The secret to long relaxed hair- no direct heat

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Leslie_C said:
brwnskingirl,
Im the same way with braidouts, the first time I did one I was afraid to wear it out that ppl wouldnt like it but I got as many compliments on the style as when I had it done at the salon(flat ironed and wrapped)...my friend Jason says its really cute and I look exotic and another guy said I looked "foreign" with my hair like that...lol:)

Also ppl at work always like it when I wear it that way. Lately, Ive been all about buns and braid outs but more buns lately bc I dont like my ends brushing against my clothes at work and mainly wear it on my days off when I can wear tank tops,etc.

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I know people like it just as much as they like it when I get a rollerset.
 
Oh good, I'm so addicted to heat it aint funny! I'm going to try it and see what happens. My hair has grown with the heat I can't wait to see what it will do without it. I use to have a hood dryer but I let a friend hold it and never saw it again, damn her!
 
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Dolce_Dawn said:
Hmm... I use direct heat (flatiron) once a wk and my hair is fine. I agree, but only partly. I'll say that the key is to not ABUSE the use of direct heat and to only use it sparingly and only on clean hair.

JMO

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I have the same routine and my hair is doing just fine, using a good heat protectant helps too. I used to be one of those who used a curling iron every day but I am done with that. Thanks to this foum I have been blowdryer free for a month now even though that was a big step for me because my hair is so thick it still wont comepletly airdry even overnight(its a long process but I'm hanging in there) and flatironing is the only way for my hair to lay down properly without looking like a huge bush
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. Thanks to tips from rollersetting divas on this forum (CaramelHonee thanks for that diagram
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) I think rollersetting will be the best way to go in finally eliminating the flat iron too. If I can have healthy hair with the flat iron it can only get better with rollersetting.
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ms_jennifer said:
I agree. I know no direct heat has helped me a whole lot.

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Ditto!
 
BTW. SouthernGirl, your hair looks great. For someone with the same hairtype and length as you its good to see another person in the same stage as I am doing well with thier hair
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I use direct heat sparingly. once a week after i shampoo i blowdry with a comb attachment. I dont use curling irons, flat irons or anything else except maybe once every 3-4 months so i think it has benefited me definitely. I'm never gonna be a no heat person unless i go natural, this i know
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but using it sparingly is working great for me
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-- jainygirl
 
My hair is the longest and healthiest it has ever been and I attribute it completely to cutting out direct heat.
 
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ChoclatePrincess said:
Oh good, I'm so addicted to heat it aint funny! I'm going to try it and see what happens. My hair has grown with the heat I can't wait to see what it will do without it. I use to have a hood dryer but I let a friend hold it and never saw it again, damn her!

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That's a good point. I've grown my hair out several times using heat. But I rather take the high road and grow my hair all the way out using no heat. It's too risky using heat for me.
 
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Dolce_Dawn said:
Hmm... I use direct heat (flatiron) once a wk and my hair is fine. I agree, but only partly. I'll say that the key is to not ABUSE the use of direct heat and to only use it sparingly and only on clean hair.

JMO

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ITA, with Dolce_Dawn, The key for me is no "heat-abuse". I blow dry & hot curl my hair once every 2 weeks & have no problems w/ breakage, damaged ends, growing or maintaining growth. My leave-in (Fantansia IC) serves as a thermal protectant as well. I haven't had a trim since February & my ends look fine.

I'm sure I would have serious "trouble" if I used heat more than every 2 weeks.
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Yup, I don't know if anyone already said this BUT, whenever you do finally decide to use "heat" you can substitue with Steam. For instance, Ceramic Flat Irons or steam caps. If I do decide to relax, I'm defintely going to purchase this styling steam cap. You just roll your hair (Flexi Rods, Satin Rollers, whatever) and leave the cap on for 2-3 minutes and take the rollers down.
 
I think this may be the problem. My hair doesnt like heat and even though there may be other factors I know that heat has had a impact on my hair. I dont know what it is but I am getting discouraged. The shedding of my hair is bothering me because I have never had shedding this soon after a touchup and my hair looks stringy and shorter. I dont even understand because I had so much new growth you couldnt even see my scalp yet my hair seems shorter than it was when I walked in there. I am worried and taking pills and supplements like crazy. I dont even know what to do. I just want to find something that will stop the shedding and get my hair back to the condition it needs to be. help please!!!! God bless you all.
 
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Hello Everyone!

To Keylargo, ChocolatePrincess, and Ar010, my aplogies for the delayed response, but I'm still trying to figure out the website and I've neglected until now to go back and read some of my earlier posts when I was just getting started. Thanks for the accolades!!!

To Azul11, I feel really bad for your dilema
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, but I'm sure one of the more experienced members will be able to offer some advice. Just know that you have our support while going through this difficulty. I'm sure we've all been there at some point!

Warm regards,
SG
 
I remember reading this thread when I first joined the forum. I don't want to even talk about how many times a week I used heat before I found this site. :eek: No heat and a lot of moisture has made my hair so healthy!
 
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I agree that direct heat frequently will kill relaxed hair. I haven't used direct heat on my ends in over 2 years, although I flat ironed my roots lightly once or twice or blow dried 3 times or so. Moisture is important for natural and relaxed hair. Relaxed hair is more prone to heat damage, that's all.
 
I can say that not using heat has changed the whole condition of my hair. It is much more healty.

I havent used heat in 3 years.
 
Yes! I do believe this. Most of the people on this site dont use direct heat and I am positive that this is a contributing factor to their gorgeous, healthy mane. If only I could master the rollersetting like most of them do.:confused: No more direct heat for me!!! Ever!!!
 
azul11 said:
I think this may be the problem. My hair doesnt like heat and even though there may be other factors I know that heat has had a impact on my hair. I dont know what it is but I am getting discouraged. The shedding of my hair is bothering me because I have never had shedding this soon after a touchup and my hair looks stringy and shorter. I dont even understand because I had so much new growth you couldnt even see my scalp yet my hair seems shorter than it was when I walked in there. I am worried and taking pills and supplements like crazy. I dont even know what to do. I just want to find something that will stop the shedding and get my hair back to the condition it needs to be. help please!!!! God bless you all.
My hear just about broke when I read your post. I know the feeling. I've been experiencing a lot of shedding so tonight I'm going to try the Nexxus Emergencee protein treatment everyone has been raving about (with the bag on my hair of course). I've read several solutions to shedding on this site. Products with Garlic (Queen Helene, Nutrine, and AZO Ego), the Nexxus Emergencee treatment, and the last includes several steps so you may want to search for this thread...I think its called " You're doing everything right but you are still experience breakage/shedding". Something like that. It includes using a clarifying shampoo to remove build up, using a moisturizing shampoo next, doing a protein treatment followed up by a deep conditioning treatment, and probably finish off with a Apple Cider Vinegar rinse. Be sure to moisturize and seal with oil and let your hair airdry after that. I tie my hair down with wrap strips even though I don't wrap my hair while its wet. I comb it straight back. Good luck, sweetie! My fingers are crossed for you.
 
i believe this too.

isis, my inspiration, hasn't used direct heat in 3 years and look at her hair! :love:

i'm following in her footsteps.
 
I have been heat free since January. I love the way my hair feels. When I used heat, it was dry and hard and that's with moisturizer on the hair. My hair stays soft all the time and I love it!!

Isis has kept me motivated to elimate heat all together :)
 
I think alot of it also has to do with taking care of your strands including washing and conditioning often. Using direct heat once every week or every two weeks should not be a problem - for some heads anyway. Reniece and Cathy seem to use heat most times and they have beautiful, bouncy long hair. Oprah seem to have her hair washed everyday and heat is used to curl/straighten and her hair is so gorgeous. There are many gorgeous hair on this board that also use heat occasionally so I have to say that occasionaly direct heat affects strands differently.

Excessive use of anything is never good. I used heat everyday because a hairdresser told me she placed a product in my hair permanently that would prevent any damage to it when I use my flat iron. I must have been the most gullible and stupid person then because I heeded her advice and paid the price for doing so - my hair became straw-like, shed like mad and was too thin to comb and style. It was the most depressing time in my life. My hair did a 100% degree change when I started washing & DC 2X per week; rollerseting; stretching relaxer; using a dc rinse after each relaxer, relaxing hair 80%; trimming the ends, and using heat minimally. I went to the hair dresser for the first time in a while and I was quite pleased to hear the stylist talking about how much body my hair has - that was a hugh compliment to me because I know where it was 9 months prior. In a deplorable state!
 
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Yes your theory may be right for some people....but i don't think it is the absolute truth for most. The way i see it is 'too much of anything, will damage your hair'. I mean, hair damage happens with REPEATED abuse, not just with one single use of heat or of a product. It goes both ways too...You cant make your healthy overnight, and you also can't make your hair unhealthy overnight... There has to be repeated care to make it healthy, and repeated abuse to make it unhealthy. So with that...I repeatedly care for my hair and give it what it needs. And I also use heat once a week only (after a wash only) so i won't have repeated heat damage.
 
IMO, I think it's no heat AND deep conditioning. My breakage didn't stop until I started deep conditioning. The no heat only helped a little. My breakage is virtually gone FINALLY becaue of deep conditioning once a week.
 
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