Anyone else feeling like they're the exception....

[Rei]

4b checking in..Rei my relaxed hair looked like your siggy. Now that I'm natural I haven't tried to straighten yet. I'm just letting it grow and taking notes. I was thinking about blow drying once a month with hopes of semi-heat training. I'm just hoping by doing this when I do try to straighten next year my hair won't be as resistant.
*crosses fingers*

Hopefully! This BKT that I put in my hair actually has loosened it quite a bit, so I think I'm going to continue with it and hope for better results as I continue to apply. I don't want to heat train just yet, its just too permanent for me!

What works for me is bunning my hair in a chignon/bantu, with an elastic around it, for at least an our after i straighten it. I also bun it in that same chignon if its extra humid,hot, or raining. if it reverts I always rebun to get the flatness back.hth

I do this, usually when my hair puff sup. It works out but my hair always is scruched up from being in the bun rather than being straight and flowy.

Thanks I have to sub. To this post for later use..
BTW: thanks for the pics Nonie.
Im going to try to heat train but I'm in my research.stage now.

Try looking at the threads that Brittany puts up. She's sucessfully heat trained her hair and its beautiful.

@constance If I used to blowdry first (I don't), I would apply the Heat Protectant Spray so that my hair is wet from it and not from water and blow dry with that. Why I'd apply it to my dry hair is so that I can be sure that it is coating my strands fully and not being diluted or its full contact w/ my hair interfered with by water. In other words, I would want to make sure I have it 100% concentrated against my hair. And why I would use a spray for the blowdrying step is because I believe you should not blow dry hair that is dry but it should be wet. So making my heat protectant the wet product would be a safe way to go (I think). And then I would apply the serum as before to very small sections coating well and flat iron once, working on each section at a time: apply, flat iron...before moving on to the next, rather than applying to my whole head at once.

Please note, it isn't because a product is a "heat protectant" that it prevents reversion/frizzing. For a product to do this, it has to be a silicone product that isn't water soluble. I don't know if CHI 44 Iron Guard Thermal Protection Spray is what you used, but looking at the ingredients, there's nothing to stop moisture from affecting your hair if that is all you had in your hair--hence your frizzy poof.

What will stop hair from being affected by moisture in the air is something with such ingredients as those found in Sabino Moisture Block which has only two ingredients and both are waterproof cones: Dimethicone and Cyclomethicone

Heat protectants protect your hair from damage...so you do indeed need them in the picture. Serums (cones) protect your hair from being affected by moisture so they are the icing on the cake. I just happened to find a serum that is also a protectant, but just to be extra careful, I used a spray protectant before I used the sealant (ie serum) which was also a protectant. One can never be too careful, so those two steps with protectants just made me feel more comfortable with the whole flat-ironing affair. Did I mention I also DC'd with CHI Infra Thermal Protective Treatment just before these two protectants? I was determined to take as many measures I can to avoid damage...and it paid off.

Noni thank you for your informative posts. I'm going to try buying these products and trying what you said when I straighten again next week.

 

[fluffyforever]

I have never been able to get a silky non-poof straight look when I flat iron. I cannot even get a decent blow dry. But I won't give up just yet. I plan on DC my hair weekly, and giving it all of the moisture it can hold. I feel like I have a great flat iron (Hana Elite 100% ceramic), but I lack in technique. I just haven't acquired great skills yet. First, I have to get my hair's health up to par.

 

[maginethat]

Hi, I have the same problem when my ends aren't trimmed properly. when my ends are trimmed, my hair is more sleek, and the press holds better and longer.

 

[Carisa]

subscribing....

 

[ashleymichelle1]

I feel this way not because my hair doesnt get straight...but because everytime I straighten I almost ALWAYS get heat damage. I take all the precautions...heat protectant, dont use too high of a heat setting on the flat iron, i use the cool setting on the blow dryer or i even rollerset before hand. I starightened my hair 2 weeks ago using all the precautions and I have ugly patches of heat damge..its not too bad...but im kinda upset cause alot of naturals say stuff like "my hair is so versatile...i cant wear it straight or cury!" and i'm thinking yeah right!.

I'm honestly really upset I pretty much can't wear my hair straight but I will never relax...I've decided to play with more natural styles..in a week I plan on getting some Goapele inspired braids..i've decided i'm gonna experiment w/ unique styles. If I get that itch for straight hair I will just rollerset or wear a weave.

OP, If you don't get heat damage easily like me consider yourself very lucky...keep experimenting..i'm sure theres a technique out there that will work for you.

 

[Melody.Monroe]

My sister has the type of hair that you have. She is not natural at all...but she does stretch her relaxers and I will go over to her house and flat iron her hair so that her stretching doesn't appear to be new growth! LOL! She is a cosmetologist and also just loves hair. So anyway...I tell her to do all her hair dressery stuff (wash and deep condition). Then I tell her to section her hair and run thermal serum allllllllll through her hair, plait it up and air dry it over night. Then the next day when I come to flat iron...I iron on Med-High...I also used the HEAT SPRAY and flat iron in small sections!! I don't use the come chase method per se, but something similar...her hair gets major hangtime and super flowy. She always wants me to come over and press her hair those months in between relaxers. Her hair is the SAME as yours is (when it is not relaxed).

 

[HeChangedMyName]

ಠ_ಠ











On this 'you can always straighten your natural hair' thing. I'm a bit salty because this is one of the reasons why I went natural, to have the best of both worlds...but my natural hair REFUSES to stay straight. My relaxed hair had NO ISSUE with fro'in up and making me look a damn fool with my straight ends so what is the deal

I have gone to salons, done it at home, turned up the heat, turned up the moisture whatever. Each and every time 30 minutes later, it looks like I just blowdried. How much more can I turn up the heat before I just burn my hair!? I usually DC beforehand, sometimes overnight with a supermoisturizing DC (HSR), rinse it out, I've tried with products, with SMB, without products, just bare...even this weekend I've tried BKT and SAME RESULT (450 degrees and blowdry results!? #ComeOnSon)

I'm not saying I'mma relax but damn I'd like to have a sleek style like ONCE A YEAR without it having to be fake /rant

anyone else buying into this? I feel like there should be a warning label on the "transitioning box" saying "you might not be able to get this straight again"

If i have to look at that 'get perm straight hair in one pass' thread again im going to go ape on this mug with my flat iron i swear.


...ok. I got that out. just needed to rant. but seriously though, anyone else having this problem? other 4bs? (it's probably gonna be ya'll, it seems like every 4a and 3c are having fun swinging about ) I would just like to know if there are others with this issue because then I guess i'll just have to live with it and be salty every time i see a pinkskates picture for the rest of my life

I'm relaxed but I feel you because my 4 yr old has hair like that. I love it, in fact, it looks JUST LIKE your siggy pic, but I've tried flat ironing her hair(just a section of it for a thorough length check) and it NEVER EVER EVER EVER stays straight and shiny and smooth. I don't know if i'll ever be able to straighten her hair thoroughly enough without having to take her to a salon for a hard press. if you figure out something let me know. I guess I have 6 or seven more years before she starts really asking for straight hair.

 

[Country gal]

Your hair has to be heat trained. When I first straighten my natural hair it reverted back quickly. I have made several trips to the Salon and have flat ironed it at home and now it will keep a straight style.

 

[Rei]

Your hair has to be heat trained. When I first straighten my natural hair it reverted back quickly. I have made several trips to the Salon and have flat ironed it at home and now it will keep a straight style.

I'm starting to realize that. After my BKT, my curls have loosened quite a bit actually (I don't know if this is heat damage, it's not straight but it definitely doesn't revert as much). I haven't tried to flat iron it myself but I'm going to try again in december.

 

[Nonie]

Your hair has to be heat trained. When I first straighten my natural hair it reverted back quickly. I have made several trips to the Salon and have flat ironed it at home and now it will keep a straight style.

I'm starting to realize that. After my BKT, my curls have loosened quite a bit actually (I don't know if this is heat damage, it's not straight but it definitely doesn't revert as much). I haven't tried to flat iron it myself but I'm going to try again in december.

I'm not sure what "heat training" is per Country gal because the hair I straightened in April 2009 was virgin hair I had grown over the last 2 years, save the last 3 or so inches which is what it had been BC'd to in Feb 2007, give or take breakage, yet my hair maintained its press until I washed it at which time it reverted immediately. So considering I only passed the iron twice through my hair and had previously last done so toward the end of 2006, I don't think I'd consider my hair "heat-trained". Yet it only reverted when I wanted it to revert. So I don't think hair has to be "heat-trained" to maintain a press.

Rei I really think it's all about technique: using sufficient heat, working on small sections and ensuring moisture is sealed out by a serum.

 

[constance]

(I'll post a pic in Dec.)

I straightened my hair in Dec using the aforementioned Chi products. I was too liberal with the Chi serum and ended up with clumps of it throughout my hair after I flat ironed. ugh. Next time I'll use the Chi infra shampoo and go easy on the serum (skipping the Chi iron guard altogether). My hair was straighter after using these products though next time I'll roller set to air dry and try 2 passes of the flat iron instead of one. Pic is in my avatar/profile.