the chances they will be damaged, keep them looking like new, and prolong their life by doing so.


• Use a heat-resistant pad. This is more to protect your counters than your beauty products, but it's still a wise idea.

Looking After Your Hair Dryer

Many beauty tips tell women how to properly use a hair dryer, but it's important to know how to look after the actual product too. Remember, those beauty tips will only be useful if you're using a well-looked-after product.

• Don't wrap the cord around your hair dryer. This is probably the most common mistake people make. It shouldn't be done because it can cause the cord to fray or wear away, and once this happens you'll have to spend the money for a whole new dryer.


• Keep dryers unplugged whenever they aren't being used to extend their life.


• This probably goes without saying, but keep the product away from water at all times, and don't use it if it's been dropped in a filled tub or if water has been spilled on it.


• Keep the air openings clear. When the openings get clogged up with lint or dirt, it can cause the dryer to stop working. Do your best to keep them clear so your dryer can work the way it should.

No matter how much you plan to spend, you want your supplies to last as long as possible, and following the tips above will help ensure that they do.