Naturals who straighten: What tips do you have?

[shmmr]

just subscribing to bookmark

 

[dlove]

TRIED AND TRUE FROM A TRUE NAPPY 4B

After a good wash and deep condition,

spray diluted Lacio Lacio (Thanks Luckiest Destiny)
Detangle with a Denman D3 (thanks Velvet) Plait in 12 sections

Air Dry- if you can

Apply SMB in each section and distribute and detangle with a Denman. I have tried on several occasions to only use a flat iron for straighening. My ends are not having it. Even after a good detangling. I have some curly 4b hair....what can I say?
Press with a hot comb on 400. This works for me. My ends come out smooth.

Then with one press, I use a Solia flat iron 375 degrees for a bump.

The results:

No breakage for 7 days and a press that looks great.

 

[AtlantaJJ]

As my hair grows, I wonder if my texture is a 4b or a Cnap because although my hair does not tangle yet (I've been wearing it braided) I see why my mom kept my hair pressed. It shrinks like no body's business if left to it's own devices. My hair takes a hot press so beautifully, it was so healthy even when I was in college... It was shinny swinging and full of body. Dare I say my hair thrives with the right type of heat? This was 25 years ago when they didn't have all the heat protectants and such. They used to do what they called a "dry press" back in LA that had our hair swinging like a "relaxer" but of course it had even more body and bounce than my relaxed hair ever did....

I have a feeling I'll be using heat on the regular as my hair gets longer...we'll see...

 

[PinkSkates]

As my hair grows, I wonder if my texture is a 4b or a Cnap because although my hair does not tangle yet (I've been wearing it braided) I see why my mom kept my hair pressed. It shrinks like no body's business if left to it's own devices. My hair takes a hot press so beautifully, it was so healthy even when I was in college... It was shinny swinging and full of body. Dare I say my hair thrives with the right type of heat? This was 25 years ago when they didn't have all the heat protectants and such. They used to do what they called a "dry press" back in LA that had our hair swinging like a "relaxer" but of course it had even more body and bounce than my relaxed hair ever did....

I have a feeling I'll be using heat on the regular as my hair gets longer...we'll see...

That's why I have no problem keeping my 4a hair pressed straight. My hair takes a press so well and I'm able to maintain my length.

 

[zzirvingj]

I bumped a different thread on naturals pressing but this is actually the one I meant to bump...I'd like to hear more from those who have been rollersetting (what type of hooded dryer are ya'll using that fits all of those huge rollers???) and anyone that's got any new tips/suggestions to add

 

[Poohbear]

I straightened mines myself last night (there's a few pics in the fotki) and now I get what you meant about not being able to use the paddle brush. Some parts I could run the brush through but other parts I couldn't. When I went to the salon he got it perfectly straight all the way through and it moved when the wind blew, when I walked, etc. When I did it myself it didnt turn out bad, though. I just couldn't get it as flat as I wanted it. And now I know I can do it myself should I need to but I think I'll stick to letting him do it at the shop. He gets it done in a half hr.

Guess what? I can now use a paddle-brush after straightening my hair!!! And my straightened hair looks much better than those pictures I posted a year ago. In order for me to get my hair as straight as it can be, I have to blowdry on High, press at 450 degrees, AND flat-iron at 370 degrees. Then my hair is straight enough to use a paddle brush to wrap my hair around my head. And if I don't wrap it, it will immediately frizz up. I'm still looking for something that will keep my hair and especially my ends from frizzing up.

 

[zzirvingj]

Guess what? I can now use a paddle-brush after straightening my hair!!! And my straightened hair looks much better than those pictures I posted a year ago. In order for me to get my hair as straight as it can be, I have to blowdry on High, press at 450 degrees, AND flat-iron at 370 degrees. Then my hair is straight enough to use a paddle brush to wrap my hair around my head. And if I don't wrap it, it will immediately frizz up. I'm still looking for something that will keep my hair and especially my ends from frizzing up.

Cool.......what are you using to comb your hair with "as" you straighten it?

 

[Br*nzeb*mbsh~ll]

What does heat damaged hair look like? Is it fried and damaged and dry, like ends of those who using curling irons/flat irons too much? I hear the term, but i'm not certain how one's hair would look in this state.....


i know, kinda basic Q & A, but i am a newbie, really....

Hello Ladies, Just wanted to say that I straighten about once every three months...and I have terrible heat damage in the front. I was gonna cut it off but I like to straighten my hair and I didn't want to cut it all off for it to happen again. So my question is what can I do specifically to avoid damaging my new growth when I straighten.
I have about 4 inches of new growth followed by about 5 inches of heat damaged hair. I figure that I will eventually cut it out by trimming, but I would really like to know what I can do to prevent this from happening again. BTW anytime I have straightened I didn't use heat protectant because I thought it would way my hair down....and I also used the highest setting!!!! (I know ya'll are like well duh!!!)

SO anyway please tell me around what setting I should use and what the absolute best Heat Protectant is......Thanks in advance!

 

[Trace]

Now I do silk wraps to get straight hair. It really works wonders because you don't have to use direct heat. I just ponytail rollerset first, sit under the dryer until fully dry then wrap my hair and put saran wrap over the wrap then get back under the dryer for another 15 minutes. The results come out like my siggy, it's not bone straight but good enough for me. Doing the ponytail set gets my roots straight so I don't have to flat iron them and the silk wrap gets them even more straight. So if you're scared of heat damage this is a great option.

Here's the banding and straightening tutorial.....http://public.fotki.com/Pokahontas/new-pics-1-4-07/how-i-get-my-natura/

......and here's the silk wrap....http://public.fotki.com/Pokahontas/new-pics-1-4-07/silk-wrap/


Thanks Poka - I just read the tutorial for silk wrapping and keeping your wash n go fresh. I've always had to re-wet and condition my hair to make it do right (just braiding it up at night didn't work for me) so I'll try your method and see what happens. Thanks again.

Question for you? What type of soft bonnet dryer do you use?

 

[dlove]

Guess what? I can now use a paddle-brush after straightening my hair!!! And my straightened hair looks much better than those pictures I posted a year ago. In order for me to get my hair as straight as it can be, I have to blowdry on High, press at 450 degrees, AND flat-iron at 370 degrees. Then my hair is straight enough to use a paddle brush to wrap my hair around my head. And if I don't wrap it, it will immediately frizz up. I'm still looking for something that will keep my hair and especially my ends from frizzing up.

Poohbear,

I'm glad I'm not the only one that has to press with a hot comb AND flat iron. This 4b has is no joke. Try Sabino Moisture Block to keep frizzes at bay and protect your tresses as you straighten.

 

[jamaraa]

What does heat damaged hair look like? Is it fried and damaged and dry, like ends of those who using curling irons/flat irons too much? I hear the term, but i'm not certain how one's hair would look in this state.....


i know, kinda basic Q & A, but i am a newbie, really....

For our purposes here and only speaking of natural heads, heat damaged hair looks definitely looks fried and won't revert even in a full deluge of water. If you're REALLY unfortunate, a hot comb too hot can actually burn your hair off wherever you've focused the heat. With a hot comb, a major puff of smoke isn't a good sign. The comb will smoke a bit because of the oil you need, but a big puff that includes a "singed" smell...oopppps! It looks like a bad relaxer w/ the hair all clumped together. Sometimes the hair can even show the marks where the comb or flat iron was and hold those marks long after. Methinks THAT'S damaged.

Generally, I associate heat damaged hair w/ flat irons and blow dryers where round brushes are used.

For all the talk about heat damage, I rarely see it in those who use a hot comb or use a dryer w/ a comb attachment (not the el cheapo attachments that come w/ it).

JMHO, but most heat damage people complain of is a combo of too much heat too concentrated and the products they use afterwards. Heat + alcohol is where people REALLY get in trouble.

 

[Poohbear]

Poohbear,

I'm glad I'm not the only one that has to press with a hot comb AND flat iron. This 4b has is no joke. Try Sabino Moisture Block to keep frizzes at bay and protect your tresses as you straighten.

I finally found something... Proclaim Emerald Bergamot Hairdress (grease)!

 

[Poohbear]

Cool.......what are you using to comb your hair with "as" you straighten it?

A thick-toothed rat tail comb like this:

 

[Poohbear]

What does heat damaged hair look like? Is it fried and damaged and dry, like ends of those who using curling irons/flat irons too much? I hear the term, but i'm not certain how one's hair would look in this state.....


i know, kinda basic Q & A, but i am a newbie, really....

when you wet it, it does not curl back up. it stays straight no matter what.

 

[Allandra]

Your natural curls and your straightened hair look very nice.

Here are some photos to help with my descriptions

Wet and sprayed with leave-in ***** After sitting under the dryer

After taking rollers out ***** After Flat Ironing

 

[Poohbear]

I broke my bun challenge...
Only lasted for a month... I got SICK of wearing it everyday!
But I did reap some benefits...thicker hair and retained a bit of length...

Last night, I blowdried and straightened my hair...this time, I was more gentle with my hair and I didn't use grease....without grease, my hair felt very soft and more moveable...and the flat iron didn't fry my hair nor did it make my hair feel too hot to touch. It also didn't make that scorching sound like it used to with grease...
My hair looks so much better than my first attempt back in 2007... here's a pic...

Products I used:
Mane n' Tail Shampoo
Aussie 3-Minute Miracle Deeeeep Conditioner
Ultra Sheen Setting Lotion
ion Ceramic blowdryer with wide tooth comb attachment
Chi flat iron

I was going to rollerset instead of blowdry, but I didn't feel like it. Next time, I'm going to rollerset when I have more time or if I do this on the weekend.

I think I can rollerset and flat-iron now and still have healthy hair. I'll wear a bun if I'm super lazy, but wearing a bun kinda made me feel "blah", so I had to do a little change. I couldn't wear a bun for a whole year.