Curling Iron

While a curling iron can give you highly covetable beachy waves as well as glossy curls, it can also lead to minor burns on your neck, forehead, and even your hands. If you have blisters or severe damage, then be sure to contact a doctor about how to heal your skin. But for those minor burns, here's how to treat them.

1. Use a cool washcloth. Run a washcloth under the faucet, and soak it in cold water. Wring it out and apply to the burn to help instantly cool it down. Avoid ice, as this can shock your skin in a bad way.

2. Apply aloe vera. Soothe and hydrate the burn with aloe vera — just like if you were to get a sunburn.

3. Take ibuprofen. Taking a dose of Advil can help with the inflammation and the pain.

4. Apply a hydrocortisone cream. Whip out a tube of 0.5 percent hydrocortisone, which can also help with inflammation and discomfort.

5. Keep it moisturized. As the skin starts to heal, apply moisturizer on it to keep it hydrated and eventually slough away the damaged skin.

Your strands take on a lot of stress all year round, but during the holidays, it can go to extremes. Between the hair spray, the updos, and the hot tools, hair can start to look and feel a little lackluster. But there are ways to help your hair make it through the holiday season sans the brittle effects. "Protecting your hair is something that's easy to do," celebrity stylist Mark Townsend, who has done hair for Natalie Portman and Christina Aguilera, says. And there's one absolute tip you need to know to keep it healthy.

Think about how you use your hot tools. Do you crank them up to the highest temperature possible, grab a huge chunk of your hair, and then run your straightener or curling iron over it again and again? If you are, then you're just asking for some serious damage. "If you use your iron like this, you're only getting the top and bottom layers of hair, which is why you're having to run your tool over it so many times," Townsend says. "This is going to damage your hair."

Instead, Townsend suggests working in two-inch sections, and keeping the heat on a lower setting; 350 degrees is plenty. Not only is this gentler on your strands, but also, hair will actually style more quickly with this method. And always use a thermal spray when you're working with hot tools. One that adds shine, like Oribe Foundation Mist ($22), will keep things silky and smooth.

Curling irons do wonders for our hairstyles, but they also inflict some serious damage. Singed ends and weary wrists are hereby banished, thanks to the EasyCurl Iron from Runway Tools ($160). Both the iron and the clamp heat, allowing for ease of use and flexible styling. But the real standout is in the swivel cylinder, making the need to twist hair up the iron obsolete. The speed at which you twist your strands dictates the size and tightness of the curl. Bonus: the curling iron has a 60-minute timer, so it turns off after an hour, meaning you'll no longer have to have that did-I-turn-it-off panic. Full disclosure: The folks at Runway Tools visited the Sugar offices to demonstrate the iron and presented it to me for review.

Can a clampless curling iron work as well as — or better than — a traditional one? We're taking a look at the new Sultra Bombshell to find out. Watch now to see why we "love the glove" and have since become curling converts!

When it comes to beauty products, mini anything always seems to be a crowd-pleaser. And while not every single person can benefit from Conair's MiniPro 1" Ceramic Curling Iron ($18) and MiniPro You Style 2-in-1 Ceramic Styler ($21), these diminutive styling tools can come in handy. Plus, they're just plain cute. Find out the pros and cons of these no-frills products when you read more.

For those of us with seriously straight hair, trying to get loose, soft curls like the ones Kat Dennings had on the red carpet for the movie Shorts can be maddening — your hair is too curly right out of the curling iron, so then you have to brush it out a little or put in some hair creme, then your curls won't stay in without a ton of hairspray, but that just makes them crunchy and heavy, so after a couple of hours they fall out anyway. It's a sad situation, but one that can be remedied. To get you curled up with the best of them, I've put together four easy tricks for getting the most out of your curl. Just read more.