Heat Straighten Napps The Safe Way

[CocoGlow]

Is there a such thing?

I am curious b/c as my hair grows, I know that I will be tempted to straighten it one day and I have a strong anxiety about using heat on my napps..I mean a serious fear....so many ladies have HORROR stories and I don't want to be one of them

I guess I would be content to stretch my napps naturally w/ braids or bands but I want to know that I have the option to use heat the RIGHT way!

I know a lot of ladies here blow dry and/or flat iron their hair, even some naturals so I would really like to know the SAFEST way to straigthen my napps...

I also ask if there is a such thing as a SILICONE free heat protectant b/c I do not use shampoo and I don't know if clarifying baking soda rinse or ayurvedic wash or even co-wash would be enough to rid my hair of silicones...I've noticed that most heat protectants that I have come across have silicones in them...

Honestly I have not used silicone based products since going natural b/c of what I read about them so I have no idea how well they would wash out of my hair without using shampoo..

Any of your tips and suggestions would be greatly apprecited!

Thanks
NappyRina

 

[LynnieB]

Is there a such thing?

I am curious b/c as my hair grows, I know that I will be tempted to straighten it one day and I have a strong anxiety about using heat on my napps..I mean a serious fear....so many ladies have HORROR stories and I don't want to be one of them

I guess I would be content to stretch my napps naturally w/ braids or bands but I want to know that I have the option to use heat the RIGHT way!

I know a lot of ladies here blow dry and/or flat iron their hair, even some naturals so I would really like to know the SAFEST way to straigthen my napps...

i also had/have a fear of ruining my natural hair or even feeling like i was some sort of hair criminal (even posted about it once ).

it looked nice (for what it is) and soon as i rewet it, back came the kinky curls.

i also use heavy protein treatments regularly (aphogee) - every 2-3 months just to keep my hair, especially the ends, strong.

I do not make a habit of straightening my hair regularly - i actually prefer my natural hair but it is a nice change of pace.


I also ask if there is a such thing as a SILICONE free heat protectant b/c I do not use shampoo and I don't know if clarifying baking soda rinse or ayurvedic wash or even co-wash would be enough to rid my hair of silicones...I've noticed that most heat protectants that I have come across have silicones in them...

read my lips: If you're going to use heat on your hair you MUST use a silicone based heat protectant, if you don't, it's like playing russian roulette with all the chambers occupied! Silicone is what protects, oils, greases, pomades and all the conditioning in the world will not.

Honestly I have not used silicone based products since going natural b/c of what I read about them so I have no idea how well they would wash out of my hair without using shampoo..

if you want to play, you gotta play by the rules. heat protectant each and everytime you put a heated appliance on your hair. no if, ands or buts.

you will probably have to clarify with a clarifying shampoo to make sure you removed all the cones. no, baking soda and vinager won't cut it (the pay to play part ).

Any of your tips and suggestions would be greatly apprecited!

use your flatiron/curling iron on the lowest heat and if the results aren't what you want, begin raising the temp gradually until you get the result you're looking for. if your flatiron goes up to 450 degrees, please don't start on 450 degrees - try 350 first and see how it goes.

either stretch your hair first and gently brush it out to smooth or allow to dry until dampish then use your blowdryer on the cool or warm setting to smooth.

Only iron small sections of hair at a time - you may be surprised at just how small and thin the sections should be but the thicker the sections, the less effective your flatiron will be and the more heat you will be tempted to use.

again, anytime you use heat, whether it be from flatiron, blowdryer or comb, use a silicone heat protectant!


Thanks
NappyRina

Can't think of anything else. my response should bump this up for you and you'll get some more responses.

 

[CocoGlow]

Thanks LynnieB!

I appreciate your honest response....so now I know that silicone is a MUST for heat straightening..I thought there may be another way, but it makes sense, since silicones coat the hair while things liek oils/grease only cause serious hair frying when used w/ heat!...

I am starting to think that heat straigthening is not for me...this only re-confirms what I thought before.....not only due to the fact that I would HAVE to use silcones which would mean I would HAVE to use shampoo to get it out & no shampoo whatsoever, no matter how "gentle" or sulfate-free" they are is gentle enough for my napps!...

Also, when I think about it...my hair thrives on water & moisture and if I were to heat straighten it, I could not use water based products or else it would revert soo fast meaning all the time & energy I spent straightening it wuold have been in vain...

The thougth of doing it wrong & damaging my napps OR doing it right but then having thirsty dry napps is not appealing....

I guess for me, heat straigtheing my napps is waay too risky and just not worth it when I calculate the risks vs. benefits

I will stick to stretching my hair w/ braids or bands and when my hair gets longer I may do heat-free roller sets for a change

I hope this info is helpful for someone other than me as well, but to each her own

NappyRina

 

[LynnieB]

Nappyrina, why don't you try rollersetting? Lawd knows there's tons of information floating around this board.

you may be pleasantly surprised how well it'll turn out.

......just a thought girl

 

[CocoGlow]

Yeah ...rollersetting is definitely in the forecast..probably this Spring/Summer

I don't have any expectaions of getting my 4b napps really straight but I would love to know how the knowledgeable ladies on this site hook it up...

I'm off to research!!!