Have you ever been Nervous to Straighten your hair??

[Whimsy]

I mean nervous to straighten your own hair, yourself.
lol

I feel ridiculous right now because I have to straighten my hair today for a gig and I'm literally feeling nerves and anxiety about it.

It started yesterday, and I had a dream last night that I was washing my hair and it turned all straight....but very long....(i guess cuz i was reading that indian woman thread ) ....but BONE straight....
So now I'm all shook lol.

The last time my hair was straightened (back in february) was when it was damaged by the hotcombing stylist. (details shown here)
I've never damaged my hair when maxigliding on my own so I don't know why nerves have set in. look:

Have you ever been nervous to do your own hair before??

 

[Janet']

I can't say that I have...but then again, I have never had damage due to straightening either...I can sympathize with you, though.

 

[Naturallista]

Yes, lol. That's one of the reasons I haven't straightened my hair since October

Just stop, breath...It's okay, you got this

 

[MsLizziA]

I just straightened my hair for the second time this year because of those damn SSKs.

But yea i can be totally honest and tell you that i was nervous. I turned my maxiglide all the way up to 8. So you can imagine i was nervous. I am getting better at it though because this time around my roots are straight and my ends look great aside from the fact that i need a trim. But the need for the trim is not that bad!

i havent trimmed my hair in 4 months. sew-ins saved my ends and baggying. But sometimes it does get ridicouolus. One week i had nothing but nightmares about my hair every night.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

Yes, Whimsy!

I get nervous after reading about setbacks from heat-damage, but I get over it as soon as I begin my "straightening ritual". I know that everything will be OK if I take the proper precautions and use common sense regarding the heat level.

I understand that you're suffering from PCSS - Post Crappy Stylist Syndrome, but set your mind at ease, you know (and love) your hair better than anyone else, which is why you can straighten your own hair without damage.

BTW, your hair is gorg!

 

[curlyninjagirl]

I'd be more nervous to let someone else straighten my hair! LOL But seriously, after reading some of the horror stories about heat damage, I am terrified to flat iron my hair again!

But if I still have hair on my hair after all the abuse I put it through for years and years, then surely it should be fine now that I'm taking far better care of it then ever before...right?

 

[Whimsy]

Thanks ladies. I feel like such a wimp.

I'd be more nervous to let someone else straighten my hair!

Word. That's not happenin anymore. no way. lol

I understand that you're suffering from PCSS - Post Crappy Stylist Syndrome,

LOL!! I'm glad to know this 'disease' has a name.

If I ever need to call in sick to work I'm using that!

"sorry boss, i've got pcss, i can't come in"

"say no more, take the rest of the week off"

 

[wavezncurlz]

every.time. YES

 

[200AndOne]

absolutely! i was over a year into my HHJ before i even attempted to straighten (see siggy). and i've only done it once since then. like another poster said, i'd probably be more afraid to let someone else straighten it than myself though.

 

[Eritreladiee]

Oh hell yes, because all it takes is that one time and the damage is done permanently. I remember a few years back I wore my hair curly and never straightened it for about 3 years... then for a wedding I went to an Ethiopian salon to get my hair pressed and I got serious heat damage. She used one of those ancient oven style pressing devices and put grease in my hair-- it was hideous to top it all off so washed it out.

Anyway, I'm somewhat nervous about heat damage and I try to limit the amount I flat iron my hair. I've gotten less anal about it though

 

[BostonMaria]

Whimsy I'm sure you'll be alright. You will be gentle with your hair and know its boundaries, whereas a stylist is just trying to get paid. I only get nervous when I'm going to a stylist to straighten my hair.

BTW I get more compliments when I straighten my own hair.

 

[Sondice]

Lol I was just thinking about this Yep I plan on straightening my hair on Friday cause I'm going 2 a party. I haven't straightened it since Jan so I'm rewarding myself. Idk I'm just like really nervous for some reason. I guess its just paranoia. All I think about is damaging my hair w/ the head and it breaking, or me wearning it down, my ends rubbing adainst my clothes...and still it breaking

 

[catgurl]

I want to straighten my hair but I am sooo nervous! Last time I straighten was last Oct and I only did it because the lady who was installing my kinky twists can only do it on blowouts.

Anyway, I thought that if I used a lot of heat protectant then I would extra-safe from damage. Umm, no. My hair was a sticky mess and when I took out the twists, I still had a few strands that would not revert. Sigh.

I had only just foun

 

[Nonie]

I used to be. But that was before I had an awesome pressing experience in April 2009. Now I'm not.

 

[MiiSS kECiia]

yes honey!! since I've decided to wear my hair in its natural state "& I don't want any damage.. i have self inflicted heat damage.. my hair is like a wierd wave.. but its kinda been that way so I really don't know what my texture is =/ I decided not to straighten with a flatiron I'll get a rollerset next time im feelin like straight hair.. I like mine bone straight though :

 

[indarican]

i am because i really dont know how to straighten my own hair, never comes out right, dont know what heat to use, dont know what to put on my hair to keep from heat damage, its just bad all around. I figure wonce i get all those things under control i will feel better about putting heat to my head.

 

[davisbr88]

Yes! I am not natural yet but I am transitioning and last week, I decided I would do a rollerset to get my hair kind of straight. Well, for some reason, I sat under the dryer for over 2 hours and my hair never dried. I had about an hour before class started, so I decided I would just blow dry and straighten it, which I haven't done since January since I have been trying a no-heat transition. I don't think I got any heat damage but I was so freaked out when my curls didn't immediately revert - I was in the shower about to cry. So that was the one and only time I have straightened my hair since my relaxer in August.
I took out the blow dryer and heated up my flat iron and everything. I went to pick it up and was like, "omg... this isn't worth it!" I unplugged everything and re-set my hair. Obviously, I wasn't in class that day.

 

[Iluvsmuhgrass]

Paranoia sucks. I've been natural for two months and I've YET to straighten my 4a/b hair. Mind you... when I was younger my mom would straighten my hair with a HOT hot comb straight off of a gas stove and I had no problem with growth, maintenance, or reversion back to what it was before I straightened.

Whimsy, I think that you'll be fine. You had me with PCSS.

 

[supermodelsonya]

Yes. I freak that the iron is too high, or is heat protectant good enough. I study each strand to check for heat damage. Even though my hair came out fine, I swore off heat until Christmas. I'm just weaving it up until then.

 

[Rocky91]

I've never really been scared of damage.

I used to feel guilty about straightening, though, back when I was a member of Nappturality. Don't really feel that way anymore-it's MY hair.

Whimsy, girl, don't be scurred. You NEVER had problems maxigliding it yourself, so there's no reason why you'd have them now. You should post pics when you're finished-we'll help you get over the anxiety.

 

[NaturalBoss]

Whimsy, you are not a wimp. This is a legitimate concern. I was not nervous the first time I got my hair pressed, but the 2nd time I was a little nervous because I read a lot of heat damage horror stories. Thankfully my hair didn't get damaged but from now on I'll probably just straighten my own hair.

 

[BillsBackerz67]

Unless I rollerset it prior to flat ironing my straight hair comes out looking a HAM if I attempt it on my own. But I have since found someone that does a really great job and my hair reverts as soon as the conditioner gets piled on so thats a good thing. Nponetheless post pics I wanna see Your hair is gorgeous

 

[CA*Nappy]

Yes, That's why I haven't straighten mine since Aug '09. I got real bad damage and suffered a setback. I only blow dry now sometimes.

If it doesn't need to be bone straight, after blow drying just use a curling iron which seems to not cause much damage if you don't hold it down on the hair too long. Those flat irons scare me now with all the setbacks they give.

 

[TaraDyan]

Yes, yes and yes!! I recently suffered a setback due to heat damage inflicted by a stylist, so I'm scared about having my hair straightened now. But ... I did it myself in February and it went well, so now I'm not as paranoid as I've been in the past.

One thing is for sure, nobody is touching my hair but me from now on!

 

[Briabiggles]

I completely understand. I haven't flat ironed for over a year. I really should soon though. I'm due for a trim.

 

[indarican]

Unless I rollerset it prior to flat ironing my straight hair comes out looking a HAM if I attempt it on my own. But I have since found someone that does a really great job and my hair reverts as soon as the conditioner gets piled on so thats a good thing. Nponetheless post pics I wanna see Your hair is gorgeous

The hair in your siggy is gorgeous, so shiny!!

 

[Whimsy]

Thanks ladies.
I don't feel as silly as I did earlier.
I'm just going to bite the bullet and do it.

Then not again for a looooong time.

 

[Seraphina]

I haven't straightened my hair in almost a year because of a major setback I had last year due to heat damage.

 

[Vashti]

I haven't had my hair straightened in years but I plan to flat iron it this summer so I can relate to the nervousness. I've been taking a lot of notes from archived threads on flat ironing tips. I plan to do it myself so i have no idea what it's gonna look like!

When I get ready, I'm sure hijinks will ensue!

 

[Whimsy]

Update - I'm not doing it. I'm just going to do a braidout and wear my hair in the resulting curls for the shoot.

::shrug::