Naturals who straighten more than 1x per month. HELP!!!!!

[LunadeMiel]

Are there any naturals here who straighten more than once per month? I’ve been fighting this battle with SSKs for the past two years and it has become extremely frustrating. My hair is extremely porous so retaining moisture is also a big problem. I’ve come to realize that when my hair is straight (meaning the cuticles are sealed) I retain moisture so much better. My hair does not do well in braid/twist outs For some reason this in between straightness causes my hair to knot/tangle terribly. In addition to the knotting, my ends revert much faster when I don’t seal the cuticle (i.e. with heat). My only other option is to wear my hair curly 100% of the time. This however, causes a massive amount of SSKs. These knots are problematic because they eventually break off or catch on other unaffected strands which in turn cause split ends. Therefore, I’ve decided to straighten my hair with each wash. Ideally, I would only be straightening once per month but I can’t bear waiting more than one week between washes. So…. My plan is as follows.

• Wash
• Apply reconstructor (heavy)
• Deep condition
• Rollerset
• Flat iron with maxiglide (with steam) on 3. This is just enough to seal the cuticle.

What do you ladies think? Is this recipe for heat damage? I’d rather deal with SSK than heat damage.

 

[Ms.Christ3n]

Use a really good heat protectant.

If you don't use too much heat, I think you will only loosen your curl pattern slightly. I don't think it will be that big of a change as long as you keep the heat low.

 

[LunadeMiel]

Use a really good heat protectant.

If you don't use too much heat, I think you will only loosen your curl pattern slightly. I don't think it will be that big of a change as long as you keep the heat low.

I really hope this doesn't happen. Certain sections of my hair are already loosely curled. Any looser I won't be able to blend it in with the rest of my hair

 

[dyamonds10]

you need a strong heat protectant... and dont confuse heat damage with growth. Meaning for me the longer my hair got as a natural the more my curls started to weigh and losen up. Its because of the length....HEAT PROTECTANT IS YOUR FRIEND!!!!!! I am transitioning again and I blow dry and flatiron 2x a month and did the same when I was relaxed! Just pay attention to yout hair and what it is asking you for....always condition before straightening as well..........HHG

 

[Curlybeauty]

Sounds good to me. And the same thing happened to me this summer, since I didn't use any heat this whole time. I'm weaved up now, but my normal WEEKLY flat-iron session is the same that you stated above. I use more heat than you do, because my iron has no controls on it, but the same applies.

 

[BillsBackerz67]

youll be fine. I was going to the salon twice a month up until last month and my hair has not changed one bit except gotten longer Yeah I see a few splits here and there but its def less than the amount of knots and splits that I had before I started using heat regularly. Also once I left the salon a flat iron nor a curling iron never touched my hair until I went back to see her. I think thats also important.

 

[LunadeMiel]

Bump

 

[ms.blue]

Just use heat protectant and keep up the protein and moisture balance. Also pay attention to your hair to notice any changes good or bad so you can adjust accordingly.

 

[Weezy Jefferson]

Don't have any advice for you, but I'm in the same boat so I'll be watching this thread for advice.

When I was newly natural and in my militant phase , I thought people who went back to relaxing citing SSK's as an excuse were just punking out. Not so.

 

[yodie]

LunadeMiel, your hair sounds exactly like mine. I've been wearing twist outs for the last couple of weeks and my hair has gone slightly downhill. I also suffer from porous hair and SSK. I've been trying to do a 'no heat' regimen, but I'm afraid that my cuticles aren't sealed at all. I'm trying to find the healthiest regimen for my hair.
Taking notes from this thread.

 

[yodie]

Question...does drying under a hooded dryer NOT seal the cuticle?

 

[LunadeMiel]

Question...does drying under a hooded dryer NOT seal the cuticle?

Not for me. I need to apply the heat directly for it to work *sigh*

 

[alive]

your hair in your siggie is beautiful! how do you wear your hair at night? i find that if my hair is secured all night, it cuts down on tangles and knots dramatically. Also, are you okay with wearing buns? you can bun for two weeks straight and then use heat once a month to cover the remaining 2 weeks.

You might also want to try roux porosity control. ive never used it, but i've heard that alot of people rave about it

 

[kblc06]

Use Vaseline to seal you ends ! We have similar hair types and mine is quite porous and when I consistently moisturize and seal my ends with Vaseline and PS my hair, I have no issue with SSKs. Also what do you apply to your hair when you W&G? I find that if I don't keep my curls clumped together or allow the hold of the product to break, my hair strands begins to shrink and wrap around themselves.

ETA:
I think you heat regimen sounds reasonable. Just be sure to get your hair as smooth as possible with the rollerset (and perhaps alternate with a silk wrap every other press)

 

[Victorian]

Straight Hair Naturals Support Thread


Make sure you browse through at least the first few pages -- there are several links to other helpful threads within this one.

Your reggie sounds good to me. Keep it simple and stay consistent with your deep conditioning and you should be fine.

 

[yodie]

Not for me. I need to apply the heat directly for it to work *sigh*

This is a great thread. It's identifying the problems that I have with my hair. Do you wash weekly, monthly or every two weeks? Do you rollerset and airdry with curlformers or reg rollers? Regarding the heat sealing your cuticles, does the Maxiglide with steam prove to be effective?

I'm trying to find a regi. Just came from under my wig about a month ago and I'm losing inches due to mistakes. I've been wearing a twist out after I dry underneath a hooded dryer (also maxiglided after this at times), but it seems like my ends are a mess a couple of days later and my hair is extremely DRY within days. Maybe the twist out leaves my ends too exposed.

I primarily use maxiglide to straighten, but I don't really curl with it. Thinking out loud here, but maybe I could use some rollers afterwards to get a bend, etc.

 

[LunadeMiel]

your hair in your siggie is beautiful! how do you wear your hair at night? i find that if my hair is secured all night, it cuts down on tangles and knots dramatically. Also, are you okay with wearing buns? you can bun for two weeks straight and then use heat once a month to cover the remaining 2 weeks.

You might also want to try roux porosity control. ive never used it, but i've heard that alot of people rave about it

Thanks I always wear my hair up at night (ponytail). Wearing a scarf or not does not make a difference. I wore a scarf and slept on a satin pillowcase for two years and it make no difference .

I've tried Roux, ACV, and cold water to seal my cuticles.

Use Vaseline to seal you ends ! We have similar hair types and mine is quite porous and when I consistently moisturize and seal my ends with Vaseline and PS my hair, I have no issue with SSKs. Also what do you apply to your hair when you W&G? I find that if I don't keep my curls clumped together or allow the hold of the product to break, my hair strands begins to shrink and wrap around themselves.

ETA:
I think you heat regimen sounds reasonable. Just be sure to get your hair as smooth as possible with the rollerset (and perhaps alternate with a silk wrap every other press)

Excessive petroleum makes my hair crunchy I will use grease but eventually my hair starts to revert.

When I wash and go I use the soft sheen carson finishing cream as a leave in. I makes my hair so soft. However, since if defines my curls, it encourages more shrinkage which in turn causes more knots My curls are actually much looser when I don't use products erplexed

Straight Hair Naturals Support Thread


Make sure you browse through at least the first few pages -- there are several links to other helpful threads within this one.

Your reggie sounds good to me. Keep it simple and stay consistent with your deep conditioning and you should be fine.

Thanks for the link

This is a great thread. It's identifying the problems that I have with my hair. Do you wash weekly, monthly or every two weeks? Do you rollerset and airdry with curlformers or reg rollers? Regarding the heat sealing your cuticles, does the Maxiglide with steam prove to be effective?
When I wear my hair curly, I cowash daily. I've tried washing 2x per week but that's was a disater.

I find that the maxiglide does a very good job at sealing my cuticles. I can usually tell when my cuticles are not sealed properly because the strands will catch on each other and make a snapping sound. Also I think the raised cuticles are a factor in the number of knots that I get.
I'm trying to find a regi. Just came from under my wig about a month ago and I'm losing inches due to mistakes. I've been wearing a twist out after I dry underneath a hooded dryer (also maxiglided after this at times), but it seems like my ends are a mess a couple of days later and my hair is extremely DRY within days. Maybe the twist out leaves my ends too exposed.

I primarily use maxiglide to straighten, but I don't really curl with it. Thinking out loud here, but maybe I could use some rollers afterwards to get a bend, etc.

 

[Princess Tam Tam]

Does anyone use coconut oil as a heat protectant?

 

[glamazon386]

Does anyone use coconut oil as a heat protectant?

I don't think coconut oil qualifies as a heat protectant. If you turn the iron up too high cooking with "grease" will fry your hair.

 

[Tiye]

I'm natural and I seem to be evolving into pressing/ironing schedule of every 10 days to 2 weeks - for now. I'm pretty new to this however. So far it's been about 8 weeks, and so far no problems. If I run into problems I will cut back or stop. I don't mind experimenting and for now I think this is a great form of "relaxing" - it is a gradual process and allows for a level of precision that you aren't going to get from a chemical relaxer. For example if you have softer hair in one area of your head you turn the heat down for that area and use a higher temp for others. As the process starts to work you use less and less heat. After a certain point you can cut all the way back to once/month or once every few months - or switch tools - e.g. use roller set plus blow dryer and brush. I think most long haired naturals have implemented some of these methods along the way without even thinking about it or giving it a name. I'm doing this because I have not used any heat for years and literally could not get a comb through my hair. That got old and it was either heat training or a relaxer. I'm glad I went with the heat option.

Question...does drying under a hooded dryer NOT seal the cuticle?

I think it has to be done physically - to a certain extent brushing does this but I don't think they seal up close without heat.

Does anyone use coconut oil as a heat protectant?

Yes - and I've just added sunflower oil because I read it the ceramides thread that they help with fiber repair. For now my hair seems to be in good shape so it's preemptive treatment.

I have nothing against commercial heat protectants btw but I'm kinda lazy about buying a product when I own the ingredients. Also I like experimenting and finding out different things.

I don't think coconut oil qualifies as a heat protectant. If you turn the iron up too high cooking with "grease" will fry your hair.

You don't turn the iron up. If you're pressing for manageability (aka heat training) then you should not be seeing smoke. Set your tool at the correct temp for your hair and leave it at that. If your goal is for a bone straight style that's a different thing all together.

 

[zamaih]

I think you'll be fine...I've been consistently washing and flat ironing every 2 weeks since October and my hair has definitely gotten longer. I'm about 1 inch from WL in the back and started at BSL in late Oct. Everytime friends/family see me they say how long my hair is getting and that it looks healthy and thicker. So for me heat has helped with less manipulation retaining length.

I think if you deep condition, dont use heat everyday, don't comb, your hair will still thrive. I tried the no heat thing and the single strand knots and tangles were off the chain, I just couldnt take it.

Just like the other ladies said, use heat protectant and don't go over your hair a million times. I've started washing every week, flat ironing one week and rollersetting the next. (I'm natural BTW) I steam weekly and dont use combs/brushes. I think this definitely get me to waist length soon. Good luck!

 

[kblc06]

Thanks I always wear my hair up at night (ponytail). Wearing a scarf or not does not make a difference. I wore a scarf and slept on a satin pillowcase for two years and it make no difference .

I've tried Roux, ACV, and cold water to seal my cuticles.

Do you wear your hair in controlled way before going to sleep (such as braiding the ends)? This could potentially help



Excessive petroleum makes my hair crunchy I will use grease but eventually my hair starts to revert.

When I wash and go I use the soft sheen carson finishing cream as a leave in. I makes my hair so soft. However, since if defines my curls, it encourages more shrinkage which in turn causes more knots My curls are actually much looser when I don't use products erplexed

I normally saturate my hair with moisturizers that are easily absorbed by my hair (such as braid spray, Parneveau, or The Conditioner (PM) version. I may put as many as 3 to 4 leave-ins on my hair because it just soaks up the moisture. I then seal with a butter (i.e. shea) followed by a dollop of vaseline at the last 3-4 inches of my ends. I believe the key to using petroleum products for sealing is to make sure the hair is saturated with moisture first. PBPs can keep moisuture out of your hair, but it can also keep it from escaping.


Thanks for the link

I added a few details above. Hope you get a great reggie going- oh and Imma need you to post some new updates

 

[tdwillis]

I use heat in a similar fashion as well. I wear my hair natural for two weeks out of the month, then straighten for the other two weeks. When I am just being lazy, it is naural and in a bun. I agree with the other ladies to find the best heat protectant for your hair. I like rollersets, but between that and flatironing it would take me all day to do my hair. So I blowdry and flatiron. What has made a significant difference for me (in terms of shedding hair during the blowdry process) is to use the tension method. It is amazing how something so simple can make such a big difference and still get my hair straight.

 

[LunadeMiel]

I added a few details above. Hope you get a great reggie going- oh and Imma need you to post some new updates

I will be updating soon. I'm overdue for an update

Sometimes I braid it, or just wear it in a loose bun on top of my head. I can't keep it moisturized while it's curly, it's just when I try to strech my hair the issues arise

 

[dream13]

What are SSKs?

 

[MsLizziA]

I thought about this OP and i come to the conclusion that a. i still suck at blow drying my hair without completely drying it out b. thas too much damn work im sorry n c. honestly i got my hair trimmed about a month ago and i just have been bunning and baggying and braiding to wear my wigs. since i got that trim i have not seen one ssk. NOT ONE! but i have been keeping my hair moisturized so idk. this might work for you. and i agree with you on the heat damage. i would rather deal with SSKs than heat damage.

Isn't grapeseed oil a good heat protectant? All-in-all i know its still oil but i read it can protect the hair up to 450 degrees

 

[MsLizziA]

What are SSKs?

Single Strand Knots

 

[glamazon386]

You don't turn the iron up. If you're pressing for manageability (aka heat training) then you should not be seeing smoke. Set your tool at the correct temp for your hair and leave it at that. If your goal is for a bone straight style that's a different thing all together.

That's not necessarily true. Some products burn and cause smoke regardless of the temperature. As long as you don't smell hair burning you should be good.

 

[winnettag]

Yea, as long as you plan on using a little heat protectant I hardly think setting 3 will do you any harm.

 

[ScorpioBeauty09]

Also once I left the salon a flat iron nor a curling iron never touched my hair until I went back to see her. I think thats also important.

I agree and I do the same thing.