Weekly Heat: What are you all afraid of?

Because I used heat about 2 - 4 times per week in college (when I had nothing else to do :look:) and my hair promptly broke off and/or thinned out. Rollersetting and cowashing is much healthier for my hair, which is not quite fine but not coarse either. Now when I wear my hair straight it is very thick with tons of body, and is a nice surprise for me and folks around who are used to seeing me with either a bun or curly hair. :yep:
 
Veejee said:
Weekly heat doesn't hurt MY hair, but my hair is very VERY strong naturally. I've been WL and everything in between so I know that heat isn't bad FOR ME. What I DON't suggest is heat and bleach I've done that before and I won't do it again.
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:yep::yep: I'm bleached now, and even though I know better how to care for and protect my hair from heat, I still don't want to push it. I am trying to get to MBL (I'm BSL now...gotta update my siggy :rolleyes:) and I have been able to both gain and RETAIN length by not using heat regularly. Even after a 5 month stretch my hairstylist said my ends looked good and only needed a light dusting. With constant heat I am sure they would be open and raggedy. :perplexed
 
Christelyn said:
Okay, hubby just took this picture of me. I last washed/cond./flat ironed on Friday. Sorry it's sideways, but you get the point.
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Hey Christelyn, I think you had folks going. I didn't read until page 5 that you were natural. Our natural African Textured hair is strong. I just can't take the comb outs, Too tendered headed, even at 47. I love my long straight hair.

Smile

Simone
 
Christelyn said:
I'm not completely sure, but I think it's just a relaxer put on the hair long enough to loosen the curl but not make it straight. Am I right girls?
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This is correct Christelyn. You can also add oils and/or conditioners to the relaxer to reduce it's strength. This is especially helpful when self relaxing and need the extra application time.
 
My hair can't take a lot of heat, nor a lot of protein. Too much protein makes my hair tangle. And too much heat, my hair either becomes thin or damaged. And I can't stand see through ends. So the less heat the better.

I think I would have this problem still even if natural.
 
I use to flat iron my hair 1x2 times per wk before joining lhc. Now I have sworn off direct heat for 15 mths because my hair grows the fastest when I just leave it alone but best believe once I get to apl and beyond I will be flat ironing again but with a heat protectant for sure.:grin:
 
my hair was overprocessed and heat was making it worse so i stopped using it when i found hair boards.

after over a year without direct heat i have simply realized that i still achieve all of the same styles as those who use direct heat.
 
I want to do this so bad, but I am not good at it. :ohwell: It also takes me 2 hours to get a strait style.:rolleyes: It tests me so much because my curls look great, but they don't hold.:wallbash: My hard work looks like crap.:nono:
 
Well I am natural and like to wash and curl once a week. However I've had a hard time retaining length due to split ends. So I've tried listening to the ladies on the board when they say to keep the flat irons out of your hair. I have tried blow drying then rolling my hair with satin rollers. This is working for me and helping to keep the heat away.

I know it seems harmlesss at first. When I first began wearing my natural hair it was so amazing how it could be curl straight. I looked forward to it every week. My ends were freshly trimmed seemed like nothing could go wrong. But after about three months I noticed my ends spliting. My guess its from blowing drying and flat ironing mostly.

But good luck to you but don't abuse the flat iron.
 
I am not afraid of it- It's just that I am growth mode right now, and probably would have to trim way more than I would want to.

My hair is already thin, I think the heat would make it thinner.

Also, I SWEAT when I work out, I work out at least 5/7 days- so it would be pretty point less for me.
 
Bump..Bump

Chirstelyn - questions.

What expensive flat iron do you use? I've been contemplating doing a weekly heat regiment for a bit but want to use good products. I'm not afraid to spend so if you don't mind, can you list what flat iron you use

I have heard of L'occitane - which products do you use?

A total newbie question - what is SMB? Is it a product? You mention that you use or apply this before flat-ironing.

Thanks!

Christelyn said:
This is my third week. Previously I used heat with a pressing comb/flat iron every two weeks or so. However, I finally invested in a superior and very expensive flat iron that does not require me to press my roots and gives me that just-from-the-salon look. I'm also using a wonderful nourishing shampoo and conditioner from L'occitane. No one here has heard of it, its the best kept secret.
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Well for me my hair tends to be dry and I'm afraid that consistently using direct heat (even with a protectant) will exacerbate the problem and thus lead to split ends and breakage.
 
My hair can only take heat in very small doses. When I was younger, I started going to a salon every 2 weeks for a hard press (several passes with a comb heated in an oven thing). My hair was super straight, when I washed it it looked texturised, and eventually my hair just got so thin and lifeless I knew I couldn't go on doing this :nono:.

When I found the boards I became really scared of using heat (after purchasing a flat iron and using it on my hair in twists with heat protectant, I still ended up damaging my hair... :perplexed

Blowdrying too frequently gives me thinner hair throughout my length, leads to breakage most of the time, and a noticeable texture change. My scalp flakes like crazy too :sad: - its just not worth it!

Now my sister, has fine natural hair that she blowdries often, if I did what she did, my hair would self-BC! :lachen:

I just decided from now on I'm exploring a minimal heat approach, very minimal. Different strokes for different folks...
 
Veejee said:
Weekly heat doesn't hurt MY hair, but my hair is very VERY strong naturally. I've been WL and everything in between so I know that heat isn't bad FOR ME. What I DON't suggest is heat and bleach I've done that before and I won't do it again.
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OMG.. I could write this story myself. Bleach and lack of moisture did it for me. But when I was WL; I didn't want all of the hair on my head.
I think it is also about technique. That being said; I try to lessen the heat and the BKT is helping; but I'm not one of these people that wants to be in a twist out or a bun "erryday". Not knocking those that do; but I enjoy my hair and it looks good. We all have different goals for our hair. Mine is to be layered BSL or MBL. I have no doubt that my regimen with its protein and moisture balance (now I know) will get me there.

Sometimes I feel that the absolutely no heat nazis and the no relaxer nazis can tend to gang up on folks. :blush: I'm here for information sharing; not to be preached to. What works for one won't work for most and so on and so forth. I don't knock the natural thing (I like them sometimes) but my go to is my hair down with big curls. Now with the BKT and my satin foam rollers; I can get this look with less heat... but still there is a heat component. That I don't plan on getting rid of completely. I'll listen to my hair.. but for right now my hair and my ends look great. I dusted them myself (pats herself on the back) for the first time since 10/08. :yep::yep:

ETA: And yes I've maintained this regimen for greater than 3 months.. lol.. :lachen:
 
I am not a fan of straight hair. I prefer curly hair and to achieve that look I rollset.

The issue with the weekly or daily heat usuage I think over time this will break your hair off.However, if it works for you. More power to you!!!
 
i'm not sure if it has anything to do with hair health, genetics, or curl pattern. unfortunately, i went overboard trying to make 4b/c hair match "yaki" weave hair. With working out or sweating 4 - 5 times a week, guess what happened?

The flat iron won and the hair lost. this is due to flat ironing at least 3x a week. Thanks to the advice of my stupid beautician who said: "it's okay to do it, as long as you use a heat protectant."

i think once a week is fine, but beyond that, it's risky.
 
Bumping! What's the consensus here? I'm interested in using heat once a month and maintaining straight hair by wrapping. Anyone had luck with this?
 
I don't think you will even have a consensus on the heat agrument. Some will say yes some will say no. You have to do what's best for you. I will say only use direct heat on clean freshly washed hair and no more than once a week.

As for myself I'm natural and I use heat once a week, it's the best thing for my hair. My hair is fine and I get split ends no matter what I do ~ whether wearing it in twist outs or flat ironed hair I still have to do small trims every 3 months or my hair looks a hot mess. I wash, blow dry using the tention method and flatiron then pin curl and my hair looks it best.

marta9227 said:
Bumping! What's the consensus here? I'm interested in using heat once a month and maintaining straight hair by wrapping. Anyone had luck with this?
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I agree^^. Lately though I have been braiding every other week and doing different kinds of roller sets on the ends (on blowdried/ natural hair) and my hair is retaining well. But I have flat-ironed every week for years. Had to cut alot in January (abusive situaton and out of it now). Well my hair is back at the length I had before the cut (in January I barely had a ponytail/ longest strands were about 4-5 in.) My ponytail went from 3 in or nonexistent to about 8 in. Longest strands are now about 11-12 in. with weekly heat and trims every 2-3 months (sort of following yt's sisterwithrealhair's method/but I use more heat than she does).
 
alopeciagrl said:
Well I am natural and like to wash and curl once a week. However I've had a hard time retaining length due to split ends. So I've tried listening to the ladies on the board when they say to keep the flat irons out of your hair. I have tried blow drying then rolling my hair with satin rollers. This is working for me and helping to keep the heat away.

I know it seems harmlesss at first. When I first began wearing my natural hair it was so amazing how it could be curl straight. I looked forward to it every week. My ends were freshly trimmed seemed like nothing could go wrong. But after about three months I noticed my ends spliting. My guess its from blowing drying and flat ironing mostly.

But good luck to you but don't abuse the flat iron.
Click to expand...

can you share a pic of your hair doing this? I've thought about doing something like this before but just felt like I would end up w a dry puffy mess haha
 
Sisterwithrealhair is one of the people I've been checking out, along with the Glamtwinz.

Sent from my ice cold evo 3d y'all!
 
Ive been using heat on my hair for years and will continue. I found for my hair, relaxers were my hair devil. I am proud to say that Im 3yrs natural and my hair is healthy and strong. I do believe in deep conditioning with a heating cap or sleeping with it on.

products Etae, henna, Wen 316, Moisture Block, Aphogee protein, and Organix

Dry Oil
 
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