WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY HAIR????? *PICS*

[SoAnxious12]

Now be warned this is a lot of heat, but i've seen my stylist do this on some of her clients with resistant hair.

1. let your hair air dry some before you blow dry
2. use a brush and concentrator nozzle on your dryer
3. maxiglide on a LOW setting first, in small sections, go slower than you normally would, and steam the ends.
4. then take a smooth(no teeth) cermaic iron like a chi,sedu or solia and straighten and style

everytime i seen her do this, the hair comes out silky straight. ALso, it could be the serum, just use a tiny bit, then try a "spray" protectant like the fantasia one in the pink bottle (sorry can't remember the whole name)... HTH

 

[cmw45]

are your ends damaged?

Same question I had.

 

[Southernbella.]

I think your hair may be dry. Dry hair craves moisture and will pull it out of the air, which causes it to frizz. Have you tried steam treatments or intense deep conditioning?

If you do decide to relax, I suggest you go straight. Skip the texlaxing, because you will be right back in the same boat. TRUST me on that one.

 

[anon123]

Were you natural before like in childhood or teen years and someone was able to get your hair straight with a pressing comb? As you see from my siggy, I'm not the person to ask about how to get hair straight by yourself with a flat iron. But I know my hair can get really straight and swingy and bouncy with heat (see fotki "pre-2007"). I don't know whether the difference is in whether I do it vs. whether a professional does it or if the difference is between a pressing comb and a flat iron because whenever anyone else did it they always used the hot comb and whenever I've tried it I've always used the flat iron. But anyway, I guess I'm just telling you not to assume that because you can't get it straight at home with a flat iron means that your hair can't get straight.

The only thing that I can think of is that the hair needs to be somewhat straight before the heat is applied. Otherwise you just burn in the kinks. Hmm, I think for this reason a pressing comb really does work better because since you have to comb through the hair at the same time, it pulls it straight as the heat is being applied.

um, can't promise you anything about heat damage for all these methods, though.

 

[Je Ne Sais Quoi]

I think your hair may be dry. Dry hair craves moisture and will pull it out of the air, which causes it to frizz. Have you tried steam treatments or intense deep conditioning?

If you do decide to relax, I suggest you go straight. Skip the texlaxing, because you will be right back in the same boat. TRUST me on that one.

You are right,my hair extremely dry. I guess i will need to up my dc's to two to three times a week. This is pathetic erplexed

 

[Ivonnovi]

Curlaway! Curlaway, will help your hair respond better to heat. I swear by it! ANd I promise you it will.

I just spent over two hours straightening this mess to end up with the results below. What is wrong with my hair? It is NEVER ever frizz free or straight. Why???? I am at wits end and very angry and frustrated. I used my maxiglide on friggin 10!! Used Chi heat protectant and serum, dc'd before hand, etc etc. I am sick of this. Do you think if I texturize my hair it will be different??

 

[Je Ne Sais Quoi]

Curlaway! Curlaway, will help your hair respond better to heat. I swear by it! ANd I promise you it will.

Curlaway? What is it and where do you purchase it? I'm going to see if I can do a search...

Thanks!!

 

[Divine Inspiration]

Are you natural with coarse hair Divine? What iron do you use now?

My hair is not as coarse as it used to be due to some dietary changes, but it is still thicker and coarser than the average. I have 3" of texlaxed ends and the rest is natural.

The Maxiglide didn't even work on my texlaxed hair...it was just a frizzy, poofy mess.

I have had to experiment and practice to achieve what I wanted on my natural hair versus texlaxed hair.

I definitely co-sign with using smaller sections of hair and passing slowly but none of the "techniques" mattered on my hair until I ditched that Maxiglide.

The Jilbere, CHI, and FHI have all worked well on my hair. I know some people are brand loyal, but I can't say that I am. If my hair is moisturized properly and I use the right technique, any ceramic iron will do...just not the friggin' Maxiglide.

Is it possible that your hair has too much protein or that you need to add an oil or something to a moisturizing con when you DC? Adding castor oil to a moisturizing conditioner makes a big difference in how my hair wears after a flat iron.

 

[BeautifulFlower]

Have you tried a pressing comb? The Pink Skates technique.

 

[lovelymissyoli]

My hair looked the exact same way when I used the Maxiglide no matter what products I used or how high I turned it up.

Use another iron! I was just as frustrated as you are, thinking my hair was never going ti cooperate, but I ditched that Maxiglide for another ceramic iron and I can get my hair straight without the iron being 5 million degrees.

The pic in my siggy was with a ceramic iron. The Maxiglide just doesn't get the job done for some folks.

My thoughts exactly! I was texturized when I purchased the Maxiglide and even then it couldn't get my hair straight!

 

[hairmaster]

Silk Therapy and the CHI original iron will do the job, small sections slow steady stroke of the iron.

 

[Hair Iam]

I think its your flat iron plus dryness, I think you should go get a professional steam treatment and a new flat iron. Less product is better .

 

[EMJazzy]

I haven't flatironed in a long time but when I did I used the MINI glide and I did it in small sections (think pinky finger size parts). My hair was very straight every time.

HTH

 

[nodisrespect]

When I was natural, I doubt any flat iron would have been able to straighten my hair. I used a hot comb, and it would be straighter than it gets now w/ a relaxer and flat iron.

 

[PanamasOwn]

yea I had the same problem. I just tried to flatiron my hair and it came more poofy than anything. When I first started all the small pieces came out straight but once I put it all together it looked horrible. I will say that I am 20%-35% relaxed, so my hair is SUPER curly. I am thinking of doing an all around corrective to make it looser so that when I do straighten it looks better... And so that I can eliminate some of these knots on my ends

 

[kblc06]

Even without the serum glam my hair still acts a plum fool Redamndiculous

The first time I flat-ironed my hair it looked very similar to yours.

If you look in my album, you'll see a progression towards straighter hair. Here's some tricks of the trade that I've learned:

-Do NOT try to battle mother nature (i.e. humidity). Resistance is futile!This is especially true if your hair is naturally prone to dryness. Before you straighten your hair, it must be in good condition to look good afterwards.

-Do NOT use water based heat protectants the first or second ingredient should be some form of silicone.

-DO use the steam function on maxiglide and the toothed plate (mine is relatively new but I've heard that their life doesn't usually last more than 1.5-2.5 years)

-DO prestretch your hair. It will lessesn the overall amount of heat you have to use to get your hair straight, plus your hair may have been damaged on a too high heat setting-maxiglides get hella hot. As a matter of fact, I find that my hair turns our much more smoothly if I prestretch as opposed to blowdrying (my hair is porous and seems to expand even more once its blowdried )

-DO flat iron in very thin sections (since your hair is very thick I would say no more that 1/2 an inch thick if that. If you aren't using the toothed plate, it may be advisable to chase the hair with a fine toothed comb or a conair flat iron brush

 

[Crackers Phinn]

I have the same problem with flatironing my hair.

I'm bout to shell out some gas money to see if the chicks over at the JCPenny salon can moisturize my situation cuz I can't do nothin with it.

 

[Je Ne Sais Quoi]

Silk Therapy and the CHI original iron will do the job, small sections slow steady stroke of the iron.

Silk therapy huh? I've seen it and always wondered about it. Thanks for the tip Hairmaster.

I think its your flat iron plus dryness, I think you should go get a professional steam treatment and a new flat iron. Less product is better .

I think yall are on to something about the flatiron...

I haven't flatironed in a long time but when I did I used the MINI glide and I did it in small sections (think pinky finger size parts). My hair was very straight every time.

HTH

*pouts* I do make small sections. How is the miniglide??

When I was natural, I doubt any flat iron would have been able to straighten my hair. I used a hot comb, and it would be straighter than it gets now w/ a relaxer and flat iron.

Hmmm, very interesting. I remember my natural hair getting so nice when my mom pressed my hair...

yea I had the same problem. I just tried to flatiron my hair and it came more poofy than anything. When I first started all the small pieces came out straight but once I put it all together it looked horrible. I will say that I am 20%-35% relaxed, so my hair is SUPER curly. I am thinking of doing an all around corrective to make it looser so that when I do straighten it looks better... And so that I can eliminate some of these knots on my ends

That is exactly what happens to me. When you put it all together it looks crazy as hell.

The first time I flat-ironed my hair it looked very similar to yours.

If you look in my album, you'll see a progression towards straighter hair. Here's some tricks of the trade that I've learned:

-Do NOT try to battle mother nature (i.e. humidity). Resistance is futile!This is especially true if your hair is naturally prone to dryness. Before you straighten your hair, it must be in good condition to look good afterwards.

-Do NOT use water based heat protectants the first or second ingredient should be some form of silicone.

-DO use the steam function on maxiglide and the toothed plate (mine is relatively new but I've heard that their life doesn't usually last more than 1.5-2.5 years)

-DO prestretch your hair. It will lessesn the overall amount of heat you have to use to get your hair straight, plus your hair may have been damaged on a too high heat setting-maxiglides get hella hot. As a matter of fact, I find that my hair turns our much more smoothly if I prestretch as opposed to blowdrying (my hair is porous and seems to expand even more once its blowdried )

-DO flat iron in very thin sections (since your hair is very thick I would say no more that 1/2 an inch thick if that. If you aren't using the toothed plate, it may be advisable to chase the hair with a fine toothed comb or a conair flat iron brush

Very very good info

I have the same problem with flatironing my hair.

I'm bout to shell out some gas money to see if the chicks over at the JCPenny salon can moisturize my situation cuz I can't do nothin with it.

I need my sitchiation moisturized too. Maybe I need to invest in a pibbs or steamer or something because this is crazy. And I cowash so so much, I don't understand why my hair is still so coarse and dry

 

[aja1121]

I'm natural 4a, 3cish in the front. A maxiglide would never get my hair straight nor would a comb attachment on a blowdryer (until my hair was trained straight)

It took a blowdryer, concentrator and paddle brush. The flat iron, was for smoothness, but is was the blowdryer technique that really got it straight. BE CAREFUL....depending on your hair texture, type...you may not get a perfect revert!!!

It took 2 years of doing this on a weekly basis, without deep conditioning and heat protectants for my hair to not revert....just a WARNING! For some people it is a gradual process (like me), for others it can be immediate.

Oh yeah and extra small sections, like 1/4" thick

 

[SparklingFlame]

Awwww Bre I am so sorry hun.
That is so disappointing I know.

My hair was worse than yours. It would look sorta like yours then in 5 min it would poof up. erplexed

Its much better now that I am texlaxed. Much much easier to get strait and stay that way.

 

[EMJazzy]

The mini glide is the very much smaller version of the maxiglide (it's orange, no heat control).

When was the last time you clarified? That can also be a reason why your hair is acting that way, not to mention we are smack-dab in the middle of summer. You know flatironed natural hair and humidity don't mix.

 

[sweetgal]

I think you hair is healthy! I have seen it many times before,

I think you need another techinque, either roller set, comb curls then flat iron.

or braid hair down, the flat iron-also I think you need another flat iron, perhaps the steam brust does not help. Everyone is different.

 

[KAT25]

texlaxing is going to make your hair straighter and it appears that you are using all the right products on your hair and you have a great flat iron so... i saw creamy crack!! creamy crack!!!

 

[aloof one]

Try some castor oil on your hair while you blow dry, or a product that has Castor oil high on the list (IT WORKS!). it will give your hair shin and stretch it out a lot better for a lot longer. I would recommend ION Straightener from Sally's or BB Castor oil. There are more but I can't think of them right now. CHI silk infusion is great and all, but it didn't do as well on my 4b hair. Its great for my looser textured hair but I preferred it when airdrying over blowdrying because it wasn't moisturizing.


Can we see what your hair looks like without straightening it? Maybe that could help with changing your technique and what you use if we could see it. Do you have a fotki or any pics?

Another recommendation would be to use more cones when you blow dry and less when you actually flatiron. Sometimes I use a spray instead (like Silk Elements). I would try the CHI iron for your hair if I were you. When you pass over the sections I would go pretty fast first, see how it came out, then try it again a little slower. After a while you'll figure out the speed you need to go. The CHI can go higher if you clutch it tighter on the hair if you want to do that. I think it goes up to 450 degrees but if you have a heat protectant youll be fine.

 

[LadyKaypnyc]

I have the same problem, that's why I've given up flat ironing my hair, next time I will just go to a professional

So you are definately not alone

 

[missnappylady]

I don't think there's anything "wrong" with your hair. You might just need to tweek your technique.

I'm 4b natural and can get my hair pretty straight with the maxiglide. It doesn't usually last for more than a day but, it doesn't completely revert until I wash it.

I let my hair dry in large braids and then maxiglide with aveda anti-humectant and Redken heat glide. Like someone mentioned earlier, do smaller sections too. There's a pic of my hair totally natural (but stretched) in my avatar and below is after maxiglide. It IS possible. Don't worry.

(click to enlarge)

 

[Hairsofab]

I need the same advice. That is how my hair always looks after I try to straighten it.

 

[discobiscuits]

My hair does this too ...I think it's all in the technique of straightening but I just can't get it down.

this is so true.

When I straighten, I either A. air dry overnight then blow dry the rest of the wayi if there is any dampness left the next day or B. blow dry in small sections about 80-90% on high.

When I flat iron, I can use any kind of FI but I prefer one with a variable temperature setting and ceramic or tourmoline. then I flat iron in small sections, i part about 1 -2 inches wide and in thin sections from root to ends. I'll do a Fotki tutorial one day. My hair comes out really nice & straight or curly if I curl as I flatiron. I also use very few products and always a heat protectant.

 

[discobiscuits]

My natural hair after flat iron. I don't put cones in my hair when I flat iron, I particularly avoid serums with cones b/c they don't do well in heat and esp w/ flat irons or curling irons in my experience. I also put oil on my scalp and very lightly in the hair b/c it will weigh my hair down too much.

 

[kismettt]

my natural hair needs alot of heat/effort to get straight.

blowdry. rattail comb. hot comb. flat iron.