Do you think direct heat stifles growth or even causes...BREAKAGE!!

[Country gal]

I am on the fence regarding to use heat. I took a break from heat and my hair flourished. My hair is longer now than it has ever been. I am considering getting it pressed more often. I look at Slver and Pohkantas' hair. Both of these ladies has beautiful hair but they use heat at frequently.

I look at LovelyZ and her hair has flourished with out heat.

 

[Determined22]

For me, direct heat was preventing me from retaining length, at least at the SL length. I hope that once I hit my length goal I can use heat occasionally without length retention issues.

 

[glamazon386]

YES.... Heat needs to be used in moderation.

 

[SouthernTease]

Heat makes it harder to retain length because with
regular use, it will cause breakage & split ends
... that's a fact. Relaxers & Heat are two of
the worst things we can do to our hair.
I don't think it stops your hair from growing,
it has nothing to do with growth.
Also, as a previous poster mentioned: bad practices
like using it everyday and using it on dirty hair is
not a good idea. I think if used on clean hair at most once
a week is okay but if you can go longer without using it...
that's better.

 

[tbaby_8]

Heat in moderation and used properly will not damage the hair. But if you use alot of heat daily, it will dry the hair out and make it brittle.

 

[sexyeyes3616]

Like southern tease said it is defintely murder on your ends which will cause them to split then they will break resulting in you not being able to retain length. So your hair could be growing at a fast rate but you will always be starting over because you will be constantly trimming from the heat damage. Its hard for me to let go off heat though because 1. I am in a 5 month stretch 2. Even when i am relaxed i still like my hair straight. My take on it is when you see your ends are getting damaged its time to cut down on the heat.​

 

[keluric]

As far as hair growth, I would say no. Growth is really an internal process and anything that stifles the hair growth has more to do with what is going on internally.

As far as breakage? Yes, if you use heat too much. No doubt about it.

I was about to say the same thing. What you do to the dead ends of your hair really has nothing to do with what's going on within.

 

[SleepyJean]

Well, my poll was virtually inconclusive.

 

[angelk316]

I am on the fence regarding to use heat. I took a break from heat and my hair flourished. My hair is longer now than it has ever been. I am considering getting it pressed more often. I look at Slver and Pohkantas' hair. Both of these ladies has beautiful hair but they use heat at frequently.

I look at LovelyZ and her hair has flourished with out heat.

ITA!!! It just depends on your hair. You gotta find what works for you. I know this girl who press and curls her hair every 2-3 weeks. She has been doing this all her life. And her hair is waist length.

 

[sweetwhispers]

Anytime i've used heat in the past 5 years- thats 4 times, heat has damaged my hair. I've had it done on clean hair, with a heat protectant, by a proffesional and i still got unreversible heat damage. I hate heat.

 

[1QTPie]

I think it depends on your hair, your technique and your products. There are plenty of ladies here who rollerset, blowdry and then flat iron weekly and have hair down to their cracks. They are able to retain length, it's just that simple.

For someone like me, sure, I can probably manage shoulder length with heat every week, but anything beyond that, my hair would break off. I get my split ends by thinking about my hair too hard, heat or no heat.

 

[Traycee]

I personally don't think it effects growth, but it increases split ends. Meaning for me more trims.

 

[aja1121]

No, it does not stifle growth; however misuse can definitely cause breakage, split ends and cause you not to retain length. Proper moisture levels need to be restored when heat is used. Also hair can only withstand 384 degrees(F). So all these irons that go up 400, 410 and so on....without heat settings are really not good.

For example, the original CHI does not have heat settings and goes to an uncontrollable 410 degrees.

 

[SleepyJean]

No, it does not stifle growth; however misuse can definitely cause breakage, split ends and cause you not to retain length. Proper moisture levels need to be restored when heat is used. Also hair can only withstand 384 degrees(F). So all these irons that go up 400, 410 and so on....without heat settings are really not good.

For example, the original CHI does not have heat settings and goes to an uncontrollable 410 degrees.

Where did you read that about the hair temperature?

 

[foxieroxienyc]

Yeah I also think it has a lot to do with technique, appliances, heat levels, and products you use. I have found that in the past when I would heat style, I used to think that I needed the highest level on the flat iron to straighten my hair... Even with heat protectant, I had BREAKAGE, and then to top it off, I was heat styling almost every day or every other day.

I've now learned to only flat iron on the days that I wash and deep condition (which is during every wash), I apply leave-in, moisturize and seal, then put a bit of serum when my hair is wet and allow it to airdry. Then I go off and flat iron. My flat iron is only on a low temp - never more than the 284 degree setting. I have an awesome flat iron that is both ceramic and tourmaline. Now my hair comes out shiny and healthy, and I dont use any more heat until my next wash. The days in between I either pin curl, or up do it. That saves my hair I feel because it balances out when I use heat and when I dont.

Most importantly for me though, I read in Cathy Howze's book to not use "double heat." So for me, I like to airdry then flat iron. I try not to blow dry and then flat iron because that's too much heat. If I do use my hooded dryer I leave it on cool or low heat. I will from time to time do a quick concentrated blow dry (with a hand held dryer) on my roots to get em straight only when needed.

 

[jamaraa]

NO heat doesn't NOT stifle growth. Growth is an internal process...so unless you're talking about a prolonged fever, heat has nothing to do w/ the growth of hair. If anything environmental heat (ie living in hot climates) is many times attribted to faster hair growth. I'm personally skeptical about this, but there you go.

I honestly think most of the complaints about heat problems have to do w/ HOW it's used more than anything else. Then you also can't discount the products you are putting on your hair before and after you use heat.
​

 

[Ramya]

NO. misuse of direct heat causes breakage. Unless you're burning your scalp off I can't see how it would have anything to do with growth.

 

[tarheelgurl]

When I stopped using heat on a daily basis and stopped blow drying, my hair began to thrive. It always grew but I couldn't tell because the ends were breaking so fast. I flat iron about once or twice a month and that's about it.

 

[loveable37]

I made it to the lenght tha i once wanted now its more heat for me cause i cant see my hair long nappy ,even AIRDRYIN makes me shedd so when i use direct heat its helps me keep up with my lengh and i can prolong my wash days too.I NOTICE my hair does grow more when using heat.
of course i protect my hair every time.

 

[clever]

I made it to the lenght tha i once wanted now its more heat for me cause i cant see my hair long nappy ,even AIRDRYIN makes me shedd so when i use direct heat its helps me keep up with my lengh and i can prolong my wash days too.I NOTICE my hair does grow more when using heat.
of course i protect my hair every time.

I agree with this.Co-washing and air drying leaves me with crispy hair for whatever reason.I tend to loose less hair when I straighten and wrap/pincurl and night and then lightly style in the am vs.co-washing everyday.

 

[foxieroxienyc]

Haha, this thread came back from the past... LOL, and I still hold the same beliefs about heat now that I did then.... In fact I'm back on my Cathy Howse wash/dc 2x/week, air-dry/flat iron. My hair is sooooooooo much happier now.

 

[tiffers]

Hair's gonna keep pushing out of your scalp regardless of what you do to the length.

Abusing heat won't keep your hair from growing, but it WILL break the mess out of your hair and make it SEEM as if it isn't growing

 

[luxe.li.]

I think if you take care of your hair, using heat will be okay. I will continue to use heat as my hair grows and I do not fear that I will damage my hair. I do not have hair fears anymore because I've done it all to my hair and it has always grown back, even when my regimen wasn't the healthiest, so if I'm taking care of my hair the best I have ever done in my life and my hair grew before, I know it'll def grow now, even with while I continue to use heat.

I say go for it, but hey, my hair is different than yours.

 

[MD_Lady]

Direct heat has never broken my hair or inhibited its growth.