The affects of heat damage on natural hair

[dlove]

Here's the scenario: As I was about to leave the chair of the beautician, he said, "the next time you come your hair wont be so hard to straighten. Its trained!"All week all I could think of is, " did this joker just burn my hair, swung me around in this chair and blatently admitted it?!' erplexed

Long story short- My 4a is now 3 a b and c. sigh. I could kick my myself for not taking my magic star comb, ceramic flat iron and letting him brush (with a cheap vent brush too) my dry hair before washing my hair. I should have taken my own AOWC conditioner too.

When I washed, I got very very little breakage though.

Here's the questions:

1. Am I able to retain length?
2. Will my hair eventually break off unevenly?
3. Why do heat damaged naturals cut their hair besides the strange look of some straight pieces when wearing wash n gos and afros?

I am concerned about the long term effects of heat damaged hair.

I do not want to cut my hair. I have been growing my hair naturally for 4 years and it is arm pit length in the back and chin to collar bone length on the sides.


In the meanwhile, I am upgrading this year to a ghd ceramic flat iron and a good cermaic blowdryer. Every couple of times of year, I still like a press yall, I still like a press.

 

[Louisex3]

I've had heat damaged ends for about a year now, and i'm seriously contemplating heat damaging the rest lol.
the left side of my hair (the heat damaged side) is about 2 inches worth of damage, in places, and it's not like 1a straight, but my curl patter is really really loose.
My left side of my hair is a lot longer than my right, undamaged side, a noticeable about, maybe 2-3 inches longer and its sooo annoying.
some ladies will probably say its healthier to cut it off, but for me, i actually believe its helped me with retention :s
does look a bit silly though lol.

 

[Embyra]

Here's the scenario: As I was about to leave the chair of the beautician, he said, "the next time you come your hair wont be so hard to straighten. Its trained!"All week all I could think of is, " did this joker just burn my hair, swung me around in this chair and blatently admitted it?!' erplexed

Long story short- My 4a is now 3 a b and c. sigh. I could kick my myself for not taking my magic star comb, ceramic flat iron and letting him brush (with a cheap vent brush too) my dry hair before washing my hair. I should have taken my own AOWC conditioner too.

When I washed, I got very very little breakage though.

Here's the questions:

1. Am I able to retain length?
2. Will my hair eventually break off unevenly?
3. Why do heat damaged naturals cut their hair besides the strange look of some straight pieces when wearing wash n gos and afros?

I am concerned about the long term effects of heat damaged hair.

I do not want to cut my hair. I have been growing my hair naturally for 4 years and it is arm pit length in the back and chin to collar bone length on the sides.


In the meanwhile, I am upgrading this year to a ghd ceramic flat iron and a good cermaic blowdryer. Every couple of times of year, I still like a press yall, I still like a press.

if you are indeed a 3a now and your original hair is 4a you will have to cut anyway as once your roots start coming and you get some length......thats going to look real interesting.........or you can just go ahead and heat damage the new growth so it blends

heat damage hair doesnt always break off mine didnt i cut if off as its not my natural curl pattern and looks

so yes you can retain length if it isnt breaking and you like the look of your hair

 

[Tiye]

If some people can transition relaxed hair for years and feel okay managing hair of two vastly different textures then managing two textures where one of the textures has curls that are a just few millimeters bigger in the outer part of the hair than they are closer to the roots can also work. Just keep up with your regular care regimen that includes lots of conditioning and you should be okay.

 

[kbragg]

What did he do? Pressing comb? Flat iron? How many passes?

 

[Amoreofcurls]

You can do some hardcore protein treatments ,and up your moisture game for a few months to see if your pattern will return (yes its possible)....NO HEAT for a long while though...

 

[NaturalBoss]

You can still grow your hair long with heat damage. The "damage" is that your curl pattern is damaged (unless he actually burnt your hair to a crisp). I think when people cut the heat damaged hair off, it's probably because they don't like 2 different textures and IMO, heat damaged hair doesn't look good with 2-strand twists and other styles. My hair is heat damaged (mainly just the ends now) and it never broke off or anything like that, I just don't like it. It's not even straight it's just looser than my natural curl pattern.

I don't believe that protein treatments can undo heat damage. It didn't do it for my hair and I have yet to see any before and afters, therefore I don't believe it.

 

[dlove]

What did he do? Pressing comb? Flat iron? How many passes?

He used an Argan Oil flat iron with about 3 to 4 passes. He also used straight request protective oil. Before the press, he used straight request setting foam to style my hair in four plaited pony tails under the dryer for 75 % drying before blow drying out the rest. The setting foam gave my hair bounce and body.

 

[Katherina]

It really depends on your individual hair texture.

I have a friend (similar natural curl pattern to mine) whose hair dresser "trained" her hair almost totally straight and her hair is still healthy, shiny and beautiful (about BSL).

Me on the other hand, if I overuse heat, my hair will mostly retain its curl pattern but will become dry (irreparably so) and break off at the ends.

Your texture may return after you wash it a couple more times.

 

[delitefulmane]

It really depends on your individual hair texture.

I have a friend (similar natural curl pattern to mine) whose hair dresser "trained" her hair almost totally straight and her hair is still healthy, shiny and beautiful (about BSL).

Me on the other hand, if I overuse heat, my hair will mostly retain its curl pattern but will become dry (irreparably so) and break off at the ends.

Your texture may return after you wash it a couple more times.

Yep! That's exactly what I'm dealing with now! My heat damaged hair leaves broken pieces of hair in my denman! erplexed

 

[BraunSugar]

You can do some hardcore protein treatments ,and up your moisture game for a few months to see if your pattern will return (yes its possible)....NO HEAT for a long while though...

Yes. It's a crap shoot, but people have seen curl pattern return to normal. I guess it depends on the individual circumstances.

 

[MsEveMarie]

Omg a "beautician" did this to me last summer, when I got a sew in. He roughly blow dried my hair then hot combed it, then flat ironed the leave out hair with like 3 passes after it was already straight, and he only used a very thin layer of heat protectant for my whole head. Needless to say the front leave out portion always looks blow out when I wash it compared to the rest of my hair.

 

[SimplyBlessed]

See this is what I dont understand is this what ppl that want heat trained hair are going for...heat damage?!? :scratchch

I mean if this was a different thread u would get stoned for saying ur heat trained hair was indeed heat damaged?!?

END VENT!!

ANYWHO the front of my hair was heat DAMAGED from sewins and trying to blend them so I know the feeling... MOISTURE MOISTURE MOISTURE!! u will need lots of it...so DC like nobody's business..

also lay off the heat...u can clip the damaged hair as it grows...its going to look like ur basically growing out a relaxer]

HTH

ETA: spelling

 

[MsEveMarie]

See this is what I dont understand is this what ppl that what heat trained hair is going for...heat damage?!?

I mean if this was a different thread u would get stoned for saying ur heat trained hair was indeed heat damaged?!?

but the front of my hair was heat damaged from sewins and trying to blend it... MOISTURE MOISTURE MOISTURE!! u will need lots of it...so DC like nobody's business..

also lay off the heat...u can clip as it grows...its going to look like ur basically growing out a relaxer

ITA and frequent cowashes are what really helped me keep the hair on my head, even though it was damaged. I thought protein treatments would help but it actually made it worst in my case and caused TONS of breakage.

 

[Imani]

I used to flat iron weekly and I think some of my hair is heat trained. It is not straight, but just slightly looser, silkier curls that clump more. I stopped using heat about 6 months ago and my hair is growing out well and doing fine.

When I first decided to stop using heat so much, I did a few protein treatments (Aubrey GPB) and also got a good trim. My hair is stronger now; I don't really get much breakage any more and don't have to do the protein anymore, I just do moisturizing DC's now.

I don't wear loose hair styles so the difference in the textures do not bother me, and its really not that drastic/noticeable anyway.

 

[dlove]

Ok I deep protein conditioned with Aphogee hard protein (step 1 and 2) in sample pack.

The verdict>>> curls still loose. But you what? I get minimal breakage and tangles now. I like the braid out styles best and am hoping to make the best of my heat altered hair. Wow...I let myself down. After reading All these LHCF posts and horror stories and I was so gitty to let a "professional "style my hair and allow him to alter the make up. Just wow.

 

[SimplyBlessed]

Ok I deep protein conditioned with Aphogee hard protein (step 1 and 2) in sample pack.

I was going to say although I said moisture is important u probably would want to do an aphogee 2 step treatment

U want to make sure that hair is strong and moisturized b/c u dont want breakage!

 

[Boujoichic]

See this is what I dont understand is this what ppl that want heat trained hair are going for...heat damage?!? :scratchch

I mean if this was a different thread u would get stoned for saying ur heat trained hair was indeed heat damaged?!?

END VENT!!

ANYWHO the front of my hair was heat DAMAGED from sewins and trying to blend them so I know the feeling... MOISTURE MOISTURE MOISTURE!! u will need lots of it...so DC like nobody's business..

also lay off the heat...u can clip the damaged hair as it grows...its going to look like ur basically growing out a relaxer]

HTH

ETA: spelling

The bolded My lil sad heat damaged ends are in the same place and for the same reason blending with a straight weave. I dont know why a curly weave didnt occur to me a little sooner. Post like these are also why Im scared to go to the salon I dont need any more heat mishaps but I do need a trim. Im gonna start having nightmares about smoking flatirons and SHS.

 

[Katherina]

Yep! That's exactly what I'm dealing with now! My heat damaged hair leaves broken pieces of hair in my denman! erplexed

When I used to detangle on dry hair and press every two weeks, my hair broke off so much that it never got longer. Be patient (I know ) and treat your hair well - it will get better.

 

[Sianna]

Umm... you don't gots no pics?

Some comparison shots might be nice. *hint, hint*

At any rate, you've been given some good advice. Up both your protein and moisture and see if your pattern will revert to normal. And stay away from the heat for a while. Worst case scenario, you can simply transition back to your normal texture, clipping the ends little by little.