Heat Training Support Thread

[me-T]

i've got a rinky dink camera for right now. luckily i have my may press pics still saved on my memory card.

i love my straightened hair now! that boar brush tip is no joke! another big hug for napp! you have no idea how happy i am with my smoothness!

my "reverted texture" is starting to visually loosen now. but the nape and very front are way ahead. time to lower the temp in those areas.

pic time!! the may press is the last time i chased with my denman.

 

[Poohbear]

I am reconsidering heat training now. I am so frustrated with my hair right now. I've had my hair in two-strand twists for 3 months straight and my hair seems to be shrinking in length. When I wear a twistout, they look smaller than what my twistouts used to look like years ago. And my twistouts don't look right anymore. I don't know what's going on with my hair. I'm tired of the frizz, shrinkage, and dryness.

 

[Lynnerie]

I realized that if I wanted to stay natural and actually retain length I was going to have to heat train. I was tired of SSK's that were causing splits and and the excessive amount of shrinkage. My hair is much more manageable now that I've added heat to my reggie. Heat is a natural girl's friend in my opinion.

Here are 2 pics of my hair. The first was blown out and straightened with a flat-iron and the second is my hair texture right after washing my hair and then applying eco-styler argan oil gel. Its always much looser after I wash and then it slowly reverts even more but not as tight as it was before. My hair also retains moisture better. It used to break when I would touch it. I had more breakage as a natural than I did when I was relaxed, but now that I use heat I don't have the breakage I once did.

 

[me-T]

Lynnerie how long have you been heat training? and what's washing with a gel?

 

[texasqt]

I finally read through this entire thread last night I'm prepping to heat train this evening. I use to BKT and got great results and stopped because I realized I could get my hair just as straight with out it. My flat iron hair will last about a week but whenever I wear my hair curly/kinky detangling wrecks havoc no matter what products I use. I think because my hair is longer now I'm seeing more SSKs. Sorry I'm babbling but since I wear my hair straight 90% of the time, I'm going to try heat training.

I'm 4b with a different texture in my nape area. My crown area has the tightest curl and it is the driest. My texture overall is not coarse so I guess that puts me in the fine category. It blows in the wind and loosens when wet.

So far I've DC'd most of today with Silk Elements, rinsed and applied Nioxin Thermal Bliss. I didn't mean to use the Nioxin because I wanted to try Hawaiian Silky 14-n-1 as a leave in so I ended up using both. I'm air drying now and will apply IC heat protector before blow drying. I don't think I'll apply anything before flat ironing. After that I will flat iron using 10 passes at 400. I hope that's enough. What do you think? Does that sound about right or do you have any suggestions? TIA!

 

[Poohbear]

The plug of my CHI iron broke somehow, so I can no longer use it. It was bought by sister to begin with and my mother had borrowed it and now it doesn't work anymore. Anyway, I went to Wal-Mart and bought the Andis Ceramic Flat Iron 1" for $15.77 + tax!!! After using this flat iron, I feel like it is BETTER than the CHI! And it looks like my hair did grow back to where it was before I trimmed it back in April, so I was happy about that.

Here are my results from straightening my natural hair this evening:

Now I want to learn how to really heat train to wear it changes my hair texture. How do I loosen the tight coil? Do I have to use heat more than once a month in order to really heat train and change my hair texture?

 

[FemmeCreole]

Poohbear your hair looks amazing!

 

[humility1990]

Just heat trained my hair. The 3c texture is now 3a. 4a texture is now 3c.

 

[Lynnerie]

Lynnerie how long have you been heat training? and what's washing with a gel?

I've been using heat once a month since last August but that really wasn't enough to get the results I wanted so I had to up straightening to twice a month. It used to take me all day to flat iron my hair now I can do it in 2 hours. My hair is super dense.

When I mentioned gel I just meant that I had gel in my hair in that pic, it wasn't naked hair.

 

[Lynnerie]

Poohbear

Your hair turned out great and you are so pretty. In my opinion I think you will have to heat train more than once a month to get the texture change. When I was straightening once a month it was getting easier to straighten but the texture did not change. I'm trying to stick to straightening every 2 weeks.[/USER]

 

[texasqt]

Went from this -

To this -

And this -

More pics and info in Fotki. You have to sign into Fotki to view. Password in profile.

Question @brittanynic16 - Should I wait one week or two weeks before doing the process again? I usually flat iron weekly. Thanks!

 

[PlatinumBronze]

Went from this -

To this -

And this -

More pics and info in Fotki. Password in profile.

Question brittanynic16 - Should I wait one week or two weeks before doing the process again? I usually flat iron weekly. Thanks!

Your hair looks amazing! What's your regi, what products, and flat iron do you use.

 

[texasqt]

Your hair looks amazing! What's your regi, what products, and flat iron do you use.

Thanks! My primary regi includes washing with shampoo and DCing the first weekend of each month. I'll then DC one time per week the rest of the month. My shampoo varies between Creme of Nature and Aphogee Deep Moisturizing (I have really dry hair). Deep conditioner varies between Creme of Nature or MegaSilk Silk Elements. I prefer the Megasilk. My leave in for the last year has been Nioxin Thermal Bliss followed by BioInfusion moisturizer and Fantasia IC Heat Protector. In the photos I used Hawaiian Silky instead of the the BioInfusion. After all that, I mostly blow dry with a Conair and flat iron with a Sedu. Wearing my hair in its natural state has left me with more SSKs that I am comfortable with which is why I've chosen to heat train.

 

[Poohbear]

Just heat trained my hair. The 3c texture is now 3a. 4a texture is now 3c.

humility1990 - do you have pictures? If so, please share!!!

 

[Poohbear]

Poohbear

Your hair turned out great and you are so pretty. In my opinion I think you will have to heat train more than once a month to get the texture change. When I was straightening once a month it was getting easier to straighten but the texture did not change. I'm trying to stick to straightening every 2 weeks.[/USER]

Lynnerie - When you straighten every 2 weeks, do you re-wash and condition your hair every 2 weeks too? I think the reason I only do it once a month is to avoid going through that whole wash day process. I hate washing my hair! My hair texture hasn't changed at all from all the straightening I've done. I think I may have to increase the temperature and/or do more passes if I want the texture to change. I only do 1 pass and rarely 2 passes each section of hair.

 

[Lynnerie]

Poohbear Yes I wash and deep condition each time before straightening. But I have to do about 3 passes and my temperature is on 410 but I have heat resistant hair. I think the key is finding what your hair can handle. Its like when being relaxed and choosing from mild, regular, or super. Also, since I started heat training its not a pain to detangle anymore.

 

[Poohbear]

Have y'all ladies heard of the Feather Flat for thermal relaxing? Check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGBkaq2lQhQ

 

[halee_J]

Poohbear, QueenFee did a nice demonstration and review on it She has a YT with the same name, she's not heat trained though. I'm thinking of getting one.

ETA: Here's her vid

Her hair came out so bangin! Tons of shine and movement. She claims it only takes her 45min.

 

[FemmeCreole]

bump.................

 

[Napp]

beautiful hair ladies! i wish i could straighten but im in a situation where i must keep my hair natural. it was a STRUGGLE at first going back to the naps but i finally am contented with bantu knot outs for now. i cant wait to be swanging and blangin again

 

[aa9746]

I'm not heat training but I flat ironed about 2wks ago. Does anyone deal with itchies? I'm trying to let this press last but I'm thinking I'll have to wash soon.

 

[me-T]

texasqt 10 passes of 400 sounds like a lot to me. i don't think you still need that much heat since you're not usin bkt anymore.

have ya'll seen brittany's new vid? i was planning to keep just enough texture so i could still wear fro-able styles, but i love that hanging loose texture she has. i wonder how it looks dried? we have more or less the same texture, so i think i can achieve this. it'll just take a while

 

[texasqt]

@me-T woman you're like a week late. I did it last Friday and I'm getting ready to wash today so I'll let y'all know about the fallout Nothing bad has happened yet though.

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't brittanynic16 use 20 swipes at 450?

 

[yaya24]

No longer doing this- Texlaxed 01.2013!!!!!!

Hey there thermalistas *waves*

I have not used heat since my last session on June 1st.

That will all change today . Im planning on flat ironing later today (focusing on the root/ NG)

The plan is to use the flat iron on 290 on the back 320 or so in the crown/front areas. I already steamed DC's last night and banded to stretch. I'll be rocking a stretched puff to run errands and then I'll get started later this afternoon when I get back home.

I'll post pics later.

 

[FemmeCreole]

Lastnight I dc'd and proceeded to blowdry my hair. I section my hair off is quarters and started blowdrying the back first. First quarter dried easily and quickly. My hair gets straight after blowdrying.

Anyways I set the blow dryer down and grabbed the next section of hair and picked up the dryer again. I turned it on and is 2 seconds I heard this funny sound and the darn dryer just flatlined on me!

I was so miffed!! I stood up watching myself in the mirror with my straight hair at the back and soggy bush on top. Needless to say I just wet my head again and pulled it up in a puff.

One good thing came out of this though...... I get to buy a brand new blow dryer!!!!

So what should get ladies???

 

[yaya24]

Pics.

Hair banded (will continue to skip blowdrying.. my hair does not do well with it).

Please excuse the messy/ non-existent parting

Then hair straightened w/ iron. Front: 340 Back 290/310

 

[yaya24]

Went out in a bun

 

[aa9746]

How long do you let the press last? One week before washing, every 2wks or longer? tia

 

[yaya24]

How long do you let the press last? One week before washing, every 2wks or longer? tia

2 weeks is my usual plan before washing

 

[Muse]

How long do you let the press last? One week before washing, every 2wks or longer? tia

I wish I could make it two weeks. I have to wash and restraighten every week.