A question for those who fear heat?

[Artemis]

Why is this the case?

If heat protectants protect the hair from heat damage, and heat appliances now come in technologically advanced forms, which include a temp gauge, why then (in your opinion!) is heat still the "debil"?

I mean, we all know that too much of anything can be bad, right? Even too much deep conditioning can damage the hair (yeah, I said it) but this is based on the context of the hair at baseline of course...

Not trying to be controversial...I really want to know

Thanks in advance

 

[anon123]

Well, I am not as afraid of heat as others. But I think some of the idea would be that even with heat protectant the hair can still be damaged. The heat protectant is a help, not a guarantee. Over on NP there is a locked archived board of people with heat damage, sometimes just from one use of too much heat. So for them it was not even a matter of straightening too many times. Since true heat damage doesn't seem to revert, it's like if you mess up just one time, that hair's not coming back to its full curly state.

 

[**SaSSy**]

I don't think anyone thinks that heat is the "devil" per sa, but I think that me personally having much better results with air-drying compare to dome drying makes me want to limit heat all together. My hair is just less drying and lighter than using that blow fryer! When I was natural I use to use IC hair heat protecter and that really didn't work for the breakage from blow drying, it just made my hair frizzy, and a greasy mess. I have color-treated hair which is much dryer than natural hair and heat I feel makes it dryer, compare to air drying which makes it look healthier.

 

[MzOptimistic]

Although there are quite a few women on this board who have grown their hair to great lengths while using heat. I guess the reason why I don't really use heat is because I found alternative ways to get the same styles without using flat irons/curlers/blow dryers.

 

[Neith]

It's just a fact that heat dries out/slightly damages your hair even with heat protectants and proper technique.

It's logical to avoid heat because the less you use it, the less damage your hair will have.

I get what you are saying though... unless you overuse heat, you probably won't even be able to see a difference in health.

Some people are perfectionists I guess.


I personally hate heat (I aint scared of it though ) because I have to use high heat which damages my hair... and my hair just doesn't like being straight and will revert very easily. So I don't use direct heat very often. In the last year I've used it about 3 times.

 

[Artemis]

Mwedzi, I understand what you are saying...

But that's the thing. It wasn't the heat that did it, it was their understanding of the heat appliance relative to their hair. It is very important to know what level of health (or lack thereof) your hair is in before you just start plugging up all sorts of appliances.

Cyclomethicone and dimethicone are the two major ingredients in most bonafide heat protectants, and the temperature at which these compounds degrade is much higher than our flat irons etc. This is under the educated assumption that the hair is healthy. If the hair is damaged, then the threshold will be lower obviously. We cannot be in denial about that, y'know what I mean?

Just because Suzy has a no-temp control Chi and uses that thing everyday doesn't mean that you can too, of course, but that doesn't mean that if you used a Maxiglide on setting #1 that your hair will fall out.

But even still, Suzy might have coarse hair, and you have fine hair...it's all relative, and we have to recognize that.

I hope I'm not being argumentative with this. I was thinking about this earlier and wanted to put it out there...

Thanks for reading.

 

[Artemis]

Right, ladies, if you can achieve a desired look without the use of heat, then by all means, go for it.

I've read some threads over the years (GAH! I've been here a little while) and some people are just so...what's the word? Hmm. "Abraisve" works. Abrasive about heat use. As a psyc student I can't help but analyze their behinds lol. Like, "Hmm, so how long have you felt this way?" LMAO.

But you know, it's like that sometimes with all kinds of things if you do not understand them. For instance, I have a friend who is dead set against anything related to hair color. She won't even do a rinse. Now this is because she had a bad experience with it, but even when she learned how hair color works, she still is "gun-shy". IMO that is debilitating, or restrictive...

 

[Artemis]

It's just a fact that heat dries out/slightly damages your hair even with heat protectants and proper technique.

IMO and IME, it depends on the type of heat and how it is used. But we can agree to disagree here

 

[Neith]

IMO and IME, it depends on the type of heat and how it is used. But we can agree to disagree here

I was talking about direct heat. I guess it applies to indirect heat as well, but to a lesser extent.

If you put something hot enough to burn your skin (damage) in your hair you're damaging your hair in a similar fashion. That's just how I think about it.

 

[Artemis]

I was talking about direct heat. I guess it applies to indirect heat as well, but to a lesser extent.

If you put something hot enough to burn your skin (damage) in your hair you're damaging your hair in a similar fashion. That's just how I think about it.

I'm talking about direct heat too. Let me see if I can find the old thread about infrared heat and cancer patients...

I'll be back.

 

[discodumpling]

After spending 21 + yrs BONELAXING I am very hesitant to damage my hair again. The one time I used my Maxiglide on setting #1 was enough to scare me. Even with heat protectant my hair took (it seemed to me) MONTHS to recover. IMO my hair looked JACKLAXED and I rushed to wash it out.
Roller setting gives me all the str8ness I need right now.

***This post helped me use 2 new vocabulary words***LOL!!

 

[msa]

I don't really fear heat, but I do recognize that it is damaging to my hair. It's not just the heat though, it's the manipulation that heat requires in order to reach a desired goal.

People use heat to get their hair straight. Trying to get my hair straight is forcing it to do something that it just does not want to do. So I have to use a lot of heat (and manipulation from a flat iron) to make it straight. "Proper techniques" like heat protectant and low temperature will not get my hair straight at all. So, I choose not to use heat because I like my hair better the way it naturally is and I don't want to damage it trying to get it to do something it doesn't want to do.

 

[Artemis]

After spending 21 + yrs BONELAXING I am very hesitant to damage my hair again. The one time I used my Maxiglide on setting #1 was enough to scare me. Even with heat protectant my hair took (it seemed to me) MONTHS to recover. IMO my hair looked JACKLAXED and I rushed to wash it out.
Roller setting gives me all the str8ness I need right now.

***This post helped me use 2 new vocabulary words***LOL!!

Two new words?! LOL! Gon' head then haha.

Yeah, hair that is relaxed bone straight (I refuse to use that new term) is not on the same playing field as texturized hair in terms of heat use and other things too. So clearly flat irons should not be within 10 feet of a bone straight head...esp. if one has fine textured hair vs. medium vs. coarse.

Again, it's all about the baseline.

 

[BotanyGrl]

When I first got back on the boards, I feared direct heat! I rollerset faithfully and sat under my hooded dryer every weekend. Fast forward 6 months and I blowdry my hair on low-warm once a week. I pull my hair back and keep it moving. Ive been doing this for the last 6 weeks and I have not seen any adverse effects. With proper technique and products, I no longer believe that direct heat is a problem. At least not for me

 

[Artemis]

Ok Neith.

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showpost.php?p=1916470&postcount=5

ETA: Here's the entire thread: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=114270

 

[Artemis]

When I first got back on the boards, I feared direct heat! I rollerset faithfully and sat under my hooded dryer every weekend. Fast forward 6 months and I blowdry my hair on low-warm once a week. I pull my hair back and keep it moving. Ive been doing this for the last 6 weeks and I have not seen any adverse effects. With proper technique and products, I no longer believe that direct heat is a problem. At least not for me

Good for you! This is why deep conditioning on a regular and consistent basis is so important. That way if you have any mishaps (like one random day you have a brain freeze and decide to turn the blower up to hot) the added properties from the deep conditioning are what is "degraded" not the hair.


Ahem...
Geez, I feel like I'm like the Al Gore of flat irons right now...I'm really not lobbying for heat use, but just common sense caution

 

[Artemis]

I don't really fear heat, but I do recognize that it is damaging to my hair. It's not just the heat though, it's the manipulation that heat requires in order to reach a desired goal.

People use heat to get their hair straight. Trying to get my hair straight is forcing it to do something that it just does not want to do. So I have to use a lot of heat (and manipulation from a flat iron) to make it straight. "Proper techniques" like heat protectant and low temperature will not get my hair straight at all. So, I choose not to use heat because I like my hair better the way it naturally is and I don't want to damage it trying to get it to do something it doesn't want to do.

I feel ya! When I was natural, I tried and tried to press my hair and it just refused, so I let it be.

What's so important to remember is that everyone's hair is different, so whenever I read threads where someone is saying "Don't you pull out that blowdryer, you'll be bald! Heat is evil!" I cannot help but smh, esp. when that same person says that steam rollers are ok. Last time I checked, steam isn't cold

 

[discodumpling]

Two new words?! LOL! Gon' head then haha.

Yeah, hair that is relaxed bone straight (I refuse to use that new term) is not on the same playing field as texturized hair in terms of heat use and other things too. So clearly flat irons should not be within 10 feet of a bone straight head...esp. if one has fine textured hair vs. medium vs. coarse.

Again, it's all about the baseline.

I'm sorry, my post wasn't clear. The flat ironing was not done on my relaxed hair. I flat ironed my natural hair last December with those results. True enough my natural hair is very fine textured so that's why the roller setting works.

Don;t be scurred embrace the new verbiage!

 

[Artemis]

I'm sorry, my post wasn't clear. The flat ironing was not done on my relaxed hair. I flat ironed my natural hair last December with those results. True enough my natural hair is very fine textured so that's why the roller setting works.

Don;t be scurred embrace the new verbiage!

Ah ok, I got ya now. Yeah fine hair is on a totally different level. I'm still trying to figure my own out. Rollersetting has helped me too, but I like a finished look so a flat iron may or may not be used afterwards. But I compensate by maintaining a strict regimen that includes a healthy balance of moisture and protein. Sometimes I take a break from heat styling to build up more of a foundation (via consistent dc-ing) on the strands so as not to damage the hair.

I know what I can and cannot do, y'know? I try to be realistic.

 

[msa]

I feel ya! When I was natural, I tried and tried to press my hair and it just refused, so I let it be.

What's so important to remember is that everyone's hair is different, so whenever I read threads where someone is saying "Don't you pull out that blowdryer, you'll be bald! Heat is evil!" I cannot help but smh, esp. when that same person says that steam rollers are ok. Last time I checked, steam isn't cold

ITA!! I've never understood why steam rollers or a hooded dryer multiple times a week is ok but a blowdryer once is bad. But since I don't use anything I'm not worried about it.

I think people are sometimes afraid of heat because of the way it has been used on them without proper techniques. When I was younger I used to get my hair pressed every two weeks without fail. My hair would get as straight as your hair in your siggy and no one could tell I was natural. But it took blowdrying, pressing, flat ironing, AND curling to get it too look that way. So if that's all you've ever known, heat is going to seem scary to you if you're trying to take care of your hair for the first time in your life. Eventually, I think people settle down and figure out that not all heat is bad, especially as they learn more about their hair.

 

[Artemis]

ITA!! I've never understood why steam rollers or a hooded dryer multiple times a week is ok but a blowdryer once is bad. But since I don't use anything I'm not worried about it.

I think people are sometimes afraid of heat because of the way it has been used on them without proper techniques. When I was younger I used to get my hair pressed every two weeks without fail. My hair would get as straight as your hair in your siggy and no one could tell I was natural. But it took blowdrying, pressing, flat ironing, AND curling to get it too look that way. So if that's all you've ever known, heat is going to seem scary to you if you're trying to take care of your hair for the first time in your life. Eventually, I think people settle down and figure out that not all heat is bad, especially as they learn more about their hair.

Absolutely! That's what I mean. Once you are educated, there is no need to fear it.

And that's with all types of issues, not just hair

 

[Evazhair]

I don't like direct heat on my relaxed hair because within 24 hours I can immediately feel the difference in a bad way in my hair. It makes it dry and weaker when used appropriately. Now my virgin hair can take a lot of heat- hard presses with no damage/texture change issues. I don't need the flat irons/blow dryers to acheive sleekness, a rollerset is sufficient without sacrificing moisture and compromising my ends. In the end I just feel like why do unnecessary potentially damaging things to my hair?

 

[Artemis]

I don't like direct heat on my relaxed hair because within 24 hours I can immediately feel the difference in a bad way in my hair. It makes it dry and weaker when used appropriately. Now my virgin hair can take a lot of heat- hard presses with no damage/texture change issues. I don't need the flat irons/blow dryers to acheive sleekness, a rollerset is sufficient without sacrificing moisture and compromising my ends. In the end I just feel like why do unnecessary potentially damaging things to my hair?

I totally understand this If something doesn't work, then it doesn't work. But having "fear" over it is something different.

How you feel about direct heat, I feel about airdrying loose. I don't like the results of it on my hair.

 

[charmtreese]

I can bonnet dry twice a week with no problem (well at least I have not noticed any ill effects) but If I blow dry with a hand held dryer I'm asking for trouble. But I think the successfulness of blowdrying and or flat ironing is determined by three things; the condition of the hair, hair type and technique. Even though my hair is healthy, I have fine thin hair that is about 15 weeks post. IMO blowdrying my hair is not an option. However my sister has healthy ubber thick strand and density hair, and blowdrying/flat ironing works well for her.

I don't think direct heat is the devil for everyone but for me it is!!!

 

[charmtreese]

I totally understand this If something doesn't work, then it doesn't work. But having "fear" over it is something different.

How you feel about direct heat, I feel about airdrying loose. I don't like the results of it on my hair.

Oh Lawd, I absolutely HATE airdrying loose. That's worst then blowdrying for my hair!!!

 

[Artemis]

I can bonnet dry twice a week with no problem (well at least I have not noticed any ill effects) but If I blow dry with a hand held dryer I'm asking for trouble. But I think the successfulness of blowdrying and or flat ironing is determined by three things; the condition of the hair, hair type and technique. Even though my hair is healthy, I have fine thin hair that is about 15 weeks post. IMO blowdrying my hair is not an option. However my sister has healthy ubber thick strand and density hair, and blowdrying/flat ironing works well for her.

I don't think direct heat is the devil for everyone but for me it is!!!

Dang! 15 wks post?! I wish I could do that. My fine hair said "No ma'am" at 12.

Shoot, I'm going into wk 8 right now, and I've been flexirod-ing it for the past 2 wks.

 

[Artemis]

Oh Lawd, I absolutely HATE airdrying loose. That's worst then blowdrying for my hair!!!

Funny how that works, right?

For a long time, I lost more hair doing a regular rollerset than if I blowdried...But airdrying?? Talk about bald-headed

 

[JustKiya]

I'm one of those who fear heat, and I'll fully admit that part of it is ignorance. I've never used heat on any sort of regular basis since I was a child, and I know that one mess-up can screw up my hair permanently, and I'm not interested enough in straight hair to take that risk with my hair. I'm not trying to mess it up myself, and I'm for sure not going to a salon for someone who doesn't value my hair the way I do to mess it up.

I also feel that any direct heat use is damaging. It might be very minor, need an electron microscope to see the damage, damaging - but I'm in this hair growin' game for the long haul.
And hair collects damage - it's not like once it's damaged (even mildly) it EVER gets undamaged. And if I plan on keeping the same strand of hair on my head for as long as I can - the less damage I purposefully inflict on it (even super minor), the stronger it will be.

I also have VERY fine, very soft hair. Banding it/airdrying in braids gets me 80% straight. If I ever REALLY wanted to straighten my hair, I'd do a rollerset, and be done with it. *shrug*

I just don't think it's worth the risk, for me.

 

[*Happily Me*]

I only know a handful of 4a/bs who are relaxed, use heat regularly, and are beyond BSL.

Heat and relaxing don't mix for most folks.

if you use heat and are relaxed, you will ALWAYs have to trim those dried up ends off.

No thanks!

 

[Artemis]

I only know a handful of 4a/bs who are relaxed, use heat regularly, and are beyond BSL.

Heat and relaxing don't mix for most folks.

if you use heat and are relaxed, you will ALWAYs have to trim those dried up ends off.

No thanks!

How often is "regularly"?