Not sure how I feel about my "trained" hair LOL

[discobiscuits]

a little over a week ago i flat ironed my hair.

(short chronological history over the last year or so)

i had stopped FI for about 9 months until i went to my stylist this summer for a badly needed trim.

i did not FI again for about 3 months after that. no problems, no -visible- heat damage.

so last week i FI again with one change: Chi products.

in the past my FI routine was shampoo, condition (don't leave any in), a teeny bit of coconut oil, and Organix Coconut serum. Blow dry, flat iron and lovely hair that would revert on the next CO wash.

but this time, i used Chi Silk Infusion and Chi 44 Iron Guard. i followed the directions on each (the 1st time which was 2 weeks ago) and all was well. then i FI again a week ago with the same products b/c i liked the results but i used the 44 on damp hair before the blow dry (instructions say use on dry hair before FI).

the reason i did it before the blow dry is b/c when i did it on dry hair (duh) it made my hair wet and fuzzy/reverted before the FI and the results were good but not as good as they would have been w/o the frizz.

so anyway, i was blown away by the shine, silkiness, smoothness, and overall results. i curl with the FI sometimes and the curls were awesome. they even stayed the whole week ever AFTER my gym cardio workouts.

now, i liked it but it immediately worried me because my hair did not revert from the perspiration.

now, ff about 7-10 days later and i shampooed (clarified which i only do 1-3x a year and only when i use a lot of cones or have build up which i did get from the CHI) - no reversion. no curls.

at this point i have to thank sheba1 b/c via pms she offered me help which i am ever so grateful for.

i did a protein treatment, a dc, i still used my porosity control which i love, left in my beloved elucence con, slathered on my coconut oil and still zero reversion. it is almost like i have a relaxer. my hair went from 4 something to a 3 or maybe even a 2 (i don't like the typing systems so i'm guessing).

no i did not take pics and yes i did think about it but sorry.

anyway, i damp bunned and air dried like i normally do and my hair is exceptionally shiny, soft, very slightly wavy, no frizz at all not even the ends. i mean honestly, i want my kinky curls back but the way my hair is now i like it too. so like i said, i'm not sure how i feel.

i won't CO wash for another week so i don't know if it will revert back over time or if the damage is permanent and will have to grow out.

also, i used the same heat setting i normally do in the 250-300 range (not 450 yikes) and i am a natural who uses rinses (no ammonia no peroxide). in fact, i'm not even going to use any rinses until and unless my coils come back.

my hair appears -visibly- healthy. currently there is no breakage, no shedding, and my hair is wavy, only the last inch or so of the ends are straight.

that's all. any comments, help, woo-woo-woos, lols will be appreciated. i really don't know how to feel about my hair right now.

 

[Mitey Cyrus]

Woo, woo, woo. I really like the texture of my hair and would be a little devastated it changed in either direction, so I feel your pain/confusion. Woo.

 

[Victorian]

Liquid heat protectants don't really agree with me either

My hair is stretched out from flat ironing, but it didn't just happen after one time--it has happened slowly. That's the only reason I would be a little concerned in your case -- but if it isn't breaking or anything, it might be alright. I guess I'd just say keep an eye on how your hair behaves, but otherwise don't stress about it. If you want your original texture back and it doesn't seem to be reverting--well, you'll have to grow it back out. But in the meantime just work with it how it is, and enjoy being frizz & knot-free

 

[Mz.MoMo5235]

aaww, this happened to me last dec!!! my curls didnt come back for 4 months!!! and even then it was 100%. i still have some weird squiggly pieces that will just have to grow out... i'm sorry

 

[hopeful]

First of all, thanks for all of the details, you tell a very thorough and clear story. Sometimes heat damaged hair initially looks soft and pretty but will eventually start to shed. I hope that is not the case with your hair. Good luck and I hope someone can give you good advice.

 

[discobiscuits]

Thx for the replies everyone. BlackCardinal I will enjoy the anti frizz as long as I can. I did a very messy version of th southern tease bun today b/c I can't do anything else & yep I did take a pic of that

MzMoMo I hope my curls come back or somehing. Thankfully I don't mind growing out or chopping if I have to lol

I'm just hoping that my hair does not dry out or break. I'm also reminding myself not to over do protein to try to correct this.

Thanks again ladies.

 

[sheba1]

Awww I'm sorry our emergency chat session didn't snap your coils right back into place. I was really hoping they would. As MzMomo said, it may take months but that means all hope is not lost.

Which protein treatment did you decide to go with, by the way?

 

[PPGbubbles]

dont give up yet! When I FI with heat protectant and Chi Silk infusion I find it take a few weeks of washes to get my full kink back....but it does come back. I just do braid outs twist outs etc till im nappy and happy again.

I hope ur heat damage isnt permanent!

 

[PhonyBaloney500]

Yikes I'm sorry! ((Hug).

(And thanks for reminding me to avoid those flat iron sales--not worth the risk). I had some burned straight strands that never went back.

 

[nubinikki]

Whether or not you'll suffer permanent damage or (yikes!) breakage depends on how strong/thick your individual strands are. I had professional FI done a couple of years ago that permanentmy straightened sections of my hair. my strands are super fine and i experienced breakage, so I chopped off the bad areas. I hope you have better luck...and stronger hair than me! LOL

 

[Mz.MoMo5235]

yeah, mine didnt break off (no more than what it did before hand at least lol i kid, i shed a lot though) nor did it feel dry or unhealthy. other than the straightness, my hair felt no different. actually, my hair felt better because it was this that started my hair journey officially lol.

but for like 4 months i went from a springy 3b to a limp 2a. my friends liked it, they thought i finally went back to the creamy crack lol.

what really sucked was some parts were heat damaged and some parts werent. like my hair underneath reverted after 2 wks or so because i do less passes to the part out of laziness lol. but the front in were i still have some limp straightish spots.

it blends well now, no one else would notice (where as before every one noticed) but i can still tell the difference lol

it will eventually get better, or grow out. now that i'm into hair, stuff like this doesnt scare me any more because i know if i cut my hair off it will grow back. my only fear is baldness and thinning hair lol

 

[Irresistible]

I had 'trained' hair for years and didn't know it till recently, I used to press more often, plus years of going to my hair dresser and him getting it relaxer straight , I did this from the beginning of going natural so I didn't know a difference, until now....

here my hair is 'trained' In 2005 , ten or more years of pressing more than once a year

*just wet with conditioner*

]

http://public.fotki.com/IRRISISTABLBTCH/2005/chop_chop/
shortly after those pics.....still 2005
I just wacked it off out of hair frustration, boredom and didn't like the way it was feeling to me but didn't know I had heat damaged 'trained' hair yet

since then I really havent pressed much , definitely not more than once a year

and now my hair/curls are massive and my hair does not hang like that anymore. I never take back shots/loose/with conditioner like I used to, cause its just 'not hangin' no mo, the ones I have taken most definitely do not look like before

it's way longer but doesn't hang loose/wavy like it used to *holding my head back just for some hang* LOL

It's huge now/tight,small curls AND this is heavily buttered/conditioned up-no loose waves

This might be the reason I was having recent hair type questions/confusion because for the first 10+ years of being natural I was heat trained and didn't know. I have a whole different head of hair now and I have been learning it/observing it intensely

over the last several years I have watched/felt it change.....A LOT

now I don't know if I want to press anymore at all

Anyway all that to also say this, If your hair is 'heat trained', I transitioned my trained hair and didn't even know that's what I was doing. It was pretty painless, just left it alone

 

[Mz.MoMo5235]

i wish i would have kept the pix i took of my hair with the heat damage... it was a DRASTIC difference!!!! but i wasnt into keeping a hair diary yet and deleted them thinking "why do i need pix of my hair" lol i only took them to find out what was wrong with my hair (didnt know nothing about heat damage)

 

[discobiscuits]

Awww I'm sorry our emergency chat session didn't snap your coils right back into place. I was really hoping they would. As MzMomo said, it may take months but that means all hope is not lost.

Which protein treatment did you decide to go with, by the way?

I don't mind waiting months. I'm hair-patient.

No, our session helped b/c w/o it I never would have thought to much less actually do protein so I really thank you for that.

I used ion repair solutions re-constructor treatment. it is a keratin protein re-builder.

dont give up yet! When I FI with heat protectant and Chi Silk infusion I find it take a few weeks of washes to get my full kink back....but it does come back. I just do braid outs twist outs etc till im nappy and happy again.

I hope ur heat damage isnt permanent!

cool! so maybe it is the Chi that has enabled my hair to lose its mind? LOL that really is the only change in my routine was using chi products.


here is my super-messy southern tease bun from today.

 

[TCatt86]

Awww this happened to me before, the front of my hair took months to revert and when it reverted it didn't go all the way back I couldn't deal with it, because I didn't feel like bothering with the difference, but up your protein treatments and I suggest force styling your hair in curly styles, I found that really helped. Good luck, your ST bun came out pretty!!!

 

[Irresistible]

I don't mind waiting months. I'm hair-patient.

No, our session helped b/c w/o it I never would have thought to much less actually do protein so I really thank you for that.

I used ion repair solutions re-constructor treatment. it is a keratin protein re-builder.

cool! so maybe it is the Chi that has enabled my hair to lose its mind? LOL that really is the only change in my routine was using chi products.


here is my super-messy southern tease bun from today.

Pretty!

you're scaring me about the CHI

I was gonna try it next

 

[classychic1908]

Could it be overly coned and in need of another clarify? I straightened my hair with a heavy dose of the GVP version of CHI Silk infusion + another heat protectant and my hair has felt a little weird since. It reverted, but it still feels slightly coated. I plan to use a clarifying poo and see what happens. Since I still have my coils, I'm not too concerned, but I thought there might be something to just being overly coned.

 

[discobiscuits]

Iris, I dunno what to say. The Chi is the only change to my arsenal. But it may be my hair not just the product. Check out the other thread about the Chi iron guard. So far not so good. I give thumbs up to the Silk Infusion but it has same ingredients as Organix Coconut (not exact but close enough) both are good. If I'd read the ingredients I may not have bought the CSI since I use Organix. Anyway I say CSI yes, the IG I'm not sure.

 

[Irresistible]

Iris, I dunno what to say. The Chi is the only change to my arsenal. But it may be my hair not just the product. Check out the other thread about the Chi iron guard. So far not so good. I give thumbs up to the Silk Infusion but it has same ingredients as Organix Coconut (not exact but close enough) both are good. If I'd read the ingredients I may not have bought the CSI since I use Organix. Anyway I say CSI yes, the IG I'm not sure.

That's encouraging, that's the one I was going to try

I did check out that other thread, alcohol? that's scary

whatever your hair does, I hope it stays healthy and strong

my hair didn't do too bad while it was heat trained all those years and I had no knowledge of it

 

[a_shoe_6307]

This happened to me recently after one flat iron so I feel your pain. But slowly (very slowly) after I have been co-washing and doing protein treatments I have started to see my curls slowly coming back. I think it may have had to do with the product that the stylist used with the combination of the henna I did which had already loosened my texture a lot already.

I hope it's not permanent for you (or me). Good luck!

 

[Kurlee]

I had 'trained' hair for years and didn't know it till recently, I used to press more often, plus years of going to my hair dresser and him getting it relaxer straight , I did this from the beginning of going natural so I didn't know a difference, until now....

here my hair is 'trained' In 2005 , ten or more years of pressing more than once a year

*just wet with conditioner*

]

http://public.fotki.com/IRRISISTABLBTCH/2005/chop_chop/
shortly after those pics.....still 2005
I just wacked it off out of hair frustration, boredom and didn't like the way it was feeling to me but didn't know I had heat damaged 'trained' hair yet

since then I really havent pressed much , definitely not more than once a year

and now my hair/curls are massive and my hair does not hang like that anymore. I never take back shots/loose/with conditioner like I used to, cause its just 'not hangin' no mo, the ones I have taken most definitely do not look like before

it's way longer but doesn't hang loose/wavy like it used to *holding my head back just for some hang* LOL

It's huge now/tight,small curls AND this is heavily buttered/conditioned up-no loose waves

This might be the reason I was having recent hair type questions/confusion because for the first 10+ years of being natural I was heat trained and didn't know. I have a whole different head of hair now and I have been learning it/observing it intensely

over the last several years I have watched/felt it change.....A LOT

now I don't know if I want to press anymore at all

Anyway all that to also say this, If your hair is 'heat trained', I transitioned my trained hair and didn't even know that's what I was doing. It was pretty painless, just left it alone

 

[discobiscuits]

okay here's an update w/ pics.

pooed (elucence) con'd (elucence) coconut oil, organix serum and the slightest touch of kccc (i forgot to use porosity control but i should be okay), air dry. i will take pics tomorrow or the next day when totally dry.


one pic shows my hair trying to revert, another a closer texture shot, another the straight ends and another of how i wet bun/air dry.

the big pic (below) is what my hair texture looked like b4 all this happened.

 

[song_of_serenity]

Oh wow...well, I love your before texture! What will you do?

 

[sheba1]

1star, your hair is looking really great by that last pic. Is that after the heat damage?

 

[discobiscuits]

Oh wow...well, I love your before texture! What will you do?

yeah, i love my b4 texture too LOL
dunno what i will do other than just let time tell.

1star, your hair is looking really great by that last pic. Is that after the heat damage?

the last picture is before the heat damage.
the last picture goes hand-in-hand with the big one
the last picture is wet and the big one is dry
the 1st 4 are from tonight.

 

[brownbean96]

I feel for you sis. Your natural texture is really pretty. I'm hoping it comes back for you. I have some heat damage on the left side of my head. I know exactly when it happened - too many passes on that section with the flat iron

Thankfully, that part is not totally straight but the curl is sooo much looser than the rest of my head . It makes me a bit sad. The good part is that I'm transitioning and am just going to ride it out and eventually cut those ends off (if they don't ever revert) after I reach my goal.

I would just keep an eye on it and keep on your protein game. I kind of don't think it's heat damage only because it's so much of your hair that's straight. Usually people suffer HD in one part of their headerplexed

I've heard of people using beer washes to remove perms, maybe it could work for reverting your hair? Don't know enough about how it works, maybe some of the other ladies can chime in.

Good looking on the warning over Heat Guard. I bought awhile back from TJMaxx and have used it sparingly. Now, I'm going to search for threads regarding the best heat protectant for natural hair to find another one.

 

[brownbean96]

Lovely Hair Ms. Iris!

I had 'trained' hair for years and didn't know it till recently, I used to press more often, plus years of going to my hair dresser and him getting it relaxer straight , I did this from the beginning of going natural so I didn't know a difference, until now....

here my hair is 'trained' In 2005 , ten or more years of pressing more than once a year

*just wet with conditioner*

]

http://public.fotki.com/IRRISISTABLBTCH/2005/chop_chop/
shortly after those pics.....still 2005
I just wacked it off out of hair frustration, boredom and didn't like the way it was feeling to me but didn't know I had heat damaged 'trained' hair yet

since then I really havent pressed much , definitely not more than once a year

and now my hair/curls are massive and my hair does not hang like that anymore. I never take back shots/loose/with conditioner like I used to, cause its just 'not hangin' no mo, the ones I have taken most definitely do not look like before

it's way longer but doesn't hang loose/wavy like it used to *holding my head back just for some hang* LOL

It's huge now/tight,small curls AND this is heavily buttered/conditioned up-no loose waves

This might be the reason I was having recent hair type questions/confusion because for the first 10+ years of being natural I was heat trained and didn't know. I have a whole different head of hair now and I have been learning it/observing it intensely

over the last several years I have watched/felt it change.....A LOT

now I don't know if I want to press anymore at all

Anyway all that to also say this, If your hair is 'heat trained', I transitioned my trained hair and didn't even know that's what I was doing. It was pretty painless, just left it alone

 

[Irresistible]

Welll your before pic is gorgeous! but looks like your texture is looser like you said with only a few straightish ends , can be trimmed away slowly if you choose. now that my hair is 'itself' for the first time and I'm just getting to know it now , I am not sure I would want it too change again, the waves were cool and everything, but I love the thickness I got over time without heat

but this will pass for you in no time .....watch....plus you can still totally work the trained hair in the meantime.....yep

 

[Fine 4s]

A motivation for staying away from the folica sale!!!

An LHCF'er made a point that stayed with me regarding flat irons. Flat irons are harsher on the hair than the pressing comb because the flat irons release heat above and below the sectioned hair whereas the hot comb only releases heat on the top or where the to/long metal part of the comb hits the hair (which is really what makes it straight - light press would be just a quick comb through with mainly the teeth touching the hair).

Perhaps this is why people like flat iron results more than those of pressing combs? Is this why Pinkskates has been able to maintain her kinks because she presses? (although I've never seen her hair without straightening for a long period of time like Irris's before 2005 and after 2009 pics. Maybe her texture would be different? even fuller?)

What do you think? pressing combs or flat irons?

I would be sooooo disappointed to lose my kinks after all these years of hard work!
I know how my hair behaves when it's heat damaged...years of breakage

 

[Irresistible]

A motivation for staying away from the folica sale!!!

An LHCF'er made a point that stayed with me regarding flat irons. Flat irons are harsher on the hair than the pressing comb because the flat irons release heat above and below the sectioned hair whereas the hot comb only releases heat on the top or where the to/long metal part of the comb hits the hair (which is really what makes it straight - light press would be just a quick comb through with mainly the teeth touching the hair).

Perhaps this is why people like flat iron results more than those of pressing combs? Is this why Pinkskates has been able to maintain her kinks because she presses? (although I've never seen her hair without straightening for a long period of time like Irris's before 2005 and after 2009 pics. Maybe her texture would be different? even fuller?)

What do you think? pressing combs or flat irons?

I would be sooooo disappointed to lose my kinks after all these years of hard work!
I know how my hair behaves when it's heat damaged...years of breakage

yeah cause I never used a flat iron only a pressing comb, but my hair dresser used to blow dry too

eta , I do think a flat iron might do heat training faster, for the reasons you stated