I'm just gonna do it: Who wants natural, heat-stretched hair?

[RENIBELL]

how do i post larger size pics , i'll try again

 

[RENIBELL]

i give up , guess you can click on the pic to make it bigger

 

[Qetesh]

my hair used to be heat damaged in some parts. I felt like it totally took away my curl and made it have a limp lookerplexed but i think the reason it happened so much to me is i wasn't using heat protectants b4 lhcf.

but right now i do plan on having my hair mostly straight all winter so i will see if my curl pattern ends up getting looser. one thing i notice when i do get my hair straightened now is its a bit looser after the first wash but by the 2nd everything is back to normal with me. i like my curls and for me true heat damage left my hair a frizzball rough limp when wet mess in the areas that had it

 

[BeetleBug]

I don't plan on using extreme amounts of heat as a natural. I darn sure don't want to change my curl pattern.

 

[Country gal]

I notice that my hair suffered from frequent heat. I was wearing my hair more straighter this year. It seems my hair has not grown as much. I decided to give my hair a rest and sport wigs for the rest of the year. My hair has gotten noticeably thicker from the rest.

 

[nomoweavesfome]

I do - and I'm just a beginner on my transitioning journey, and I don't hate to admit it either.

 

[sweetsuccess]

im currently going natural too but have NoOOoOo intention of wearing it natural ever!!... im about 85% natural.. and ive been wearing sew-ins thru the summer....... i know the times between my sew ins were hell....... i could not do my own hair for NOTHING. right now im in braids.. and im dying to take them out. im just lost..... im currently in spain, where i cant use my tools and had to buy tools here... so im not even sure if their irons are gona get my hair silky straight as i usually do. but when im normally back home in atlanta.. i leave my presses up to the professionals.. and they definitly do a great job. but yea, im definitly in the same boat as you when it comes to going natural just for the purity of no chemical relaxers in my hair, even though i love me some heat, and do plan on pressing as often as needed.
for my deep conditioning, i always use ors replenish pak and that seems to do a great job! im just purchased redken smoothdown heat glide to use as my heat protectant when i do decided to take these braids out. hopefully that works well as my heat protectant. all in all, enjoy the naturalness as it comes !!

 

[CheLala13]

I plan on using heat. Hopefully my hair decides the right path (being able to go back & forth), but if it doesn't I'll just have to put up with it. I don't plan on really using heat until it reaches APL.

 

[TeaKyoo]

To each their own.

I am natural because of the curly pattern I want to keep the kinky coily curly look of my hair. Granted, I want to try rollersets for a different look but my main look will always be a fro of sorts or twists.

TQ

 

[Junebug D]

I feel you on the knots and tangling, but still... too dangerous! I had my hair straight for 2 weeks and it started breaking off like mad. I think I'd just relax it rather than attempt heat-training. I have no plans on doing either.

 

[mightycute912]

I am transitioning. I am used to having my hair straight being relaxed for over 20 years. I hate to admit it, but I will most likely be rocking my hair straight. It is just what I am used to. Maybe it will all change when I am completely natural, but now I will say my hair will be straight.

 

[SouthernTease]

I do not want to heat damage my hair.
I like my curl pattern and don't want it looser.
If I did though... there are other methods to achieve that.
Heat is just as, if not more damaging than chemicals.
But to each her own...
I sometimes like to straighten my hair, but I like wearing flexi rods sets
more than flat ironing.

 

[lollyoo]

I want to wear my hair stretched to see length. But m ultimate goal is to be able to wear my hair unstretched/no heat and have it a little passed my shoulders..or at least have my braidout come passed my shoulders (at around APL or a little before)


But I will not be flat ironing my hair too much...thats a lot of work

This is my goal exactly if I am still natural by then (I mean I am dreading the knots otherwise love the coils). Full shoulder length curly hair or around shoulder length and APL.

This should be around waistlength stretched, and at 5ft 2in, I dont think I want to be wearing waistlength hair around.

I also where I live it's spring weather 75% of the time, cold and raining, for me regular flat iron not an option so will up for relaxer (I am to busy for regular flat ironing). The main reason I decided to go natural was because my hair never relaxed completely straight no matter what,there was always residual waves and coils. So just decide to embrance the coils by going natural.

To OP I think this is do able, so will say give it a go. You may go natural and even decide to keep to your coils who knows

 

[thaidreams]

I must be the only natiral who doesn't have this problem. Is this something that happens once your hair is long? I have tangles and a few knots here or there, but it's never bad enough to bother me. My hair is SL-CBL stretched. Hmm...

I don't have problems with this either and I believe it's because I co-wash frequently and dust my ends. Presently my hair is MBL and it reverts back to it's natural state after pressing.

 

[Fine 4s]

I didn't work for me as it was impossible for me to retain length just like Irresistible mentioned...

 

[Mrs.Fitness]

The problem is that some naturals set the heat too high. I am not sure why this is never mentioned. It is okay to flat iron your hair, but everyone seems to want bone straight flat ironed or pressed hair. I love to set the heat to medium or low and have a thick full press that does not burn my hair out. I am able to retain length by keeping my temperature settings low.

 

[bklyncurly]

My hair is going through a really difficult phase right now. Since it has been so cold and dry, my natural hair is taking a beating and has been really uncooperative, frizzy, dry beyond dry and just irritable.

However, when I blow dry and flat iron, my hair is actually too straight. It just hangs there. I've checked the setting on my flat iron (Sedu) is not even on the higest setting. 3 settings from high is not high enough and 2 settings from highest is too high!

So, long story short, as has been mentioned already everyone's hair is different. For me, when I flat iron my hair doesn't grow as quickly as when I wear it natural. So, I'm looking forward to Spring so I can wear my hair natural every day instead of just a few days a week, and I can retain some length. Plus, heat is murder on your ends!!

BTW, if you plan on flat ironing every week please make sure you use moisture, moisture, moisture and protein, protein, protein as needed. Only you will be able to tell when you need either one.

Best wishes!!! Keep us updated on your hair journey.

 

[keepithealthy]

I am transitioning and I flat ironed my hair this weekend and used a heat protectant. I find that with the two textures my hair it just tottaly unmanagable. The ng in the middle of my head is soooo thick that I can't really comb through it. I'm a newbie who is used to relaxing every 4 weeks. I had to cut about an inch off of my hair because air drying my hair made my ends so frizzy they looked fried. I am thinking of flat ironing once a weeK as a way to keep my hair more managble and presentable. My head was starting to look crazy lol

 

[MrsHdrLe]

I am in braids right now over this. I want to texlax, but am afraid of damage, don't trust a stylist, and my natural hair is so corse, it seems to break more than it would if the curl pattern were looser. I am pretty good with a hot comb, but again am afraid of over doing it. I mostly shower instead of bathe and love hot, hot showers....so I guess I'll be texlaxing in May, when I will be almost 20 weeks post perm. Wish me luck and most importantly pray for my hair's health. Any advice on achieving my hair goals? I found in the past that oil helped me retain my press longer and I would then use less heat overtime. Can anyone else attest to this method?

 

[AtlantaJJ]

Keep an eye on the BTK threads. That's starting to look a little promising. I'm going to wait awhile until we get some more natural 4a/b people posting about it but I got my eye on the BTK :eye:

 

[Ivypearl08]

Great forum! I would love to go natural but my hair is so used to relaxers..I'm not sure what it would do if I all of a sudden decided to go without...I'm actually going to use one of the suggestions on the newbie board to stretch the relaxer 8 weeks rather than go my normal 6 weeks so that I can see the new growth...with my luck of trying to grow natural...and flat-ironing my hair to keep it straight...it would just fall completely off!...

 

[HoneyA]

Nah, I'm missing my waves and kinks now.

 

[Bettina]

I luv my curls and I dont want to loose that pattern permanently or risk burning hair since I am fine haired. If I wear my hair straight for a few hours and it reverts... no biggie.

 

[DDTexlaxed]

I am trying to be a natural with heat stretched hair, but my hair refuses to cooperate. I can get it strait, but to get a style in it to look good? I am too scared for the Brazilian treatment. I am so discouraged right now because I'm unable to get my hair to hold a style after I straiten it. I still have more research to do.

 

[PinkSkates]

I am trying to be a natural with heat stretched hair, but my hair refuses to cooperate. I can get it strait, but to get a style in it to look good? I am too scared for the Brazilian treatment. I am so discouraged right now because I'm unable to get my hair to hold a style after I straiten it. I still have more research to do.

What products are you using? Do you use something to help fight reversion due to moisture.

 

[Lucky's Mom]

When I am tempted to Keep my hair straight.... I tend to think of Braids - They will give me a bit of the "swing" I need - for a while.

 

[DDTexlaxed]

What products are you using? Do you use something to help fight reversion due to moisture.

I was using IC serum for heat protectant in the pink bottle. I basically used an electric pressing comb which worked very well. My roller set after just did not hold. I am trying it again, today. I press air dried hair because I don't want to kill my tresses. I am using foam rollers now because it soaks up the serum. I think the serum weighs my hair down. I also used foam wrap to keep the curl. This set looks more promising than the other. I also invested in sabino moisture block. I hope this works better than my last set. I will let you ladies know, tomorrow. Also, sabino really made detangling my hair very easy! I did it in 6 sections on each side. I can get my hair strait so easy with this. I am just trying to baby my hair so it won't be damaged. It takes me 2 hours because I'm still trying to learn more methods on how to press my hair safely. Any advice you give will be appreciated.

 

[vainღ♥♡jane]

i wonder if the 'you are not white' tag shows up in relaxed threads.

 

[prettynatural]

what about wigs or weaves if you want a straight look? I don't recommend heat to change your texture. It would be easier to work with what you have or try to self-relax.

 

[natieya]

My hair is so brittle from using SUPER relaxers for so long...I have tried countless protein treatments to no avail. I am transitioning as we speak...and yes, I plan to wear my hair straight all the time. Thanks, OP, for starting this thread! I just knew I wasn't alone...