It's enough to make your hair curl - spending hundreds of dollars on top-of-the-range ceramic straightening irons is no insurance against ruining your hair.
International hair and skin specialists meeting in Chicago said a trend towards daily use of irons was causing "major damage" to tresses everywhere.
Sydney
dermatologist Dr Phillip Artemi said that more women were turning up at clinics with burnt hair, which caused it to split and appear dry.
Burnt hair could take years to recover and many women were forced into a short style for years, he said. Ceramic-coated tongs were designed to protect hair by getting hotter and straightening faster than metal irons.
Hairdressers told the Herald on Sunday that if used correctly, straighteners shouldn't cause problems.
But users had to manage their straightening habits - more than twice a week, or temperatures above 170 degrees, put hair at risk.
Auckland stylist Adam Brown-Rigg said the newer ceramic-coated irons, such as the popular GHD brand, were better for hair.
"They protect the hair more than the old ones because they are heat-regulated. The heat is distributed evenly across the plate, whereas the metal ones used to burn in certain areas."
No form of heated styling was good for hair, but a thermal protector product was essential for those who wanted straight locks daily. Those who hadn't dyed hair could safely use straighteners more often.
"Some hair is more resilient than others. Bleach causes the major problems, especially if combined with lots of straightening."
