Anyone who has hair knows the struggles of maintaining a perfect mane.

It‘s a lot to deal with, and often doesn‘t seem worth the hassle. When you only have a certain amount of time each morning to get ready, sometimes the bare minimum sounds like the call. But not so fast. If you‘re going to apply any heat at all, you need to protect your strands.

We spoke with two experts about heat protectants and the importance of using them. Read below to find out more:

First things first—heat protectants should definitely be used, but make sure you‘re using the products properly. If you need to blowdry your hair very quickly, you might be tempted to turn up the heat all the way—but that‘s not going to do you any good in the long-run. At that point, a heat protectant wouldn‘t even be able to help you because the damage would already be done.FrankJames dibrino, salon owner of Twisted Bangz in New York, says:

“Hair is a delicate fabric and must be treated as such, especially when it has been chemically altered.“

(via Shutterstock)

If you regularly color your hair, you‘re damaging it, plain and simple. That‘s why it‘s important to take every precaution available when it comes to protecting your locks. FrankJames told us:

“The term ‘heat protectant‘ is misunderstood. Using a standalone heat protectant product can be redundant because all professional styling products have heat-protecting ability. However, only when hot tools (blow dryers, curling irons, flat irons) are used properly.“

So, basically, don‘t turn up the heat super high or leave the iron on your hair for too long. All in all, heat protectants are a great thing. Plus, there are multiple benefits to using them, including adding moisture to your hair, giving your locks a glossy shine and defrizzing.

When it comes to your specific hair type—fine, curly, frizzy, etc.—a heat protectant might help you immensely. We asked Phenix Salons owner Gina Rivera about the types of hair that can benefit from using a heat protectant:

“All types of hair can benefit from heat protectants. However, fine hair can often be particularly susceptible to breakage from heat and can benefit from a good heat protectant product. In addition, hair that‘s been processed with color treatments or other actions that include chemicals are frequently a bit drier and can also benefit from a heat protectant solution.“

(via Shutterstock)