A question for those who fear heat?

[Nonie]

Artemis, I don't think the analogy of precautions and pregnancy was a bad one, because I think the point Dee Raven was making is the risk factor, minimal as it may be, is still scary to some people. Those who use protection and have had success w/ it for years might guffaw and shake their heads at the person who's too afraid to even kiss, lest it lead to intercourse, then pregnancy...as remote a chance as that may seem. But to that person, the risk is real and so not worth it. That very small fraction of a percentage chance that 3 strands could get singed is enough reason for some to skip the heat.

I do understand your total bewilderment by the existence of such an "extreme", and it probably would be rather disturbing if someone were dying to press their hair but was tortured day-in, day-out by a fear to do the thing their heart so desperately desired. Except, I don't think that's the case at all for many of us who don't use heat. I know for me, it never crosses my mind at all because I love "big hair" and can do so much more with it than I can with straight, limp hair. And I think what's happened for many people who once loved heat is they achieved lengths they never could before and with that territory came new styling ideas (braid outs, twists outs, banding, wrapping)...so that heat became a thing of the past, no longer an essential styling aid.

 

[Nonie]

Hmm...Okay

So if you'll never know, or it takes too long to know what will or will not work for you hair, then why do we have all these threads on the board about regimens, products, etc?

I am one of the few boring people NOT asking for help with my regimens or trying any new ones posted on the board or jumping on any bandwagons. I was just embarrassing myself the other day saying that as much as I had seen the words MT and OCT on the forum, I hadn't even cared to find out what they mean--and I don't even remember what I found out then. I'm so content with my simple no-product regimen that I'm not curious to try anything else. The ONLY time I would try something new is if the thing I was doing wasn't working or if I wasn't happy with it. And it is people dissatisfied with their regimens and seeking solutions that start those threads.

So as boring as it may seem (and returning to my analogy), my life is exciting enough as it is, such that there's no hunger to seek out new thrills, nor is there time or a desire to do so.

 

[discodumpling]

OT: I got desperate yesterday and put st. ives apricot scrub on my scalp mixed with shampoo, lol. Followed up with tea tree oil, and I'm good

That sounds more effective than sugar or salt. I bet it felt gooooood!!

I am avoiding direct heat because I've been careless with it in the past and it's thwarted my progress and taken be back a few paces. So I'm curious to see how I'd do if it were out of the equation. Indeed, I could take precautions and do things right this time so that no damage comes from using it, but I'm not pressed to do it. My hair strands are very fine and so light that when pressed that they kinda just hang immobile unless I shake my head like a rocker. Maybe that'll change when it's longer, but at shoulder length, it didn't swing back to place if the wind blew it one way. LOL So when my hair was straightened, wearing it down bored the heck out of me because it appeared stiff even though it was as soft as silk. I preferred to put it in a tucked under plait or tiny plaits with curlers at the ends so it'd have "life and movement". Or I'd finger-style it like this. Both the braid styles I just posted I could pull off with my natural hair, and now that I recently discovered I can get curls resembling curling iron curls w/ curlformers w/o using heat, then I know I can recreate that finger-styled bun again w/o flat-ironing my hair--which further makes heat redundant to me.

To me using heat is analogous to jumping off a perfectly good plane in a parachute. Improvement in the equipment used has made it safer to do so. For instance, there are back-up solutions should pulling the cord not work, and I bet one gets a wonderful thrill from the experience. But it's a chance I'm not willing to take when there are other ways to have fun. So as long as I can achieve other styles w/o using heat, and feel like a million bucks pulling them off, then heat will just have to move on without me.

I like any sentence that uses thwarted & the bolded has me thinking too

I have to disagree with the OP on this. One can know all there is to know about straightening hair in a healthful way and still have no guarantee that what they know is going to 100% prevent heat damage. Everybodies hair is different. There are people with fine hair whose hair requires a great deal of heat to get straighten. There are people with thick hair require less heat. And these are just generalities. That truth of the matter is that for people like myself (and I had a very good professional straighten my hair, I have seen her work on many of my friends) who have experienced heat damage, my entire head of hair was not damaged. Just one small section in the front was damaged. And I have extremely healthy hair. So the reality is that someone can never be completely aware to the needs of every hair on their head, which clearly behave differently. The only way that you become aware of these points (if you are lucky) is by leaving that heat on the hair for that one extra second that it takes and having to deal with that heat damage. The reality for people who have natural hair, and who actually wear their hair in its natural state is that that one second too long can mean having to start all over or preventing out styling abilities. To give another example, heat is like having sex. You can use the pill, condoms, IUD, etc the only 100% way of preventing pregnancy is abstinence. For me personally, even with the experience that I had I do plan to use heat maybe once a year, but for others of us, maintaining our coils is that serious and that does not equate to a lack of understanding of heat.

I loved the pregnancy analogy.

I'm (personally) not willing to 'find out' where that line is - because once it's found, it CAN'T be fixed - it's got to be grown out, and cut off. And even if I manage to 'fix' it so that the hair doesn't appear to be damaged anymore - it still is.

And I'm not willing to run the risk of damaging my hair for the sake of a hairstyle - it's really not that crucial.

Preach!

 

[SouthernTease]

Heat can ruin curl patterns in naturals/transitioners
Heat causes split ends/damage/breakage and those
heat protectants you speak of are loaded with chemicals
that may cause cancer, and/or developmental/reproductive toxicity..
((Specifically Nexxus Heat Protexx ))
I would just as soon avoid all that drama...
that's why I only flat iron about
once every three months (if that).

Aside from that, from my own experience
and from the advice of many women on LHCF that
have reached BSL and beyond, I've found that
I am able to retain more length by avoiding heat

 

[Ediese]

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

My reason is really simple. Every time I use heat it doesn't matter how much heat protectant I use or how I set the temperature, I always end up with split ends. I flat ironed the top of my hair 2 weeks ago, and made sure that my chi silk infusion was put on the length of each section before I flat iron. It didn't matter though because I still had to search and destroy alot of splits afterwards. I did it again a couple days ago, and it's the same thing. I don't know...maybe I'm doing something wrong and dont know it.

When I got a blowout in December, it was horrible because I ended up with A LOT of split ends that I had to cut off.

 

[Seraphina]

I'm not afraid to flat-iron maybe 2-3 times per year. But, for me, the temp that I feel I have to set it to in order to be effective and worth my time is too high. I used to flat-iron weekly (before I knew better) and I swear my texture has changed a bit...and not for the better. So I'm just nervous to go there again too often.

 

[Artemis]

Because most of those products/regimens/etc, don't have the potential to damage my hair. If I over-protein my hair, that's not damaging it - a few extra DC sessions, and bam! I'll be back on track. Experimenting with a different DC isn't going to damage my hair - it might leave it feeling funny, but it's temporary. Same with most products.....

Experimenting with heat though, has the potential for damage. Even if I do everything 'right' - what might be 'okay' for 80% percent of my head takes that step over the 'damage' line for the other 20%.

I'm (personally) not willing to 'find out' where that line is - because once it's found, it CAN'T be fixed - it's got to be grown out, and cut off. And even if I manage to 'fix' it so that the hair doesn't appear to be damaged anymore - it still is.

And I'm not willing to run the risk of damaging my hair for the sake of a hairstyle - it's really not that crucial.

Ok, I'll tell you what...why don't you apply Nexxus Emergencee to your hair, let it marinate, then after you rinse, apply Aphogee 2 step let it harden, then rinse, etc. blah, blah. When your hair snaps off, look at the ends and see how frayed and damaged they will be...

Then we can talk.

Overconditioning can occur as well. The hair can swell up and explode just like if you over blowdried the hair on HIGH and HOT.

What do you think is going on in that strand that causes it to "feel funny"?

 

[Artemis]

I am one of the few boring people NOT asking for help with my regimens or trying any new ones posted on the board or jumping on any bandwagons. I was just embarrassing myself the other day saying that as much as I had seen the words MT and OCT on the forum, I hadn't even cared to find out what they mean--and I don't even remember what I found out then. I'm so content with my simple no-product regimen that I'm not curious to try anything else. The ONLY time I would try something new is if the thing I was doing wasn't working or if I wasn't happy with it. And it is people dissatisfied with their regimens and seeking solutions that start those threads.

So as boring as it may seem (and returning to my analogy), my life is exciting enough as it is, such that there's no hunger to seek out new thrills, nor is there time or a desire to do so.

I understand, Nonie, I really do.

But choosing not to participate because there's no reason to change your routine is different from not participating out of fear.

 

[gymfreak336]

Artemis, I don't think the analogy of precautions and pregnancy was a bad one, because I think the point Dee Raven was making is the risk factor, minimal as it may be, is still scary to some people. Those who use protection and have had success w/ it for years might guffaw and shake their heads at the person who's too afraid to even kiss, lest it lead to intercourse, then pregnancy...as remote a chance as that may seem. But to that person, the risk is real and so not worth it. That very small fraction of a percentage chance that 3 strands could get singed is enough reason for some to skip the heat.

I do understand your total bewilderment by the existence of such an "extreme", and it probably would be rather disturbing if someone were dying to press their hair but was tortured day-in, day-out by a fear to do the thing their heart so desperately desired. Except, I don't think that's the case at all for many of us who don't use heat. I know for me, it never crosses my mind at all because I love "big hair" and can do so much more with it than I can with straight, limp hair. And I think what's happened for many people who once loved heat is they achieved lengths they never could before and with that territory came new styling ideas (braid outs, twists outs, banding, wrapping)...so that heat became a thing of the past, no longer an essential styling aid.

I understand what you are saying but the 99.9% success rate is with proper use of those methods and just like with condoms, most people are using their heat tools incorrectly. The geniune failure rate is not as high as we would like to believe.

 

[Artemis]

Some of you all are proving my point, and some of y'all do get what I'm saying...this has been quite an adventure, lol

Note to self: Keep all thoughts on heat on the backroads of PM land...

 

[Artemis]

I understand what you are saying but the 99.9% success rate is with proper use of those methods and just like with condoms, most people are using their heat tools incorrectly. The geniune failure rate is not as high as we would like to believe.

ITA w/this...

 

[Artemis]

ITA! Why use heat if I've found alternative ways to get a similar look?

If you've found an alternative, then GREAT! No one said that was an issue.

 

[JustKiya]

Ok, I'll tell you what...why don't you apply Nexxus Emergencee to your hair, let it marinate, then after you rinse, apply Aphogee 2 step let it harden, then rinse, etc. blah, blah. When your hair snaps off, look at the ends and see how frayed and damaged they will be...

Then we can talk.

Overconditioning can occur as well. The hair can swell up and explode just like if you over blowdried the hair on HIGH and HOT.

What do you think is going on in that strand that causes it to "feel funny"?

*sigh* Really?

To do that would take a level of ignorance that I, and I would hope most people who know boo about hair, do not have.

To leave a flat iron on one section of hair for the extra 2 seconds that it'll might take for it to get damaged, on the other hand, is an easy accident to make - esp. if you don't have practice. Now, how am I going to 'practice' without running the risk of making a 'rookie' mistake, and messing up my hair?

When my strands feel 'funny' it's usually because something I just used didn't agree with my hair - whether its by lifting my cuticles too high, or if it's coating my strand of hair with too much protein.
Both of those, however, are temporary states, that can be corrected - without inflicting further damage.

Yes, I am afraid of damaging my hair. As much work as I've put into it? As much effort that I take on a day to day basis to not damage my hair? As much money as I've spent on tools specifically to avoid damage? As long as I'm trying to grow it? It would be self-defeating for me to not be very wary of anything that could damage my hair.

I'm not - not - going to use something that I know has a high and frequent risk of damage just for a hairstyle.

*shrug*

Others aren't as protective of their hair as I am. They're willing to take more risks, for the sake of a style.

Fabulous for them.

 

[Neroli]

Former regular heat user - once a week blowfrier for years and stayed at SL 4-EVA. Once I joined LHCF, started rollersetting and hood drying, then graduated to rollersetting and air drying, then got PhD and haven't bothered to rollerset, but just air dry hair hanging with towel draped over shoulders. Hair has advanced to beyond BL and growing.

Simply, no heat = better lenght retention

Sure, all the other stuff I learned here helps, but for me, the single most important contributor to my "long" hair is I left ALL heat behind. Now, I don't know my "baseline" nor do care to find out. I don't have some "fear" of using heat, just not interested in going back there cuz soooo happy with where I am and loving it . . .

For sure, there are other hair types that can "stand the heat" without ill effects, my hair is just not one of them. . .

 

[Artemis]

*sigh* Really?

To do that would take a level of ignorance that I, and I would hope most people who know boo about hair, do not have.

As far as level of ignorance...haha have you read some of the threads on this board??? I'm just saying...

To leave a flat iron on one section of hair for the extra 2 seconds that it'll might take for it to get damaged, on the other hand, is an easy accident to make - esp. if you don't have practice. Now, how am I going to 'practice' without running the risk of making a 'rookie' mistake, and messing up my hair?

There's more chemistry to the this, but I'm just not even gonna go there today...But basically, it's not that simple, trust me.

When my strands feel 'funny' it's usually because something I just used didn't agree with my hair - whether its by lifting my cuticles too high, or if it's coating my strand of hair with too much protein.
Both of those, however, are temporary states, that can be corrected - without inflicting further damage.

Temporarily corrected.

Raising your cuticles up and down beyond their threshold...so you do or you don't think that causes damage? One word here: Porosity.

Yes, I am afraid of damaging my hair. As much work as I've put into it? As much effort that I take on a day to day basis to not damage my hair? As much money as I've spent on tools specifically to avoid damage? As long as I'm trying to grow it? It would be self-defeating for me to not be very wary of anything that could damage my hair.

Thank you. That is all you had to say

I'm not - not - going to use something that I know has a high and frequent risk of damage just for a hairstyle.

*shrug*

Others aren't as protective of their hair as I am. They're willing to take more risks, for the sake of a style.

Mechanical damage does not just mean heat, people. Some people have posted about damaging their hair from protective styles...I'm just saying.

Fabulous for them.

Geez, maybe I should post about relaxers next, considering we are in a natural hair boom right now (so I've heard)

 

[Artemis]

Former regular heat user - once a week blowfrier for years and stayed at SL 4-EVA. Once I joined LHCF, started rollersetting and hood drying, then graduated to rollersetting and air drying, then got PhD and haven't bothered to rollerset, but just air dry hair hanging with towel draped over shoulders. Hair has advanced to beyond BL and growing.

Simply, no heat = better lenght retention

Sure, all the other stuff I learned here helps, but for me, the single most important contributor to my "long" hair is I left ALL heat behind. Now, I don't know my "baseline" nor do care to find out. I don't have some "fear" of using heat, just not interested in going back there cuz soooo happy with where I am and loving it . . .

For sure, there are other hair types that can "stand the heat" without ill effects, my hair is just not one of them. . .

I can understand this. I'm sure the technique to which you blow dried your hair contributed to that situation.

Low heat can also = length retention. But that is relative as well IMO.

Baseline just means how healthy your hair is or isn't at the moment. There's no underlying meaning. So I'm sure that you do know how healthy your hair is, in fact, if you really thought about it.

Thank you for your post.

 

[Cheleigh]

Hey Artemis

I do think folks (most anyway) get your point. I've noticed that most of the people on this thread who are "disagreeing" are natural or transitioning. I know when I was relaxed, I didn't "fear" the heat. My hair grew to APL while relaxed while occasionally putting flat iron, blowdryer, steam rollers, heating rollers, etc. on it. When I was relaxed, I'd agree with you about why fear heat.

As a natural though, my concern about heat is more like JustKia mentioned. My hair seems to like heat just fine--a little too much in fact. Experimenting with my hair and heat would be like playing with russian roulette, since I wear my hair unstraightened most of the time. Last time I straightened my hair (used heat protectant and all that), I only used about a "5" setting on my flat iron and my hair (already straighted partially by curlformers) got about 50% straight--the ends were a nightmare though . I got no heat damage. So, next time, I can probably use a "7" and hopefully get it about 70% straight. Now, chances are if I guess correctly on every section of my, hair, I will suffer no significant heat damage, so I do agree that yes, in a vacuum if I use the heat 100% correctly is it very unlikely I will suffer from noticeable heat damage. But if I guess incorrectly on even one section on my hair then all the time it took me to grow to BSL could be in vain.

I guess my point is simply that for "me" as a natural with multiple textures, making a mistake would be pretty easy to do, and the consequences are pretty dire--more so than if I was relaxed. So, I err on the side of extreme caution, yes even fear, when it comes to heat

 

[Artemis]

Hey Artemis

I do think folks (most anyway) get your point. I've noticed that most of the people on this thread who are "disagreeing" are natural or transitioning. I know when I was relaxed, I didn't "fear" the heat. My hair grew to APL while relaxed while occasionally putting flat iron, blowdryer, steam rollers, heating rollers, etc. on it. When I was relaxed, I'd agree with you about why fear heat.

As a natural though, my concern about heat is more like JustKia mentioned. My hair seems to like heat just fine--a little too much in fact. Experimenting with my hair and heat would be like playing with russian roulette, since I wear my hair unstraightened most of the time. Last time I straightened my hair (used heat protectant and all that), I only used about a "5" setting on my flat iron and my hair (already straighted partially by curlformers) got about 50% straight--the ends were a nightmare though . I got no heat damage. So, next time, I can probably use a "7" and hopefully get it about 70% straight. Now, chances are if I guess correctly on every section of my, hair, I will suffer no significant heat damage, so I do agree that yes, in a vacuum if I use the heat 100% correctly is it very unlikely I will suffer from noticeable heat damage. But if I guess incorrectly on even one section on my hair then all the time it took me to grow to BSL could be in vain.

I guess my point is simply that for "me" as a natural with multiple textures, making a mistake would be pretty easy to do, and the consequences are pretty dire--more so than if I was relaxed. So, I err on the side of extreme caution, yes even fear, when it comes to heat

Hi Cheleigh.

When I was natural (for 4 yrs), I experimented with heat all the time, and abused it too, so I can see it from both sides. I know what it is like to fear relaxers, weaves, heat, stylists, etc. But I educated myself because I didn't want whatever the issue was to have a hold over me. I determine what happens to my hair, good-bad-or-indifferent, so why not learn as much as I can?

I take this kind of thinking with me no matter the subject.

You'd think that the relaxed heads would be throwing tomatoes at me, though LMAO...

So thanks for posting this.

 

[Artemis]

Im not afraid of heart but I dont so it too often. I usually do a good deep conditioning treatement and reconstructor before using heat. Plus I use a CHI and my curls bounce right back.

What is your hair type? Fine, medium, or coarse?

 

[JustKiya]

*sigh* Really?

To do that would take a level of ignorance that I, and I would hope most people who know boo about hair, do not have.



As far as level of ignorance...haha have you read some of the threads on this board??? I'm just saying...

I never said that everyone on the hair boards knew boo about doing hair - a lot of people don't, and they want to be spoon fed knowledge, rather than actually learning on their own.

To leave a flat iron on one section of hair for the extra 2 seconds that it'll might take for it to get damaged, on the other hand, is an easy accident to make - esp. if you don't have practice. Now, how am I going to 'practice' without running the risk of making a 'rookie' mistake, and messing up my hair?

There's more chemistry to the this, but I'm just not even gonna go there today...But basically, it's not that simple, trust me.

I'd be interested in hearing the additional chemistry. I know that hair doesn't have to get to the smoking point in order to be damaged- that just means that it definitely IS damaged.

I'd still be very - reluctant to 'rehearse' on my hair, as there is no way to insure no damage....

When my strands feel 'funny' it's usually because something I just used didn't agree with my hair - whether its by lifting my cuticles too high, or if it's coating my strand of hair with too much protein.
Both of those, however, are temporary states, that can be corrected - without inflicting further damage.

Temporarily corrected.

Raising your cuticles up and down beyond their threshold...so you do or you don't think that causes damage? One word here: Porosity.

You can correct lifted cuticles. Repeatedly lifting them and then putting them down will, of course cause damage - but that would mean that I would be repeatedly and knowingly doing something damaging to my hair. For me, that's not happening.

Yes, I am afraid of damaging my hair. As much work as I've put into it? As much effort that I take on a day to day basis to not damage my hair? As much money as I've spent on tools specifically to avoid damage? As long as I'm trying to grow it? It would be self-defeating for me to not be very wary of anything that could damage my hair.

Thank you. That is all you had to say

*blink* I've been saying all along I'm afraid of heat because of the potential for damage - what other reason would there be?

I'm not - not - going to use something that I know has a high and frequent risk of damage just for a hairstyle.

*shrug*

Others aren't as protective of their hair as I am. They're willing to take more risks, for the sake of a style.

Mechanical damage does not just mean heat, people. Some people have posted about damaging their hair from protective styles...I'm just saying.

Of course, anything you do to your hair can damage it. Just the fact that your hair brushes against each other causes low level damage, all the time. I switched to seamless combs and wear protective styles for that very reason - mechanical damage is WAY more than just heat - and I try to protect my hair from all types of mechanical damage - even more reason to not 'experiment' with heat.

I don't know, Artemis, I don't really think we are disagreeing, I just think we just have different thresholds of damage that we are willing to risk inflicting on our hair. Different risk thresholds, so to speak.

 

[Neroli]

I can understand this. I'm sure the technique to which you blow dried your hair contributed to that situation.

Low heat can also = length retention. But that is relative as well IMO.

Baseline just means how healthy your hair is or isn't at the moment. There's no underlying meaning. So I'm sure that you do know how healthy your hair is, in fact, if you really thought about it.

Thank you for your post.

Yes, the technique I used to blow fry back in the day was indeed, ummm primitive.

Yes, low heat, high, any heat used carefully, skillfully, with the right tools and products = length retention

Yes, I thought I understood what "baseline" meant within the context of this thread

Yes, I have an idea of how heathy my hair is

I do no heat for many reasons, top of the list being:

--too lazy
--keeping it simple (KISS) no heat = less drying drama, just wash and hang dry
--I want MAXIMUM length retention, not just some retention, but ALL I can get! LOL
--don't care whether my hair is "straight"
--etc.

 

[Artemis]

I don't know, Artemis, I don't really think we are disagreeing, I just think we just have different thresholds of damage that we are willing to risk inflicting on our hair. Different risk thresholds, so to speak.

Yeah, I think that's the case too. That's not to say that I am someone who's going to flat iron everyday, cuz that should be illegal, period

On another day, I will share what I've learned from a chemistry standpoint. Although, a lot of it is on here in the archives.

 

[foxieroxienyc]

Good thread A,

I will say just this, most of the problems with heat are coming from improper use of it. Even with all the threads about heat protectants, people still don't know how to properly use them and people still don't understand how to properly use their heat appliances.

We see alot of threads here asking for the best flat iron to do a,b,c but you don't hardly see any asking about proper technique. People are still buying irons without temp. control, weilding them haphazardly in their homes and then get the confused face when they have problems.

And as the OP has already pointed out, all heat isn't the same and using ceramic and tourmaline irons produces a different kind of heat that effects your hair in a totally different way.

The fear of heat is what is keeping us afraid of it. Its hard to get great discussions about heat because all people know to say is don't do it. Most people are still not educated on it enough to be able to establish their own baseline and how theirs could be different than someone elses. Not to mention the fact that when used properly, you can actually get benefits from it but thats another thread.

Wow I totally agree with this. I think its kind of all blown out of proportion here. Just as an example, Cathy Howse used heat TWICE a week and that's fairly regular and she went well past BSL. I followed her advice faithfully and my NL hair is racing toward APL now. I did a blowout today and realized my hair has grown quite a bit in the last month and my ends are perfect - no splits no ratty dryness. I DC w/ heat weekly, I use Carusos whever I choose. I flat iron from time to time although now I see that for me blowing out my hair with a round brush produces better results and more moisturized hair.

I think its all in HOW you use - or misuse it. I know that for me I MUST use a low setting. I also must use heat on days where I wash - with poo - and DC my hair. I also always use heat protectans and leave ins that moisturize. My tools are also ALWAYS high quality and I make sure they're tourmaline and ionic. If those words don't appear on the box, they don't go in my hair.

 

[JustKiya]

Yeah, I think that's the case too. That's not to say that I am someone who's going to flat iron everyday, cuz that should be illegal, period

On another day, I will share what I've learned from a chemistry standpoint. Although, a lot of it is on here in the archives.

Right??



I'll have to look that up - at some point. I don't even OWN any tools of heat, so it's going to have to be a really deep desire that will get me over my happy and 'safe' inertia to an even occasionally heat-using state....but never say never, eh?

 

[Artemis]

Yes, the technique I used to blow fry back in the day was indeed, ummm primitive.

Yes, low heat, high, any heat used carefully, skillfully, with the right tools and products = length retention

Yes, I thought I understood what "baseline" meant within the context of this thread

Yes, I have an idea of how heathy my hair is

I do no heat for many reasons, top of the list being:

--too lazy
--keeping it simple (KISS) no heat = less drying drama, just wash and hang dry
--I want MAXIMUM length retention, not just some retention, but ALL I can get! LOL
--don't care whether my hair is "straight"
--etc.

Good points. Thanks again

 

[Artemis]

Right??



I'll have to look that up - at some point. I don't even OWN any tools of heat, so it's going to have to be a really deep desire that will get me over my happy and 'safe' inertia to an even occasionally heat-using state....but never say never, eh?

And if you never choose to use heat, that's perfectly ok. But if you ever had to or wanted to, you'd know how to do it the right way, and thus, no fear

 

[clever]

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

EXACTLY!After I found the chi/chi silk infusion and started rollersetting it was a wwwrarrrrrraaaaaaaaaapIts all about the correct techniques and tools.=]

 

[MonPetite]

I have to say it's not heat, but ME.

I do think with proper technique and products heat isn't a problem.

However, ONE mistep and you can kiss your curls good bye.

I don't have anyone I can trust to go to and I'm not willing to take a risk with my hair while I "learn the ropes".erplexed

Especially when I don't like straight hair (ON ME! Put the AK-47s down!)anyway.

I lightly flatironed a section of hair to trim it on 275 degress F and THAT took a poo and cowash or two to bounce back.

My hair is thick, thick, thick and so strong it SINGS when you drag it back and forth over your fingernail WITHOUT breaking.

So for me...to risk "it all" for something I don't even want (Straight hair) it doesn't make since.

I'll find an alternate way to straighten it a bit before trimming from now on.

That's just this little lamb though.

 

[JustKiya]

And if you never choose to use heat, that's perfectly ok. But if you ever had to or wanted to, you'd know how to do it the right way, and thus, no fear

And see, I think that I'll still be nervous? apprehensive? suspending judgment til I make it through a press again, and don't do something wrong? every time, I think, because there will still always be that risk of damage in my mind - until I get really good, I guess.

Or, are you trying to say that if you do it right, there is no risk of damage?

 

[Supergirl]

I have found that my hair is healthier, stronger, and longer with a no heat regimen.