Can you 'Heat Train' natural hair w/a Flat Iron?

[PhillyChic]

Hi,

I was wondering if you can 'heat train' hair with a flat iron? I currently have BSL relaxed hair, but was thinking of eventually growing it out to MBL without BC'ing. I have big, thick mixture of 3C/4A. I am not a big fan of getting it pressed in a salon every week, but wouldn't mind flat ironing at home since I have my trusty Sedu. Has anyone tried this & what where the results?

TIA!

 

[shetara20]

Hi,

I was wondering if you can 'heat train' hair with a flat iron? I currently have BSL relaxed hair, but was thinking of eventually growing it out to MBL without BC'ing. I have big, thick mixture of 3C/4A. I am not a big fan of getting it pressed in a salon every week, but wouldn't mind flat ironing at home since I have my trusty Sedu. Has anyone tried this & what where the results?

TIA!

You probably can but I wanna see what the other ladies think because i wanna know for sure too!!!

 

[RavenMaven]

I know sometimes, when you flat iron natural hair, it doesn't revert as well for some ladies. So I am assuming that if you continuously use the flat iron, the hair will somewhat become "trained" since it won't revert as well. I think this takes time, though.

 

[intergalacticartist]

I think it would be damaged if it would not revert

 

[empressri]

yeah you can burn it straight. i did that over time without realizing it. i cut it off later cause it didnt go with my healthy texture, but it is possible if you'd like.

 

[Kimbosheart]

OMG yes you can, I have been natural for 5 years and what a relaxer couldn't do my CHI sure did. I'm now trying to transition from "heat trained" (actually heat damaged) natural hair to my good ole regular natural hair. I can't believe I used to brag to my other natural friends that my hair didnt revert in the humidity, now I know its not a good thing.

 

[PhillyChic]

OMG yes you can, I have been natural for 5 years and what a relaxer couldn't do my CHI sure did. I'm now trying to transition from "heat trained" (actually heat damaged) natural hair to my good ole regular natural hair. I can't believe I used to brag to my other natural friends that my hair didnt revert in the humidity, now I know its not a good thing.

I guess I am weighing the lesser of 2 evils...which is worse for my hair? Relaxing it, blowdrying it, then flat ironing it? or Flat ironing my natural hair & eventually heat training it?

Do you feel that even though your natural hair is heat damaged--is it still in better condition than when it was relaxed?

 

[Kimbosheart]

I guess I am weighing the lesser of 2 evils...which is worse for my hair? Relaxing it, blowdrying it, then flat ironing it? or Flat ironing my natural hair & eventually heat training it?

Do you feel that even though your natural hair is heat damaged--is it still in better condition than when it was relaxed?

Can I honestly say I don't remember. Ugh I realize now how lucky I am to have really strong resilient hair. I remember going to the salon and telling them I didn't want a relaxer because it didn't work and I can't tell you how many stylists would say "its because you haven't let me try" and I would let them put that crap in my hair and when they would rinse it out ALL my hair would still be CURLY, maybe a little looser in curls but definitely not straight and the curls would tighten back up after a few washes.

Then I started pressing my hair to start transitioning. And my hair was perfectly healthy then too. I think my problem is the CHI. I LOVE the results but I haven't grown my hair past shoulder length since I moved from FL in 2005. I had APL, maybe longer when I graduated, and I got my hair blowdried and pressed every Thursday. I move from FL and start doing my hair on my own and using the CHI and now my ends split like crazy even though I know my hair is still growing.

Sorry for the novel. But I hope this helps. Its not so much the lesser of two evils but what's right for your hair. If the relaxer is giving you problems then try natural. Some of the members of LHCF make me wanna go and get a relaxer but I think if I just maybe try rollersetting or something that would be better for me. I love my hair when it's straight

 

[naturalmanenyc]

Of course, you can burn your hair straight....but I'm not sure why anyone would purposedly burn their hair straight. A relaxer would probably be the better option rather than heat damaged hair if you want straight hair.

I got a blow out & flat iron on Tuesday....but she used so much heat protectant that I'm sure it will revert back to my curls when I wash.

 

[Poohbear]

I've noticed since I've been straightening my natural hair regularly that my hair is easier to straighten than before. I don't have any straight pieces after washing. My hair kinks back up completely to its natural curl pattern after washing. But for some reason, it isn't as frustrating and time consuming as it used to be when I first started.

 

[empressri]

here's my heat trained curls:

non damaged hair, so you can get a comparison:

just so you know it might not really get straight

 

[PhillyChic]

Poohbear, that's encouraging to hear...I don't want to go natural & end up damaging my hair even more. It's just that I know a girl at work who is BSL & 100% natural. She keeps her hair straight all of the time. Her hair is absolutely gorgeous, thick & shiny. She said that her natural hair has been heat trained since she has been getting it pressed. She said that it is more manageable & easier to straighten. It didn't seem damaged at all to me from her getting it pressed. I was just wondering if I could get the same results without getting it pressed...I hate the hot comb

 

[msa]

I think that you can flat iron your natural hair and get great results without purposely trying to heat damage ("heat train") it.

Practice your technique so that you can achieve the straight style you want with the least amount of damage.