Most of us have our hair straighteners for a loooong time.

When GHDs first came out, it's safe to say everyone and their granny bought one. We had them for yonks and have maybe only replaced them one or two times. However, it turns out that hair straighteners don't last that long and we should really only have them for 2 or 3 years. If you either can't remember or think yours might be on its way out, there's a few things to look out for before you go off to buy a new one. According to hair stylist Jackie Dove if we over use our straighteners over a prolonged period of time, they can actually break our hair and strip it of its natural oils. One of the easiest ways to tell if you need a new tool is if the plates are scratched, worn down or lifted. "If they've lifted, your hair is likely to get caught in it," says Jackie. Next, look out for any flashing lights. The light indicator on most hot tools will turn red when it's good to go. However, if the light is flashing before it's hot enough, or still flashes in-between styling, then there's definitely something wrong. The last thing to note is if you're straightening the same piece of hair over and over again. This definitely means it has reached its expiration date as it's not reaching its full potential. Seems like most of us could be on the lookout for a new hair straightener...