After looking at the heat damage hair

[SheenaVee]

Of course, because I know my hair and how much heat it can handle and what techniques work for me without causing damage. I straighten my hair once every 3 months (I don't plan it this way, I just tend to want a change with my hair around every 3 months) and I've never had heat damage.

Check avatar: That was from last week when I had my hair straightened.
Check siggy: From yesterday after I'd washed my hair out of its straightened state.

 

[I Am So Blessed]

im really not afraid to do anything to my hair anymore.

 

[Rocky91]

i certainly will and do. i really enjoy the versatility. straight hair one week, fro the next.
i'm quite aware of the risk, but meh....gotta take a chance sometimes and weigh your priorities. mine is enjoying my hair while i'm still young and hot, hehe.

i also feel like i barely wear wash and go type styles anyway, as a 4a/b, so if i do have a few heat stretched pieces in the front, it's easily hidden when i do a twistout, braidout, etc.

 

[jennboo]

Nope!

I learned my lesson back in 1999

I was a heat straightened natural and it completely obliterated my texture. Thing is, at that time, i wore my natural hair exclusively in a press so the jacked up texture of my natch hair didn't bother me since i rarely saw it (always wore my hair straight).

Fast forward approx. 12 years, a perm, and a bc later...i have never straightened or let heat touch my newest batch of natural hair...i'm terrified of heat damage because it is REAL and it happened to me. I am in love with my texture and my styling options and would be devastated if i got heat damage...nope, not worth the risk...

 

[Iluvsmuhgrass]

Warning: I'm rambling.

When I see any kind of damage it causes me to become a bit paranoid. It's not even MY head and I'm looking at ways to curtail heat damage when I'm not even using major heat!

It makes me wonder if it's a clear case of me over obsessing. I mean.... if you're not careful you'll either damage your grass beyond repair OR you'll be so afraid to do ANYTHING to the point that you won't enjoy your journey. They're two sides of the same coin stemming from fear. What's the point of all of the primping, pampering, protecting, and such if you can't enjoy your hair?

When I was a kid, my mom straightened my hair. I'm talking hot (haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawt) straightening comb on a gas stove with a wet rag that sizzled... ol' school straightening. Either that or she'd plait it up and let me run wild lol. She used these products. It grew to APL.

ROYAL CROWN HAIR DRESSING

DAX MARCEL CURLING WAX

BLUE MAGIC (IN BLUE AND GREEN)

And various other products (dax vegetable oil grease, vaseline, etc.) (Don't judge me! )


Know what? When she washed it (usually with Breck or V05 or whatever was cheap as there were alot of us....) it always kinked back up. ALWAYS. Once a week like clockwork I would be in the kitchen for a press-n-curl or on the floor getting cornrows or such.

Soooooo with that said. I'm going to do whatever I please to my grass. I probably won't straighten unless curiosity bests me. Not because I'm afraid of heat damage but because I'm lazy and although my grass is fine, it's thick. It thrives when I leave it alone and that's what I plan on doing this winter

An additional FYI... although my hair is thick, it's fine and has SEVERAL textures. The heavier the products, the more it straightens out on both the looser texture and the ends. I know it sounds weird but it only happens when I use heavy products. Don't drink the kool-aid. If you're not using alot of heat and it's STILL straight, take a moment and look first at your texture (if the coils relax as it gets longer) then look at your products. When I stopped using heavy products on it, the coily curled ends came back. When I started using them again, the ends straightened out. When I pointed this out to a friend, she acted as if I were crazy... until she tried it and realized that I was right. I lopped off a few inches thinking it was heat damage (the kool-aid is a beast) when I realized," Hey I only straightened once and even then it was low heat." Get to know YOUR hair and don't be so quick to accept everyone else's conclusions. Theirs very well may be heat damaged but mine happened to be heavy products and fine hair.

 

[poookie]

I straightened once since becoming natural, and I had a bit of heat damage; a few of my ends wouldn't curl back up, even after weeks of protein & moisture treatments. Had to cut 'em off. i learned from that, and would only ever try it again with the iron on low heat (I had it on the highest setting, for some stupid reason).

 

[ceecy29]

My 4b strands are invincible

ps: Nichi, is that you?