How Often You Should Heat Style Per Week, According To This Derm

“I get lots of questions about heat styling, as it can cause a lot of damage. For my patients that are experiencing breakage and hair loss, I try to tell them to try to limit it to once weekly if possible,” says Cochran Gathers. “For fragile hair types, daily heat styling is likely to be damaging. Personally, my hair is very naturally dry, so I try to limit the amount of heat styling that I do, too!”

Now, she goes on to explain that you don’t need to fear the heat—but she does say to use it smartly and in moderation. (An outlook we can certainly get behind!) “It’s not that these are off limits,” she says. “Just be smart about your use of your flatirons, hair dryers, or curling wands. Ultimately learning how to use these is more important than not using them altogether.”

Here, her quick tips to protecting your hair from heat damage.