Ceramic plates: they are slower to warm up than other materials, but they distribute heat more evenly. They tend to be cheaper too, but are more prone to chipping. Yates says that when you do cut, do so about an inch above where the hair is broken. "Thankfully, there are some great layering techniques so only you and your hairdresser will know that you had to adjust your hairstyle to eliminate the broken bits," she says.

The cord is 2.5 metres long and has a 360°C spin feature, meaning that the cord doesn’t get tangled up in the straightener as you go. This makes using it extremely easy and makes for a perfect hair curling tool. Accessory-wise, this straightener come with a transparent, square heating mat (great if you don’t have fluff on your floor) and a travel bag, so portability isn’t a question.

I have a low income. How can I get help with NHS charges?

With over five years’ experience in beauty and health journalism, Florence has written for ELLE, Women’s Fitness, Sister Magazine, National Geographic Traveller and many more, with a strong sustainability angle thread through much of her work. Murugusundram, S. Serenoa Repens: Does It Have Any Role in the Management of Androgenetic Alopecia?. J Cutan Aesthet Surg. 2009;2(1):31-32. doi:10.4103/0974-2077.53097 You may qualify for a full help HC2 certificate, which includes free NHS prescriptions, if your income is less than or equal to your requirements, or your income is greater than your requirements by no more than half the current English prescription charge.

In the Good Housekeeping Institute lab, our experts used a Bossa Nova Shuffle machine to assess how long their style lasted and how much frizz was created in a humid environment.

NHS wigs and fabric supports costs

While there may not be any official treatments for already-broken hair, making sure your hair is at its healthiest is the best move you can make. Every stylist interviewed for this piece was clear to reiterate that fact: Prevention is key. "It's important to remember and approach your hair regime from the perspective that your hair strands are actually dead. So, any product you apply topically to your strands is simply there to cover or coat dead hair strands. Nothing you apply can 'regenerate' your hair strands because they are not living," Maeva Heim, owner of Bread Beauty Supply shared.