Could Curling Tongs That Promise 24 Hour Waves Cause Hair Loss?

The signature tousled waves of Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw are the ultimate hair goal for many women, and now there's a tool that promises to give you just that. Top hair styling brand GHD's heated curling tongs claim to produce loose, beachy-yet-groomed waves that stay in place for a full 24 hours. Given the hair loss issues surrounding heated hair stylers, is this latest gadget really worth it?

Testing out day-long staying power

Mail Online journalist, Toni Jones tested out GHD's latest invention to see if the 24 hour promise was true.

After adding some root-lifting product, GHD professional stylist Kenna blow-dried her long hair. Next he twisted sections of Toni's hair around the length of the heated curling wand's barrel, taking care to leave the ends of the hair free. Each section was heated around the wand for a few seconds then gently pulled loose. The look was set with a strong hold hairspray.

With her new waves firmly in place, Toni went about a day of sightseeing, drinking, dining and dancing in Berlin to test just how well the curls (pictured below) would stay put.

At the end of the day she confirmed she was 'sold' on the product and believed it did live up to its claims, saying "Yes, it helps having a hair superstar styling your 'do to begin with, but Kenna didn't do anything groundbreaking to my barnet, he just prepped it really well using more product than I usually would, blow-dried it properly (which I never bother to do) and then spent time working patiently through all sections of the hair. It didn't take as long as it looks like it should have. It DID include a lot of hairspray. and it DID put a bounce in my step all day and night."

Potential dangers of 24 hour heat-set hairstyles

The two key elements involved in setting this day-long look are heat and lots hair styling products.

Although, as Toni says, prepping products and a 'LOT' of hairspray was involved in setting her style, as long as she washes her hair frequently to remove build up, this is not a concern.

Hair styling products do not cause hair loss unless the user has a particularly severe allergic reaction to them. Generous applications of heat-protecting products used before the curling tongs can, in fact, help to protect the hair from styling damage.

Heated hair styling can dry out and singe the hair, causing shedding in the form of hair breakage.

Over-using heated hair appliances like tongs, hair straighteners, and even hair dryers, may lead to the hair to becoming brittle and snapping off. This can give hair a slightly fuzzy, raggedy appearance. In these instances, as the hair snaps along the shaft and does not fall from the root, this is regarded as cosmetic damage, not a hair loss condition.

How to avoid or treat hair loss from styling damage

As long as you treat your hair well - nourishing it from the inside through your diet or by taking a targeted supplement such as Hair Vitalics, as well as following a regular haircare routine with products appropriate for your hair type - adopting this kind of style occasionally should not cause hair loss.

Hair loss only becomes an issue when people develop a frequent heat-styling habit and don't allow their hair the necessary rest and recovery time between heat exposure sessions.

In order to avoid this, make sure your hair is kept in good condition and prep well with heat-protective products before using heated tools. Intensive conditioning treatments can prove useful, particularly if you also colour your hair.

Try to space out how often you wear heat-set styles and, where it is possible to select the appliance temperature, always go for a cool or medium heat, rather than the highest setting.

If you notice your hair breaking or are experiencing more shedding than normal, visit a specialist straight away. They will be able to assess the extent of any damage, diagnose your condition and advise how you can restore your hair's health by using a bespoke combination of hair loss treatments and growth boosting products.