Is it damaging using a Flat ironing/Curling iron weekly?

[lina]

My hair stylists wants me to try rollersets on a weekly basis, however, I REALLY don't like rollersets at all. She is AA so she does not blow out the roots like the dominicans. This leaves my roots puffy and it takes a good couple of days for the curls to fall. She does wrap the hair, but it found that when I take down the wrap there are little broken hairs when I comb my hair. (I don't know if that is from all the brushing trying to get my hair into the wrap). So I prefer the blow dry.

I do get weekly treatments and one thing that I do like is that my stylist drys my hair about 90% dry under the hooded dryer and then blow drys my hair for less than 10 minutes with the hand held blow dryer. So I don't think that this technique would be too damaging. I like to wear my hair mostly straight with the ends slightly bumped under. To get this look maybe I should try the curling iron (the kind that goes in the stove), instead of the flat iron.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Wildchild453]

A lot of heat, especially weekly, will probably be detrimental to your hair health

 

[SimpleKomplexity]

All that heat is denaturing your ends!! I could try that saran wrap way of rollersetting on http://www.healthytextures.com and wearing a satin scarf on your head at night to make your roots lie down. You're gonna kill your ends and hinder your length if you apply heat a lot. But if you do just use a protectant

 

[Tracy]

Not as far as I'm concerned. I don't posit that it will work for everyone, but I've never minimized heat in any real, concerted way since I began my hair growth journey. Today, I either rollerset and flatiron or blowdry and flat iron weekly. Before this, at least once weekly, I got a rollerset and had my roots blown out at a Dominican salon.

Avoiding heat can matter for some folks, but it doesn't for everyone. If your hair seems to respond badly to heat, then minimize. But if you're never had a real noticeable issue with it before, you may not have one now.

IMHO, regular deep conditioning and minimal manipulation in spite of weekly heat can be a fine regimen for the right person.

 

[lina]

Thanks for your suggestion gals!!

So you think that the heat from the flat iron/curling iron would be damaging. What about the fact that she drys my hair like 90% dry under the hooded dryer first before blowdrying for such a short period of time. Doesn't that help any?? I always heard that the hooded dryer was better for the hair. Help!!

 

[Whimsy]

why not just go to the dominicans for a rollerset?

 

[Je Ne Sais Quoi]

There are some women here who are successful at straightening every week and seemingly no damage. I would do a search on weekly heat users for tips. Besides telling you not to do it the only thing I will say is that the damage may not be noticeably immediately. You may look up 3 months from now and see thinner ends than you are used to. I would definitely proceed with caution. Do you think you would be able to alternate weekly? Like straighten one week, then thenext week maybe wear a bun?

 

[Tracy]

Thanks for your suggestion gals!!

So you think that the heat from the flat iron/curling iron would be damaging. What about the fact that she drys my hair like 90% dry under the hooded dryer first before blowdrying for such a short period of time. Doesn't that help any?? I always heard that the hooded dryer was better for the hair. Help!!

It does. I actually use this technique when I BD/FI at home. The reason it helps is because taking the hair from wet to dry and from curly to straight all at once requires a level of manipulation and hight heat that isn't required when the hair is already partial dry and partially straight.

I have to say though - I don't think you should switch from a flat iron to a marcel curling iron (the one that goes on the stove). While regular heat may be ok, regular heat that is also extremely high, and maybe also not regulated, is not as ok. There's so much technology out there now that there's no need to fall back on the relics that existed before. I would go with a good ceramic or tourmaline blowdryer AND flat iron for home use and just let your stylist do her thing. Wrap to maintain and try not to use heat in between.

But I don't think weekly heat presents any automatic problem. Like everything else it's all about the context and the approach.

 

[lina]

I agree Tracy, I have not had any damage previously from using heat weekly. I used to do my hair myself with sort of the same technique as my new stylist. I would sit under the dryer (the kind that sits on the table), I would wait until my hair was 80% dry then blowdry and flat iron weekly with no problems, my hair grew fine. I just started to go to this new stylist because my hair is getting longer now and alittle to much to manage.

However, like the other ladies said I don't want to ruin my ends in the long run.

 

[lina]

Thanks Bre!!

I will proceed with caution!! Perhaps I will go every two weeks maybe that will be better for my hair and much less heat!!

 

[lina]

Tracy, Thanks for the suggestion!!

I will not use the marcel iron, actually I think she uses a CHI flat iron, is this iron good?

 

[ravenmerlita]

I didn't notice damage from using heat weekly when I was getting regular trims -- every 6 to 8 weeks or so. When I started to extend the time between trims, I realized that I had to cut down on flat ironing and curling because my ends became dry and damaged.

 

[lina]

Whimsy,

Actually I used to go to the dominicans for the relaxer only and for an occasional rollerset with the roots blown out. But for the last relaxer I had a bad experience, the relaxer didnt take at all. (I posted another thread about it) Maybe it was because the dominican stylist that usually did my relaxer didn't do it the last time, I don't know what happened. I 4a hair texture, the dominicans used gentle treatment but the AA stylist uses Nairobi relaxer. But I can not take any chances. So I am now going back to an AA stylist and so far so good.

 

[ravenmerlita]

I will not use the marcel iron, actually I think she uses a CHI flat iron, is this iron good?

The Chi is a good iron.

 

[lina]

So what do you gals suggest to achieve the look that I like so much?--mostly straight with the ends slightly bumped under or spiral curls on the ends?

 

[Mortons]

I use my flat iron weekly and I have not noticed any damage from the heat. Just be sure to DC and use a good heat protectant.

But instead of flat ironing all the way, you could do a ponytail rollerset (putting your hair in 8-12 ponytails) and roll your hair, then flat iron the roots.

 

[lina]

Hey Raven,

Thanks for the words of caution!! I usually trim my ends like every 3 to 6 months and even then I only have less than a 1/2 inch.

What did you do to substitute the flat iron and curling iron?

 

[lina]

Glamourous,

What heat protectant would you suggest? I definitely DC every wash and sit under the dryer for 30 minutes.

 

[Dposh167]

i'm relaxed and for the past 4 months have used heat once a week successfully without any damage. I only use a flat iron to stratighten my roots after a rollerset and always use a heat protectant. (ion heat protectant has been serving me just fine)

but then again i'm not really bumping my ends every week either. just the roots. but i'm sure if i was putting heat on my ends every week it prob will damage it eventually

 

[MizAvalon]

A lot of heat, especially weekly, will probably be detrimental to your hair health

Agreed. Please be very careful and monitor your hair's health.

 

[ravenmerlita]

I do more wash and go's now instead of trying to wear it straight all the time. However, when I do want to wear it straight I usually rollerset on really big rollers, dry under the dryer, and then wrap with a little serum or moisturizer and go back under the dryer for 15 minutes or so. This straightens it out pretty well.

I still blow dry and flat iron every once in a while just not as often. I try to deep condition when I know I am going to flat iron. I'll wash, deep condition with heat, blow dry damp hair in small sections on medium heat and then flat iron (with the Chi or T3) using a really good heat protectant.

 

[lina]

Thanks again, Poochie, MizAvalon, and Raven!!!

I will use all of your suggestions. Perhaps I will use bigger rollers for a rollerset and either flat iron the roots or wrap and sit under the dryer for about 15 minutes or so. I'll talk it over with my stylist and I am sure we will come up with the best solution.

My hair's health is the most important thing!!

 

[tinkat]

Using direct heat weekly can gradually damage your hair.

 

[krissynick]

it all depends on your hair. Some people hair are able to withstand heat better than others. Its all about knowing your hair and the only way you will know is through trial and error. Sorry to say but i have lost hair trying to figure out what works for my hair and what doesnt but u know what I found out and now my hair is back to normal. I personally think that i would just do the rollerset and flat iron the roots but your 90% drying under the dryer and blowdrying the rest doesnt sound bad at all. just keep it to once a week only...

 

[lina]

Hey Krissy,

Yes, I decided that I am going to rollerset ONLY with the purple and gray big rollers. The rollers that my stylist used were smaller than even the red rollers, so I think that might of had something to do with the puffy roots and a few broken hairs when I took the wrap down.

I haven't decided if I am going to flat iron the roots only or wrap after the rollerset though. I was thinking that if I wrap maybe I won't get those broken hairs because if I use the big rollers maybe my roots won't be so puffy and it will be easier to form into a wrap. (I don't think my stylist will want to flat iron the roots anyway. I think she will say that is unnecessary or too much heat). I will ask if she could put me under the dryer after the wrap though.

Anyway, with the weekly treatments that my stylist does, coupled with the rollerset, I think my hair will thank me for it later.

Thanks again everyone for helping me make a decision as to what I should do.

 

[TLC1020]

I believe it depends on the health and texture of your hair . I've always flat ironed my hair once a week usually on Sundays after washing and deep conditioning with no long term damaging affects. Good luck in what ever you decide...

 

[Mortons]

Glamourous,

What heat protectant would you suggest? I definitely DC every wash and sit under the dryer for 30 minutes.

CHI silk infusion is great I sometimes use Proclaim heat and color protectant from Sally's