Chemical VS Heat

[Melody.Monroe]

Is one more damaging than the other?? I haven't chemically straightened my hair in over a year now...but I still use heat when I don't do a Twistout or Flexirods. I know that if you take care of your hair in either situation you may not have a lot of damage. Does that mean that one is not particularly worse than the other?? I am no where near a Cosmetologist so I wonder about this a lot...

Also, can natural and transitioning ladies use the Porosity Control or is that only for chemically treated and dyed hair??

 

[simone103]

I think the products that you use, how you use them, and the way that you handle the hair have a lot to do with how damaged it may or may not become. I'll just use my step-daughter as an example. She's almost 7 years old and has natural hair. She's never had a relaxer (at least not to my knowledge), but her mother and grandmother straighten her hair with a hot comb consistently. But, they don't condition her hair properly or moisturize it sufficiently to reinforce or counter-act the heat that they apply to it on a regular basis. As a result, her hair is damaged and is breaking off.

 

[Melody.Monroe]

I think the products that you use, how you use them, and the way that you handle the hair have a lot to do with how damaged it may or may not become. I'll just use my step-daughter as an example. She's almost 7 years old and has natural hair. She's never had a relaxer (at least not to my knowledge), but her mother and grandmother straighten her hair with a hot comb consistently. But, they don't condition her hair properly or moisturize it sufficiently to reinforce or counter-act the heat that they apply to it on a regular basis. As a result, her hair is damaged and is breaking off.

Wow...okay so that makes sense. Before I had my first relaxer, my mom constantly put Pink Oil Moisturizer in my sisters' and I hair. We would only get it pressed on Easter. But she constantly gave us hot oil treatments and washes and would braid it up. By the time I had my first relaxer my hair was Waist Length (I was 11 though) and was thick and healthy (after I had my sons my hair thinned out DRASTICALLY :-( ) but I try to keep it moisturized and heat protected...

 

[Mrs. Verde]

I think heat or chemicals can do damage with your hair. As simone stated, it's really how you use the heat or chemicals that cause damage. For example, you could be natural. However, if you are using a marcel (old school on the stove type) pressing comb 2-3 times a week, this will probably damage your hair. If you are curling your hair a few times a week, this could also damage your hair. Pulling a relaxer through your entire head instead of just the new growth will most certainly cause damage. You will find many, many beautiful relaxed and healthy heads on this site. You will also find many naturals who use heat with beautiful and healthy hair. Have you checked out the newbie info?

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/ha...ssion/50291-newcomers-guide-starting-out.html
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/ha...ie-manual-links-useful-important-threads.html
It's a lot of info, but I would strongly recommend taking some time to read through the material.


Good luck and Happy Hair Journey (HHJ).

 

[FRESHstart101]

good question .. bumping for more replies

 

[Vintageglam]

OP can you include a poll ? Thanks

 

[Melody.Monroe]

OP can you include a poll ? Thanks

How do I do that?

 

[Phaer]

Loving your hair! That is my goal, in both the lenght and health. Do you have a fotki account?

 

[Melody.Monroe]

Loving your hair! That is my goal, in both the lenght and health. Do you have a fotki account?

Thanx. And no I don't have a Fotki account yet. I don't have internet at home and can only really access LHCF from work, and most websites are restricted...which sux...but I will be posting more progress-like pictures soon...

 

[Tiye]

I think heat or chemicals can do damage with your hair. As simone stated, it's really how you use the heat or chemicals that cause damage. For example, you could be natural. However, if you are using a marcel (old school on the stove type) pressing comb 2-3 times a week, this will probably damage your hair. If you are curling your hair a few times a week, this could also damage your hair. Pulling a relaxer through your entire head instead of just the new growth will most certainly cause damage. You will find many, many beautiful relaxed and healthy heads on this site. You will also find many naturals who use heat with beautiful and healthy hair. Have you checked out the newbie info?

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/ha...ssion/50291-newcomers-guide-starting-out.html
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/ha...ie-manual-links-useful-important-threads.html
It's a lot of info, but I would strongly recommend taking some time to read through the material.


Good luck and Happy Hair Journey (HHJ).

I agree with this. Neither has to be damaging - it's about the technique used and overall how the hair is cared for.

 

[Honey Bee]

I think both are/ can be damaging. In my case, my hair is so fine that heat actually is more damaging to it than a relaxer, so I chose to start texlaxing. If I went natural (for the 3rd time, lol), I'd have to use so much heat (to avoid ssk's) that I wouldn't retain any of the growth. This way, I stretch as long as I can (about 10 wks before it starts breaking, no matter what), and texlax about, ummm, maybe 65-70% recently. Any less and I get the dreaded ssk's. The conclusion: when your hair is fine, you have less options.

 

[LadyRaider]

When I first found out about HH Care about a year and a half ago, I made it about six months before I relaxed again. At the time, I reasoned that if I relaxed, I would use less heat and in the end that would be healthier for my hair.

But I soon found out that even if my hair was relaxed, if I wanted it STRAIGHT, I'd have to use heat anyway. Now I was a newbie, so I don't know if rollersets or other techniques would have made a difference.

Regardless. I dropped the chemicals because to me, chemicals meant heat AND chemicals... while heat could stand alone. I haven't actually used heat on my hair since early September at this point. And before that it was sometime in late June.