Anyone Just Press or Flat Iron Natural Hair Straight?

[sprungonhairboards]

Ok, yall are realllyyy making me mad over here wit' cho' good flat iron results havin' selves!

Tell me

1. How to get the relaxer look. Straight, bouncy, non poofy hair all at the same time. What do you use?

2. How to keep it that way for more than 5 minutes.

 

[bajanplums1]

THANKS SO MUCH to bajanplums1 for posting this topic!
I'm SERIOUSLY considering transitioning by flat iron after completely and totally botching a self-relaxer touchup this weekend: My relaxed hair is getting thin in front even though it's bra strap length in back. Plus, it's naturally fine and 4b. Hair this weak really should not be chemically compromised further. It snaps SO EASILY when I detangle it wet.

I have a 0.5" Rusk ceramic flat iron. I'm going to rollerset and press the new growth consistently for a while. Let's give the lye a rest and see how we do.


Hmmm. Waist length you say?

Honestly, this is me right now. I am going to use the flat iron until August and if I like the results, that's it--good bye relaxers. My hair is very fine and the relaxer is pissing me off. I want more body. If Jada can do it, so can I. Plus I will continue my protein treatments etc

 

[nfynit_812]

I'm trying to follow through with the flat iron. My natural hair is not really happy with the conair ceramic flat iron. It doesn't get straight-straight....I've had my hair in a ponytail for about a month now (I took out my braids and wondered how my hair would behave if I didn't get braids), and I tried to flatiron, but it looks like I didn't do anything to it! It's frustrating!!!!

 

[bajanplums1]

I'm trying to follow through with the flat iron. My natural hair is not really happy with the conair ceramic flat iron. It doesn't get straight-straight....I've had my hair in a ponytail for about a month now (I took out my braids and wondered how my hair would behave if I didn't get braids), and I tried to flatiron, but it looks like I didn't do anything to it! It's frustrating!!!!

what do you do before you flat iron? what products do you put on your hair beforehand?

 

[stacy]

Thanks, ladies. I see that I need a better flat iron, don't skimp on the conditioning, and try a better creme press (I'll definitely look into the KeraCare Creme Press).

 

[ChocoKitty]

Ok, yall are realllyyy making me mad over here wit' cho' good flat iron results havin' selves!

Tell me

1. How to get the relaxer look. Straight, bouncy, non poofy hair all at the same time. What do you use?

2. How to keep it that way for more than 5 minutes.

~Deep condition every time you wash. You'll notice that your hair will revert less. Eventually it'll stop reverting.
~If you blow dry before straightening--use a cool setting to dry then use heat to stretch out your curls for a couple of minutes. I a cooler temperature keeps your cuticle from opening up--not allowing your strands to retain moisture and look shiny.
~Invest in blow dryers and flat irons that have "ionic" properties. This will benefit your greatly plus they are safer than "regular" heat styling appliances.
~Another thing I've found is--the less product I use in my hair the better! My hair has more bounce and shine the cleaner it is. I don't use oils in my hair until after it's flatironed--if necessary. I never apply oil to my scalp. Find yourself a good heat protectant that won't scorch against your flat iron. With my latest irons--I actually flat ironed without a heat protectant but that's solely up to you...

Hope this bit of info help.

 

[sprungonhairboards]

~Deep condition every time you wash. You'll notice that your hair will revert less. Eventually it'll stop reverting.
~If you blow dry before straightening--use a cool setting to dry then use heat to stretch out your curls for a couple of minutes. I a cooler temperature keeps your cuticle from opening up--not allowing your strands to retain moisture and look shiny.
~Invest in blow dryers and flat irons that have "ionic" properties. This will benefit your greatly plus they are safer than "regular" heat styling appliances.
~Another thing I've found is--the less product I use in my hair the better! My hair has more bounce and shine the cleaner it is. I don't use oils in my hair until after it's flatironed--if necessary. I never apply oil to my scalp. Find yourself a good heat protectant that won't scorch against your flat iron. With my latest irons--I actually flat ironed without a heat protectant but that's solely up to you...

Hope this bit of info help.

Thanks!

-Well, I deep condition under the dryer about once a week. I condition wash more often most of the time.
-I avoid the blowdryer at all costs. It leaves my hair FRIED and brittle. Then I have to pile it with stuff to get it back moisturized. It is an ionic one but I haven't noticed any difference. I also haven't noticed better results than when I air dry in braids.
-I don't use alot of product because I want it to be light and bouncy just leave in, a little shea butter and let it dry. I never oil my scalp. However, I'm sure I could lay the oils on extra heavy and it would take longer to revert but that's not the look I'm going for and it still wouldnt give me the texture I want.
- I use ion heat protectant and I love it. It's so oily I wouldnt add anything else to my hair afterwards.

I swear, my hair starts to revert before I'm even finished flat ironing my whole head!

 

[sprungonhairboards]

OMG Chocokitty! I just looked at your album I think I'm going to be sick.
ooh, I can't take it, absolutely gorgeous!!!

Yeah if I had your texture I'd have the flatironing thing down to a tee!
My hair however, a whole different story.

 

[ChocoKitty]

OMG Chocokitty! I just looked at your album I think I'm going to be sick.
ooh, I can't take it, absolutely gorgeous!!!

Yeah if I had your texture I'd have the flatironing thing down to a tee!
My hair however, a whole different story.

Thanks for the compliment!
But girl puhleeze--Your hair will act the way you want it to in due time. I can't tell you about the many times I got my hair straightened and then when I opened the door to walk outside my hair turned into a fluffy afro.
I'm telling you--it won't happen overnight--but it will happen. Just stay positive about what you are trying to achieve. Find out what works for you. LHCF has been a tremendous help to me in finding what my hair needs to thrive.

 

[donna894]

My hair has been free of chemicals for quite a long time. So I have to press when I want a straight look. My ends used to look chewed up because I would put creme satin press on the ends and then press through with my hot comb. Doing that fried my ends, made them brittle and they would split. Now I put just a dab further up my hair shaft. And when I'm bringing the hotcomb pass the ends, I do it very quickly. And the night before I wash my hair, I put a mixture of olive oil and egg yoke in my hair and then cover it when saran wrap and a plastic cap. This has helped me retain more inches.

I'm hearing all these good things about ceramic flat irons. Can anyone recommend a good one? Thanx

 

[caligirl]

Ok, yall are realllyyy making me mad over here wit' cho' good flat iron results havin' selves!

Tell me

1. How to get the relaxer look. Straight, bouncy, non poofy hair all at the same time. What do you use?

2. How to keep it that way for more than 5 minutes.

Don't use any product after deep conditioning...that'll give you bouncy, light hair. My presses come out best when my hair has been blowdried with a denman brush first. They last forever, like 3 weeks.

 

[ChocoKitty]

I'm hearing all these good things about ceramic flat irons. Can anyone recommend a good one? Thanx

Depending on what you want to spend here's a list for info...
Sedu: http://www.folica.com/Sedu_Ionic_Cera_r1560_1.html
A list of CHIs: http://www.folica.com/Chi_Flat_I_317_1.html
Jilbere de Paris: http://www.sallybeauty.com/shop/dept/1650/3
T3 Ionic (My personal pick): http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P90610&categoryId=

LHCF Ladies did I miss anything?

 

[caligirl]

Depending on what you want to spend here's a list for info...
Sedu: http://www.folica.com/Sedu_Ionic_Cera_r1560_1.html
A list of CHIs: http://www.folica.com/Chi_Flat_I_317_1.html
Jilbere de Paris: http://www.sallybeauty.com/shop/dept/1650/3
T3 Ionic (My personal pick): http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P90610&categoryId=

LHCF Ladies did I miss anything?

FHI flat iron is excellent. I use it at 270 degrees and do one pass. No damage or change in texture that I can see.

 

[Poohbear]

My mom just pressed (stove comb) and curled my 2-4 inches (different lengths all over) of natural hair today and it looks like I had a relaxer. This will be the last time I'll use heat for a while (I always say that and then jump back to using it! ) I just did it to see how long my hair was. Even though my hair is extremely uneven from the big chop, it imitates a Halle Berry pixie cut.

 

[bajanplums1]

My mom just pressed (stove comb) and curled my 2-4 inches (different lengths all over) of natural hair today and it looks like I had a relaxer. This will be the last time I'll use heat for a while (I always say that and then jump back to using it! ) I just did it to see how long my hair was. Even though my hair is extremely uneven from the big chop, it imitates a Halle Berry pixie cut.

can you post a pic?

 

[sprungonhairboards]

Don't use any product after deep conditioning...that'll give you bouncy, light hair. My presses come out best when my hair has been blowdried with a denman brush first. They last forever, like 3 weeks.

No way can I not moisturize my hair after washing. It would be sooo dry. It still comes out bouncy and light but like I said, for all of 5 minutes then POOF! And I never can get that perfectly straight texture..

ahh hell Caligirl imma just come over and let you do it

 

[sprungonhairboards]

My mom just pressed (stove comb) and curled my 2-4 inches (different lengths all over) of natural hair today and it looks like I had a relaxer. This will be the last time I'll use heat for a while (I always say that and then jump back to using it! ) I just did it to see how long my hair was. Even though my hair is extremely uneven from the big chop, it imitates a Halle Berry pixie cut.

pics Pooh!

 

[caligirl]

No way can I not moisturize my hair after washing. It would be sooo dry. It still comes out bouncy and light but like I said, for all of 5 minutes then POOF! And I never can get that perfectly straight texture..

ahh hell Caligirl imma just come over and let you do it

I wish! I had it done in a salon. My stylist would spray it with Mizani Shyne after pressing it and that's it. I would go home a put a little oil on the ends. I think oil before a press just fries your hair.

 

[Shatani]

No way can I not moisturize my hair after washing. It would be sooo dry. It still comes out bouncy and light but like I said, for all of 5 minutes then POOF! And I never can get that perfectly straight texture..

ahh hell Caligirl imma just come over and let you do it

you know, you and i have the same type....i think i also have some 4b mixed in...and what i do is wash and deep condition, then when its still damp i use my shea butter/coco oil mixture from root to tips and put it in loose braids to air dry....by the time its dry, its already so soft taht i have no need to put anything else in it before i flat iron (i maxiglide, so i dont blow dry first)...and the other thing i do is i put that same mixture just on my ends and do an extra steam burst and its sooooo silky! im not a big fan of the perfectly straight texture, but i did it recently....it stayed that straight for a week, and then it got to be rainy and humid...and even then it sort of got bigger, but it was still straight.

 

[sprungonhairboards]

you know, you and i have the same type....i think i also have some 4b mixed in...and what i do is wash and deep condition, then when its still damp i use my shea butter/coco oil mixture from root to tips and put it in loose braids to air dry....by the time its dry, its already so soft taht i have no need to put anything else in it before i flat iron (i maxiglide, so i dont blow dry first)...and the other thing i do is i put that same mixture just on my ends and do an extra steam burst and its sooooo silky! im not a big fan of the perfectly straight texture, but i did it recently....it stayed that straight for a week, and then it got to be rainy and humid...and even then it sort of got bigger, but it was still straight.

That is EXACTLY what I do! Exactly! I always moisturize with shea butter while it's wet and let it airdry. The only thing I add before Maxigliding is the ion heat protectant which is kind of oily. I'm not sure what to try next

 

[mscounselor]

I just flat ironed a section of my hair with about 3/4" of new growth. IT looks like I got a touch up! After reading your posts, I thought it might be time to try. I am not too serious about how straight it gets since I'm getting braids tomorrow, but I wanted to share my results.
Thanks for letting me know it was possible on 4a hair!

 

[Xcellence2]

I bet the inventor of ceramic irons is making a fortune off of us! Oh well, I love the flat iron look in comparison to the press because the hair has more body.

 

[donna894]

Depending on what you want to spend here's a list for info...
Sedu: http://www.folica.com/Sedu_Ionic_Cera_r1560_1.html
A list of CHIs: http://www.folica.com/Chi_Flat_I_317_1.html
Jilbere de Paris: http://www.sallybeauty.com/shop/dept/1650/3
T3 Ionic (My personal pick): http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P90610&categoryId=

LHCF Ladies did I miss anything?

Thanks for all responses - time to go shopping!!

 

[z3000zee]

I can not get the roots straight with a flat iron. Therefore I utilize a pressing comb. How do you guys get the roots straight with the flat iron?

 

[ChocoKitty]

I can not get the roots straight with a flat iron. Therefore I utilize a pressing comb. How do you guys get the roots straight with the flat iron?

It depends on the size of the iron. My latest iron is 1 3/8" and I can finally get to my roots. Before I had an iron that was over 2 inches with a comb attachment. I used to struggle with that one...erplexed

 

[Ms Red]

This is a thread worthy to be a challenge.

 

[mscounselor]

I tried to flat iron this weekend and it didn't work as well. I am not sure what it was...maybe because I didnt do the whole head or what! I thought this would help me transition better and now I am just disappointed. I even burned my scalp in two parts. Not seriously, but just enough to know that it wasn't right. **sigh**

 

[Janet']

I do, also... ... I actually alternate between hot comb/hot iron and then wash/ dry/ braid out... And I love my transitioning period...

Check out my fotki album
http://public.fotki.com/ATLPeach/
password in profile

 

[Tru_Mind]

I flat iron...but I don't plan on flat ironing much in the future. I have pics etc in my fotki.

 

[Ayeshia]

Once I decide to start, which will be about a year or two from now, I plan to flat iron. The Pressing comb is no longer an option