Most people who own one ghd tool end up owning two, so here is the rest of the family and how I think about each piece.

The Chronos Styler in 1 inch is the straightener that doubles as a curler, and it is the one I would suggest for anyone with room for only one tool. The Platinum+ Styler, also 1 inch, is the sleeker, more technical flat iron. Both can bend the ends under for a smooth, glossy finish, or flip them out for a quick curve at the bottom.

The brush tools are the ones that feel gentler to me, mostly because they work on slightly damp hair and you can see what you are doing. The Duet Blowdry 2-in-1 Hair Dryer Brush dries and styles in a single step, which suits a rushed morning. The Rise Volumizing Thermal Hot Brush adds lift at the roots, and the Glide Smoothing Hot Brush is the one for taking the frizz out of dry hair.

A word on habits, since these tools all share them. Everything here makes heat, and heat is where good intentions go wrong. Work with clean, fully dry hair for irons and wands, unless the tool is made for damp hair, and keep the sections small enough that the whole piece of hair sits in contact with the surface. A small section is faster, and faster means less time under heat. Let the hair cool before you touch it, so a curl can set properly.

Heat protectant comes first. It is a plain habit, and it should happen before any iron, wand or brush touches your hair. I am saying this before the products, because it is the part most people skip when they are in a hurry.

ghd's own Bodyguard Heat Protect Spray is the obvious match for the irons above, and it is made by the same people who built the tools. Moroccanoil's Perfect Defense Weightless Heat Protectant is the lighter one, and the word weightless is what I would test on fine hair. Eva NYC's Mane Magic 10-in-1 Primer Spray is a primer that doubles as a protectant, and it suits people who like one bottle for many jobs.

Pureology's Color Fanatic Heat Protectant Leave-In is the one for color-treated hair, according to the line it belongs to, and it leaves hair feeling softer. Olaplex's No. 9 Bond Protector Heat Protectant Serum is the serum option, a good one if your hair is thick or dry and a mist feels too thin.

What I would skip: curling on damp hair with an iron, and stacking a protectant, a primer and an oil in thick layers. Wet strands under a hot barrel is a bad combination, and too much product just sits on the surface, so use enough to coat the hair evenly and no more. Let it dry before the iron comes anywhere near. And skip the highest setting on principle. A low setting that works is a better setting than a hot one that works faster.

Here is the rule I keep taped, in my head, to every iron. The American Academy of Dermatology advises using the lowest heat setting with a curling iron and limiting time on the hair, and it says to leave a curling iron in place only a second or two. That is the whole technique.

So the routine is short. Protectant first, then a dry section, then the lowest setting that gives you a curl that holds. Wrap it, count a second or two, and release. If the curl falls out, make the section smaller or try a slightly narrower barrel before you turn the dial up.

Nothing about any tool here promises hair that is free of damage, and I would be suspicious of anything that did. What you can do is use less heat, for less time, on fewer days. Give your hair a rest day between styles, and pick the iron that matches the curl you actually want to wear.