Permanent Damage from Straightening my Hair

[Country gal]

I used a hot comb and a thermal heated curling iron (the kind you put in a stove) and it permantently straightened strands of my hair. I noticed it when I washed my hair last night. Parts of the front of my hair are straight while the rest is in coils.

 

[SeatownSista]

OH NO! I used a blow dryer, hot comb, and flat iron this past weekend. I haven't washed my hair yet because I'm worried I might have heat damage as well.

 

[Country gal]

When I would use the maxi glide, it would leave the ends puffy. I was happy to find the flat iron and curling iron were a good combo for making it straight. Apparently the heat was too high. I have an electrical hot comb so I can control the dials. With the curling iron, I just set it in the stove which is a plug in but with no heat dials.

 

[glamazon386]

It was probably the stove iron that did it. You can't really control the temperature. They hold the heat well and continue to get hotter. So what are you gonna do CG? Have you tried DCing?

 

[cutiebe2]

Sometimes intense DCing will help
I read that hot combs are a NO NO..for the reasons Bmore said

 

[Priss Pot]

Oh no! Just take it as a lesson learned. Cut down on the heat next time.

You could try rollersetting your hair first and then flat-ironing each piece of your hair on a medium heat setting. That's my plan for when I start using heat to straighten. I only want to use one direct heat source (rollerset + flat-iron or rollerset + blowdry roots).

 

[Candy_C]

dont worry about it, its not really permanent

it'll grow out

 

[Country gal]

The front has never acted right since a couple of years ago when I had a hard press. It will bever coil like the rest of the strands. Maybe I will try a roller set and flat iron next time.

Bmore- I deep conditioned last night and it did not help.

 

[glamazon386]

The front has never acted right since a couple of years ago when I had a hard press. It will bever coil like the rest of the strands. Maybe I will try a roller set and flat iron next time.

Bmore- I deep conditioned last night and it did not help.

Aww I'm sorry hun. You might just have to wait it out. That's why I'm scared to straighten my own hair.

 

[Incredible1ne]

Aww I'm sorry hun. You might just have to wait it out. That's why I'm scared to straighten my own hair.

Bmore, when your stylists straightens your hair is it with a plug in flatiron or a stove one?

 

[glamazon386]

Bmore, when your stylists straightens your hair is it with a plug in flatiron or a stove one?

It's a plug in one. He uses a blowdrier and a paddle brush first to straighten it. Then he just goes over it with the flat iron to curl it.

 

[chicacanella]

My stylist uses a ceramic plug in also.

But that is what happens to alot of people when they use to much heat to press their hair. Like when I was getting my hair pressed, I would notice that it really wouldn't hold a curl. It was like I had pressed or trained my hair to stay straight (well, it really wasn't straight but looked really fluffy and kind of straight). So I found out my cuticle was damaged from so much heat. It should go back to its regular shape if you just lay off the heat, deep condition and moisturize.

 

[Sunshine_One]

I used a hot comb and a thermal heated curling iron (the kind you put in a stove) and it permantently straightened strands of my hair. I noticed it when I washed my hair last night. Parts of the front of my hair are straight while the rest is in coils.

Oh CG, sorry this happened. It may snap back some continued deep conditioning. So this may not be permanent. I agree with Bmore, stove heat applicances are a NO NO for natural hair in my opinion. Whenever I wear my hair straight I always start with a deep condition and roller set. Then it's either a blowout or flat iron. It really helps you to cut down on the heat usage. I think if you roller set next time and then use your maxi glide you will love the results.

 

[momi]

If it is truly damaged, you can condition your life away and it will not revert. Try a protein treatment, that usually does the trick.

 

[Country gal]

thanks for the feedback and letting me vent.

 

[mscocoface]

I am so sorry this has happened to you. There is nothing you can do to get it back to its original form. You will just have to let it grow and then trim it out.

Here is an article about heat damage.

Bubble hair

Bubbles formed within hair as a result of water boiling within the cortex

This one finally burst, I take it (my commentary...not theirs)

Except #1
We have seen the importance of the moisture content of hair to the hair's condition. Processes like blow drying reduce the moisture content below its normal level and can in themselves be harmful. Hair dryers and other heated appliances first soften the keratin of the hair. If they are too hot, they can actually cause the water in the hair to boil, and tiny bubbles of steam then form inside the softened hair shaft. The hair is thereby weakened, and may break altogether.
There is no treatment for seriously heat-damaged hair, although trimming the damaged hair can reduce the formation of split ends.

Exerpt #2
People will tell you that their bubble hair 'just happened', quite suddenly, after they had been doing the same things to their hair for a long time. Then all at once they noticed tiny 'bubbles' in the ends of their hair.

Invariably, bubble hair is caused by some kind of heating appliance, most often curling irons. These operate somewhere between 120 and 180 °C, roughly speaking. Water boils at 100 °C. If a hot curling iron is put on to wet hair, it boils the water inside the hair. The boiling water softens the keratin of the cortex; then the steam from the boiling water expands and forms tiny bubbles inside the hair. Eventually the hair breaks off, either at or somewhere near a bubble.

Every woman who has used curling irons knows that they work better on some days than others. One day she may have them just a little hotter than usual: that might be just enough to cause bubble hair, and for the affected hair to break off.

Although the sufferer usually claims that her hair was perfectly normal until she changed the hair product she was using, further enquiry always uncovers a history of increased or excessive cosmetic treatments. Usually bubble hair happens to people who are doing a lot of styling to their hair at home. And it is always, always associated with the use of heated appliances on damp hair.

The Life Cyle of Damaged Hair
Usually hair damage takes place gradually, stage by stage, as follows:

*The hair is weakened

*The cuticle begins to break down

*The cuticle disappears, layer by layer

*The cortex is exposed

*Split ends appear

*The hair breaks.

 

[Twisties]

I am sorry this happened CountryGal. I hope it is not permanent.


MsCocoFace thanks for the summary on how the damages happens in stages.

 

[zzirvingj]

I'm sooooo sorry this happened to you!

(((hugs)))

 

[scarcity21]

so sorry Country Gal...try the protein treatment and see if it helps

 

[Dayjoy]

I want to be honest with you. I took DD to a beautician for her birthday back in April and she sustained heat damage to some strands that to this day have not reverted. I have deep conditioned many times since and have not used heat on her hair either (that was the first time actually). The patches are very weak and even though I have babied(sp?) her hair, many of the strands have broken off. When I think about it I want to find that b*%$@ and kill her for burning my baby's hair!

 

[EMJazzy]

The way I avoided heat damage was I used 2 different types of heat protectant every time.... First I'd airdry my hair with a water based heat protectant and conditioner leave in....once dry (and right before I was about to flatiron) then I'd apply a cone base heat protectant in my hair then flatiron in very small sections on a medium setting...I wasn't against swiping the strands more than once if I didn't think it was straight enough. Once wash day came around my coils popped back into action.

I'm sorry you sustained damage to your tresses.

 

[hopeful]

CG, I'm so sorry this happened to you. I flat-ironed my hair on Sunday and it came out really well but now I can't wait to wash it this weekend to make sure I didn't get any damage. I've decided that in order for me to stay natural for life I have to get over my fear of heat because every now and then I will want to see my length and every now and then I just want to wear it straight. Knowing I can straighten it from time to time helps me stay natural, I hope that makes sense. Bottom-line, you are searching for the right tools and products so that you can straighten your hair sometime, along the way you may make mistakes but that is the only way you can find the best way to straighten your hair. Try not to fret too much over it. Keep us updated on how things go.

 

[brownsugarflyygirl]

**Sniff** Thats so sad to hear I really love your coils CG. I feel you though...I sustained a small patch of straight ends on the left side of my head when my stylist straightened my hair in May with marcels. I just assumed that part got missed with the heat protectant. I just ignore it and try to blend it in. Eventually I may cut it off but for now I just live with it. So I just say roll with it until you are ready to chop off those damaged ends.

My aunt who is natural....said using a strong shampoo like Head and Shoulders helps....Im shampoo picky so I never tried it but it might work....dont ask me to explain why it works though

 

[hopeful]

CG, do you have any updates? How are you doing?

 

[meaganita]

Wow CG, I sowwy.
Don't worry, it'll grow back girl!

 

[Vshanell]

The front has never acted right since a couple of years ago when I had a hard press. It will bever coil like the rest of the strands. Maybe I will try a roller set and flat iron next time.

Bmore- I deep conditioned last night and it did not help.

That's what I would do CG. Sorry this happened to you. Like others said, it will grow out but I know it's frustrating.

 

[Country gal]

I have ADHD, I forget I start posts and don't return. Some of the pieces are still striaght. It appears I can notice it easily whereas my other people look at me like I am strange when I bring it up. In order to get it to look straight, a hot comb works best. I think the Marcel curling iron is the culprit. I have washed it and deep conditioned my hair but it has not come back. I just splend it in with the rest of my hair.

Most of the coils are still there it is just a section in the front that is super straight like permed hair.

Hope- I am not anti heat. I just limit the amount of heat to my hair. I do like to wear it straight, just to show off the lenght.

 

[londonjakki]

I am so sorry this has happened to you. There is nothing you can do to get it back to its original form. You will just have to let it grow and then trim it out.

Here is an article about heat damage.​

Bubble hair​

Bubbles formed within hair as a result of water boiling within the cortex ​

This one finally burst, I take it (my commentary...not theirs)​

Except #1​

We have seen the importance of the moisture content of hair to the hair's condition. Processes like blow drying reduce the moisture content below its normal level and can in themselves be harmful. Hair dryers and other heated appliances first soften the keratin of the hair. If they are too hot, they can actually cause the water in the hair to boil, and tiny bubbles of steam then form inside the softened hair shaft. The hair is thereby weakened, and may break altogether. ​

There is no treatment for seriously heat-damaged hair, although trimming the damaged hair can reduce the formation of split ends.​

Exerpt #2​

People will tell you that their bubble hair 'just happened', quite suddenly, after they had been doing the same things to their hair for a long time. Then all at once they noticed tiny 'bubbles' in the ends of their hair.​

Invariably, bubble hair is caused by some kind of heating appliance, most often curling irons. These operate somewhere between 120 and 180 °C, roughly speaking. Water boils at 100 °C. If a hot curling iron is put on to wet hair, it boils the water inside the hair. The boiling water softens the keratin of the cortex; then the steam from the boiling water expands and forms tiny bubbles inside the hair. Eventually the hair breaks off, either at or somewhere near a bubble.​

Every woman who has used curling irons knows that they work better on some days than others. One day she may have them just a little hotter than usual: that might be just enough to cause bubble hair, and for the affected hair to break off.​

Although the sufferer usually claims that her hair was perfectly normal until she changed the hair product she was using, further enquiry always uncovers a history of increased or excessive cosmetic treatments. Usually bubble hair happens to people who are doing a lot of styling to their hair at home. And it is always, always associated with the use of heated appliances on damp hair.​

The Life Cyle of Damaged Hair​

Usually hair damage takes place gradually, stage by stage, as follows:​

*The hair is weakened​

*The cuticle begins to break down​

*The cuticle disappears, layer by layer​

*The cortex is exposed​

*Split ends appear​

*The hair breaks.​

~~WOW~~This is soooo interesting, Thanks so much for posting I tell ya I learn something new everyday on LHCF​

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