As we approach the Christmas party season, you might be looking for ways to get voluminous locks that hold into place all night. Beauty lovers have thankfully been sharing their hairstyle hacks online for getting curls to stay bouncy for longer - however a new TikTok trend has been warned against by a hair expert.
The latest trick circulating on the social media platform shows users spraying hairspray onto sections of hair before and during the use of heated styling tools, directly spraying hairspray onto curling barrels.
While TikTok users have credited the method as a success for maintaining volume, hair expert Nicole Petty says it can do more harm than good to both the health of your hair and the device. "While this might be effective, using hairspray before or during the use of heat tools can be dangerous for several reasons," Nicole, of Milk + Blush, says.
"Firstly, this can be harmful to the tool itself, as it will coat the iron, requiring intense cleaning to get off and if it has air vents, cause these to become blocked – which helps regulate the temperature.
"But it's not just the device itself that you should be concerned about when it comes to this hack.
"Using hairspray before applying heat to your hair is never a good idea as hairspray contains alcohol.
"Applying heat after adding it to your hair will only dry it out more and result in it looking and feeling lacklustre."
Nicole instead advises to always use heat protector spray to protect the hair's cuticle before styling with heat tools.
And while she doesn't recommend using hairspray prior to curling, there's nothing wrong with using it afterwards.
She adds: "Spray the hair from 30cm away to reach all layers and style with a wide-tooth comb for a glossy finish.
"But, it's not enough to spritz and go - there are always some annoying loose strands. Spray hairspray on a bobby pin before placing it upside down for extra grip on the dancefloor.
"Or, for a sleek up-do, spray a light layer over your hair and brush from root to crown using the end of a clean, unused toothbrush to banish those flyaway baby hairs.
"To avoid any problems getting hairspray out, try adding a hair oil or conditioning spray to your hair before application."
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