Naturals who straighten: What tips do you have?

[MissScarlett]

Well mine come out pretty straight with some curls on the ends but some people have gotten theirs almost bone straight. I can never get the curls out of the ends but it's ok cuz I like them. The link that I posted has all my pics there and my siggy and avatar are silk wraps.

I just checked out your album as well...your hair is sooo beautiful. I'm going to try the ponytail rollerset as well. this is similar to when I put my hair in two ponytails prior to bd'ing so that is easy for me to try. I am trying to get away from my blowdryer

 

[MissScarlett]

One more question Pokahontas, so when you do the ponytail rollerset, how long are you under the dryer???erplexed I really really hate sitting under the dryer the last time I did, it was seriously almost 2 hours

 

[Poohbear]

Pokahontas, your silk wrap method looks like a great way to straighten hair. Your hair looks great! My hair is too tightly coiled and dense to do this method.

 

[Vshanell]

Thank you for the complement. I feel you on the blow dryer girl, I'm just now getting away from the flat iron .

Oh, I'm under the dryer with the rollers for about an hour and a half, sometimes less when I don't get heavy handed and apply too much leave-in's and stuff. I have a soft-bonnet dryer that is the bomb. I can't live w/o it now.

 

[turnergirl]

Your welcome.

I did not mean to quote that Pokahontas. I wanted to ask what type of rubberbands you use for your set? I am deathly afraid of rubberbands but if there is something you use that does not snag or tangle in your hair I would love to know.

 

[Vshanell]

Pokahontas, your silk wrap method looks like a great way to straighten hair. Your hair looks great! My hair is too tightly coiled and dense to do this method.

Thank you! Ya know, I had a natural 4a/b ask me how it would work for her and I told her I didn't know for sure but that I didn't see why not because I had remembered you and other natural 4's having some really pretty roller sets so if you wrap it and saran wrap it after doing the set it should straighten it out even more?

 

[Vshanell]

I did not mean to quote that Pokahontas. I wanted to ask what type of rubberbands you use for your set? I am deathly afraid of rubberbands but if there is something you use that does not snag or tangle in your hair I would love to know.

I just use the regular cheapie ones ....I know, bad. I'm really careful though and I haven't noticed any breakage. I break or cut them to get them off.......that sounded like the worst hair crime ever , but again, I am very careful. I have seen some ouchless Goody brand rubber bands in Wal-Mart that say they won't snag but I think you'll be ok as long as you're careful and not sleeping in them or anything ya know.

 

[ClassicBeauty]

Pokahontas- Thanks for the silk wrap suggestion. I thought that was only for relaxed hair. I will definitely give it a try. I think I may go ahead and rollerset it and then try the silk wrap. My hair seems to stay a little puffy without the flat iron, but it's definitely worth a try.


One more thing...when I say straight, I mean the natural waves and curls are gone. Roller curls aren't a problem for me because they wrap right out. Also, maybe I'm still not explaining this correctly but I do flat iron all my hair. I put the flat iron on the roots and pull it down the whole length of the section. It takes more seconds on the roots that are still wavy, and I just run it quickly through the rest. I hope that makes more sense.

 

[Vshanell]

Pokahontas- Thanks for the silk wrap suggestion. I thought that was only for relaxed hair. I will definitely give it a try. I think I may go ahead and rollerset it and then try the silk wrap. My hair seems to stay a little puffy without the flat iron, but it's definitely worth a try.


One more thing...when I say straight, I mean the natural waves and curls are gone. Roller curls aren't a problem for me because they wrap right out. Also, maybe I'm still not explaining this correctly but I do flat iron all my hair. I put the flat iron on the roots and pull it down the whole length of the section. It takes more seconds on the roots that are still wavy, and I just run it quickly through the rest. I hope that makes more sense.

You're welcome and I love your braid-out. Do you have an album cuz i sure was looking for one, lol. I was like wow she has some pretty hair. I hoping my braid-out comes out like that, whenever I get the nerve to try it again. I have never had luck with them.

 

[CurleeDST]

Girl you KNOW your hair is GORGEOUS!

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

 

[CurleeDST]

Poohbear you look so cute in your photos!

Ladies,

I flat ironed my hair for the first time last night! I used a Jilbere Ceramic Pro flat iron 1-1/2" width and Silk Elements Heat Protection Spray (thanks to DivaStyle). This flat iron has 30 heat settings on it, and I set mine between 15 & 20.

I previously had two-strand twists in my hair before flat ironing my hair. I unraveled each twists one at a time, gently combed it out, and then I flat ironed the section going over it once, and fore a few sections twice. As you can see I didn't get my hair straight-straight because I'm still scared of damage, so this amount of straightness will do for me...Here are the results:

Last night

This morning after waking up....frizzy & starting to shrink:

After taking a shower, I decided to put the front of my hair up:

I'm glad I got to see what my hair looks like straighten...I will not be doing this often...maybe 1-2 times a year. Soon, my hair will be going back in twists!!!

 

[CurleeDST]

Poohbear you look so cute in your photos!

Ladies,

I flat ironed my hair for the first time last night! I used a Jilbere Ceramic Pro flat iron 1-1/2" width and Silk Elements Heat Protection Spray (thanks to DivaStyle). This flat iron has 30 heat settings on it, and I set mine between 15 & 20.

I previously had two-strand twists in my hair before flat ironing my hair. I unraveled each twists one at a time, gently combed it out, and then I flat ironed the section going over it once, and fore a few sections twice. As you can see I didn't get my hair straight-straight because I'm still scared of damage, so this amount of straightness will do for me...Here are the results:

Last night

This morning after waking up....frizzy & starting to shrink:

After taking a shower, I decided to put the front of my hair up:

I'm glad I got to see what my hair looks like straighten...I will not be doing this often...maybe 1-2 times a year. Soon, my hair will be going back in twists!!!

 

[angelk316]

I straighten my hair every two-three weeks.
I let my hair dresser do it b/c I am afriad to do it my self.
This thread is helpful because I want to learn how to do it myslef. When I let my hairdresser do it its very straight and doesn't get frizzy. The last time I did it my hair looked a HAM.
The only thing thats bothering me is that my edges are rough. I tired gel to lay them down but that didn't work.
I also have some heat damage on my ends which I need to trim off.
I am going to eventually learn how to sucessfully roller set or plait and flat iron my hair at home. I am going to purchase the maxi glide shortly.
Poohbear.....I love your hair. Your styles are soo cute.

 

[ClassicBeauty]

I straighten my hair every two-three weeks.
I let my hair dresser do it b/c I am afriad to do it my self.
This thread is helpful because I want to learn how to do it myslef. When I let my hairdresser do it its very straight and doesn't get frizzy. The last time I did it my hair looked a HAM.
The only thing thats bothering me is that my edges are rough. I tired gel to lay them down but that didn't work.
I also have some heat damage on my ends which I need to trim off.

I find that if I use small rollers in the front, it makes my edges lay much better. (Sometimes I use a few red rollers arond the edges, but nothing larger than purple. Gray rollers around the edges don't work too well for me.)
Also, I personally think that rollersets are the best thing in the world for your ends. Especially if you use leave-in conditioner as a setting lotion. I'm no hair scientist, but it seems to really seal the ends. The stylist that did my hair as when I was growing up thought that every style began with a rollerset! That's all my hair really knows, and I very rarely have split ends.
Good Luck with it.

 

[CurleeDST]

Divastyle thank you so much for all of your helpful advice on how to rollerset and flat iron natural hair! Excellent.

Pokahontas- Thanks for the silk wrap suggestion. I thought that was only for relaxed hair. I will definitely give it a try. I think I may go ahead and rollerset it and then try the silk wrap. My hair seems to stay a little puffy without the flat iron, but it's definitely worth a try.


One more thing...when I say straight, I mean the natural waves and curls are gone. Roller curls aren't a problem for me because they wrap right out. Also, maybe I'm still not explaining this correctly but I do flat iron all my hair. I put the flat iron on the roots and pull it down the whole length of the section. It takes more seconds on the roots that are still wavy, and I just run it quickly through the rest. I hope that makes more sense.

 

[ClassicBeauty]

Divastyle thank you so much for all of your helpful advice on how to rollerset and flat iron natural hair! Excellent.

You're welcome!
I was fortunate to grow up with a stylist who was all about healthy hair. It didn't matter if you were natural, relaxed, colored, etc, every style started with a deep conditioner and a rollerset! (Of course that was after the relaxer or color.) Everyone that went to her had nice, healthy hair and had no problem growing their hair if they wanted it long. From reading this board, I see that so many people were not so fortunate so I'm glad to spread the knowledge she gave to me.

 

[isobell]

Poohbear everytime I see your hair I can't believe how much it's grown. It looks great flatironed as well as in your natural styles.

 

[camellia]

Poohbear,
When did your hair grow like that?!

You're pretty! And with the big earrings and your hair down you look a lot like one of my cousins.

 

[Poohbear]

Thank you! Ya know, I had a natural 4a/b ask me how it would work for her and I told her I didn't know for sure but that I didn't see why not because I had remembered you and other natural 4's having some really pretty roller sets so if you wrap it and saran wrap it after doing the set it should straighten it out even more?

The thing with my hair and maybe with others who have 4a/b hair texture, I cannot wrap my hair after doing a rollerset. When I attempt to wrap/comb my hair around my head, it turns into a poofy fro! My ends are just as thick as my roots, so they don't lay down with the rest of my hair. I tried to wrap my hair last night and it didn't work so I just put a few rollers in my hair.

 

[Poohbear]

CurleeDST, angelk316, isobell, & camellia... Thank you all for your kind words!!! :Blush2:

 

[MissScarlett]

The thing with my hair and maybe with others who have 4a/b hair texture, I cannot wrap my hair after doing a rollerset. When I attempt to wrap/comb my hair around my head, it turns into a poofy fro! My ends are just as thick as my roots, so they don't lay down with the rest of my hair. I tried to wrap my hair last night and it didn't work so I just put a few rollers in my hair.

Girl love the hair and the DRESS!!!

 

[Shawnee66]

Poohbear your hair looks very nice and it has grown so much.

I would love to try a straight style on my 4b/z hair, but I doubt it would take without some type of heat damage.

 

[Poohbear]

Thanks MissScarlett! I LOVE your hair too! You and Pokahontas look like hair twins!

Poohbear your hair looks very nice and it has grown so much.

I would love to try a straight style on my 4b/z hair, but I doubt it would take without some type of heat damage.

Thanks Shawnee66! I think the key to avoiding heat damage is not having it on an extremely high temperature. I suffered heat damage before back in 2005, and I believe it was because my mom used a stove hot comb to straighten my hair!!!

 

[glamazon386]

The thing with my hair and maybe with others who have 4a/b hair texture, I cannot wrap my hair after doing a rollerset. When I attempt to wrap/comb my hair around my head, it turns into a poofy fro! My ends are just as thick as my roots, so they don't lay down with the rest of my hair. I tried to wrap my hair last night and it didn't work so I just put a few rollers in my hair.

PoohBear, it can be done just not right away. The first time it's gonna be kind of poofy but after it's been done a few nights in a row it'll fall into place. Mines didn't wanna wrap the first night so I pin curled it instead. You could also try pincurling it instead of the rollers. What are you using to wrap your hair? A comb or a brush?

 

[seraphim712]

I think I'll press my hair lightly until I can afford a better flat iron. My CHI flat iron I believe is metal with "ceramic" coating. I say this because I notices scratches on the plates that reveal a dark brow underneath the golden paint.

I really want to try the ponytail rollerset that Pokahontas mentioned. It looks easy enough to do and less stressful.

Here are pictures of my hair pressed:


http://public.fotki.com/seraphim712/protective-hair-sty-1/hairshots01.html





My mom pressed it for me, and my hair came out fine with no damage or shedding. She used one of the old fashion hot combs that heat up on a stove. The comb was on very low heat, but it did the job better than my CHI flat iron.

 

[Miss*Tress]

Great thread! Thanks to everyone for sharing your tips and pics.

Poohbear, your hair has grown so fast since your BC. Keep up the good work!

Now back to the topic: Using end wraps and mesh rollers helps to get the hair really taut on the roller. Also make sure each section is soaking wet before rolling.

I've been transitioning since July 2005, so have a fair amount of natural hair. My wet sets are extremely smooth - even the roots - with no need to flat iron. The only real drawback is the amount of time I have to spend under the dryer which is roughly 2 hours.

 

[caligirl]

I get my hair straightened about once every 3-4 months. They blowdry it on medium with a denman brush or comb attachment. Then they flatiron it with a ceramic iron. They might use a pressing comb just on the ends to get them straight. I haven't noticed any heat damage. I think using a ceramic flat iron instead of a pressing comb is key.

 

[Poohbear]

PoohBear, it can be done just not right away. The first time it's gonna be kind of poofy but after it's been done a few nights in a row it'll fall into place. Mines didn't wanna wrap the first night so I pin curled it instead. You could also try pincurling it instead of the rollers. What are you using to wrap your hair? A comb or a brush?

I was trying to wrap my hair with a comb. I have a boar bristle brush and a paddle brush that I didn't attempt to use. Would a brush be better to use???

Plus, my hair probably didn't wrap because I didn't straighten my hair 'good enough'. My hair is super dense. I also flat ironed my hair after it had been in twists for a week. So the next time I try this, I'll rollerset first, airdry, flatiron, then wrap and see what happens.

 

[MissScarlett]

I was trying to wrap my hair with a comb. I have a boar bristle brush and a paddle brush that I didn't attempt to use. Would a brush be better to use???

Plus, my hair probably didn't wrap because I didn't straighten my hair 'good enough'. My hair is super dense. I also flat ironed my hair after it had been in twists for a week. So the next time I try this, I'll rollerset first, airdry, flatiron, then wrap and see what happens.

ok I just went and looked at your album, you have much some major progress WOW, your routine is really working!

 

[glamazon386]

I was trying to wrap my hair with a comb. I have a boar bristle brush and a paddle brush that I didn't attempt to use. Would a brush be better to use???

Plus, my hair probably didn't wrap because I didn't straighten my hair 'good enough'. My hair is super dense. I also flat ironed my hair after it had been in twists for a week. So the next time I try this, I'll rollerset first, airdry, flatiron, then wrap and see what happens.

Use the paddle brush.