Blow drying your hair or going for flat ironing might give your locks the style you want, but don’t raise your brows if you end up with brittle tresses, says an expert.

“Our hair is made of protein complex bound by many bonds between the hair proteins. The heat application of blow-drying and ironing makes the water soluble hydrogen bonds of hair break and reform again,” says Snehal Sriram, medical director of hair clinic.

 “This is what makes the hair set the way we make them during blow drying or ironing,” she adds. She says that when the bond-breaking happens frequently, the reforming of the hair bonds get affected and the result is ‘brittle and breakage prone hair’. The expert adds this damage can be prevented.

“Use the cold mode of hair dryer rather than hot mode. This may increase the time taken to dry the hair, but it will not damage the hair as much. If you do need to iron your hair, use a heat protective serum. This helps to some extent, not 100 percent.” “Use the right hair care products based on your hair and scalp type, this prevents further roughening of hair structure. If your hair is healthy, it can withstand the damage much better,” Sriram said. There are ways to repair the damage and strengthen hair too.

“Use a hair mask containing high molecular weight proteins to repair the hair bonds. Avoid any shampoos containing lauryl sulphate, betaines are gentler for your hair. Go for hair strengthening and energising treatments. These treatments stimulate regeneration, and promote hair growth,” she said.

Snehal suggests eating right too and advises to include “essential fatty acids like walnuts, almonds, grilled fish, flax seeds in your diet everyday along with two to three litres of water. Hair nutrient supplements containing amino acids and minerals help too.”