Kinky Girls! How are you wearing it straight - WITHOUT heat?

[lana]

I would like some input please. I usually wash my hair when it's dirty, deep condition, blow dry and flat iron on medium heat. I always use a heat protectant.

However, I feel that my hair would be healthier if I could use LESS heat. I'm texlaxed...so it looks natural when it's wet, it's kinky, curly, coily (I'm a 4a/b)...When I rollerset it looks like a frizz ball and I'm good with those rollers. Is rollersetting the answer? Flat iron the roots only? What about my ends? They are frizzy unless I flat iron them.

So, how are you doing it? I read too many times where girls with my texture are only using heat every 3 months. I wear my hair down until right before wash day and then I put it in a bun. I roll it at night to keep a style. Or I bun it at night, if I'm giong to wear a bun the next day.

Someone, anyone, please tell me... how can I reduce the amount of heat I use and allow my hair to flourish and STILL look cute. I know I'm not the only one asking this question...am I?

 

[soon2bsl]

Nope you're not the only one wondering this. I'd like to know too. I've been reading on rollersetting/saran wrap, and watching YT videos on how to do this, to still have the straight look with less heat. I've tried it twice, but didn't the get results I was looking for. I'm 10 months post and transitioning..my roots were still poofy, but the length of my hair was straight. Hopefully others will chime in. I know they say pull the rollers taut and roll upward will help straighten the roots more.

 

[**SaSSy**]

Your hair will never get "bone-straight" without heat, but you can have straight hair with slight texture if you use over inch rollers, and using a blow drier with a cold to warm setting.

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

You can wear your hair straight without heat if:

- You're naturally a type 4 silky, type 3 or below via rollersetting

- You're texlaxed to a type 3 or bonelaxed via rollersetting

Since you said you're a texlaxed type 4 I would say do your best to master rollersetting if its not working for you now do some more research, tweak your technique and/or products so you can see improvements.

Finally, you asked how to reduce heat usage, allow your hair to flourish and still look cute.....well there are many cute styles that don't have to involve straightening whatsoever.

You could do:

- braid-outs for a crimped effect

- flat-twist-outs for a loosely curly effect

- set your hair in different kinds of rollers for various curly looks etc....

So as nice as straightened hair is....its not the be all end all of flattering styles....its just one of a multitude of choices.

 

[Mizz Diamonds]

What about straightening creme, their is this brand in the UK called twisted sista and they have this relaxing straightening creme. The word relax on the product makes me do a doube take.

http://www.radicaldesignltd.co.uk/ut_prod_style.htm

 

[jetbeauty09]

^^^ I agree. If you're truly a type 4 hair type, you're not going to get your hair bone straight w/out heat.

 

[tropical-punch]

I agree with rollersetting. The key is to stretch the hair just enough to straighten out the wave as you roll it.

 

[ceebee3]

I'm a type 4 and I could only wear my hair straight with no heat when I was fully relaxed. I just rollerset and wrapped.

I don't think you could do that with texlaxed type 4 hair if you still have a lot of your natural texture left.

You could do the rollerset/saran wrap but you won't get flat iron straight results. If that's what you want you would have to use a flat iron or hot comb.

 

[lana]

You can wear your hair straight without heat if:

- You're naturally a type 4 silky, type 3 or below via rollersetting

- You're texlaxed to a type 3 or bonelaxed via rollersetting

Since you said you're a texlaxed type 4 I would say do your best to master rollersetting if its not working for you now do some more research, tweak your technique and/or products so you can see improvements.

Finally, you asked how to reduce heat usage, allow your hair to flourish and still look cute.....well there are many cute styles that don't have to involve straightening whatsoever.

You could do:

- braid-outs for a crimped effect

- flat-twist-outs for a loosely curly effect

- set your hair in different kinds of rollers for various curly looks etc....

So as nice as straightened hair is....its not the be all end all of flattering styles....its just one of a multitude of choices.

Thank you for your post --I found this information very helpful. I do admit that I've been "stuck" with blowdrying and flat ironing and bumping the ends and then rolling during the week. It's the same old style and PLUS it's not that healthy for my hair. I'm giong to give this some serious thought.

 

[lana]

What about straightening creme, their is this brand in the UK called twisted sista and they have this relaxing straightening creme. The word relax on the product makes me do a doube take.

http://www.radicaldesignltd.co.uk/ut_prod_style.htm

Thank you! I do have Twisted Sista and I bought it at Marshall's here in the U.S. I was surprised to find it here, but it was one of those clearance buys. So far, it doesn't do anything for my hair that I've noticed, but Aveda Marshmellow Root Blow dry lotion works great and so does my Paul Mitchell Silky Straight serum.

I'm going to try to rollerset this weekend and I'm just going to use a serum and leave in conditioner (used to use Lotta body but it ran out). I'll be prepared for the results to go either way. I rollerset very well. It's just that my hair usually looks crinkly all the way down the strand to the tip. I do know that when I was rollersetting last year...my hair grew to APL very fast.

 

[lana]

It took me another week, but I went ahead and rollerset on Saturday morning. I sat under that dryer for about an hour and it still wasn't dry. I did have it on low heat, but the reason is that the top dries super fast and the back is just sitting there soaked, so I had to end up using my blow dryer on low while still in the rollers and just let the air pass over the back only. (Hey! I'm trying!)

Anyways I still had to flat iron. But I just took the sections that I had rolled and lightly flat ironed with my Maxiglide. Turned out great!

Oh and I only lost about 10 strands of hair verses the 50-11 that I usually lose if I blow dry and then flat iron. So yes, this was healthier for my hair. I just wish I didn't have to flat iron at all. But unless I relax my hair completely, that's not going to happen. I have too much texture. I'm not complaining as I love my thick hair!

 

[Transformer]

I agree with rollersetting. The key is to stretch the hair just enough to straighten out the wave as you roll it.

I consider myself a 4 something and I straighten with rollersetting and air drying. Now to be honest, it takes my hair about 10 hours to dry naturally. I usually start on Sunday mornings about 10am and take it out about 8pm. I used a setting foam or like yesterday I used Mizani rollersetting lotion.

 

[KSand]

I've noticed this also. I started sitting under the dryer for 20-30 minutes. Then I do my chores, homework, etc. and let my hair air dry for 2-3 hours. I sit under the dryer for another 15-20 minutes and it is pretty much all dry by then. Im glad your blowdry method worked! I may have to try when I'm in a rush...

It took me another week, but I went ahead and rollerset on Saturday morning. I sat under that dryer for about an hour and it still wasn't dry. I did have it on low heat, but the reason is that the top dries super fast and the back is just sitting there soaked, so I had to end up using my blow dryer on low while still in the rollers and just let the air pass over the back only. (Hey! I'm trying!)

Anyways I still had to flat iron. But I just took the sections that I had rolled and lightly flat ironed with my Maxiglide. Turned out great!

Oh and I only lost about 10 strands of hair verses the 50-11 that I usually lose if I blow dry and then flat iron. So yes, this was healthier for my hair. I just wish I didn't have to flat iron at all. But unless I relax my hair completely, that's not going to happen. I have too much texture. I'm not complaining as I love my thick hair!

 

[glamazon386]

I'd try rollersetting and then wrapping.

 

[PuddingPop]

Im able to get my dd's 4b hair very, very straight by banding it in small sections and then letting it air dry.
It comes out so well that her Aunt asked me if I relaxed her hair when I used this method
once.

 

[lana]

Thanks for your responses. I do have to admit I was happy with the results and I LOVED the smell. For whatever reason when I blow dry it takes away that good fresh washed smell. But this time with rollersetting it didn't!

I may have to try that Mizani Rollersetting lotion. I know Creme of Nature setting lotion gave me a LOT of shine a year ago. But this time all I used was a little Keracare humecto and some serum and then rolled my hair. I really need to let it dry way longer. I don't want to fry my hair no matter what the heat source (dome dryer or blow dryer). So next time I will allow for way more time, like 2 or 3 hours more to air dry all the way and then flat iron any areas that need it.

I cannot wrap my hair with this texture unless I wrap it while wet. My hair is the type that you don't comb it dry - it breaks. I can do a wrap with my fingers only but that happens AFTER it's flat ironed first. Otherwise the tangles cause breakage. I pincurl it at night to keep the style and give me lots of body and curl in the morning.