Heat styling might just be the thing to do this winter for many different reasons, the top few being it is less humid so the style will last longer. Nobody wants to go through the long process of flat ironing only to have it revert on you in a few hours!

Anyway heat is a great way to switch things up and it can give you a much needed break from constant manipulation. Before you take to the flat iron here are seven things you should always consider doing:

1: Start with clean hair –this seems very obvious but it might be tempting to move from one style to the next without having a clean palette to work with. If you apply heat to hair that already has product and dirt in it the only thing the heat will do is bake the residue into the hair leaving it looking dull and lifeless.

2: Deep condition your hair– Hair that is thoroughly conditioned means a balance of both moisture and protein. Moisture and proteins gives the hair the armor it needs to withstand the high temperatures you are about to subject your strands to. Either condition your hair overnight or do some kind of heat conditioning prior to your flat iron session. There is no one product that is dedicated to conditioning, use what is practical for you just ensure that you have a balance of protein and moisture.

3: Stretch your hair if you are natural – one of the easiest ways to heat style your hair is to have it in a state that is dry and stretched. This might mean washing, conditioning and allowing the hair to dry in braids or twists overnight. The braids will keep the hair detangled and stretched. If the hair isn’t dry, use a blow dryer to finish the job, you won’t need to use the blow dryer for very long since you already prepped the hair the night before.