Weekly Heat: What are you all afraid of?

[1Aleeesha]

I use heat weekly...Less tangels = less breakage....

But what works for some doesnt work for others....I rollerset and then blow out the curls with heat protectant ofcourse

Yes that's how it is for me, once I flat iron I see no hairs falling off or laying around when touching, combing, brushing, sitting or whatever. If I left it un-smoothed (flatironed) I would see more tangles, breakage and such and feel like I need to do the 2-step Aphogee treatment or something.

So when I don't flat iron and am just treating all week with deep conditioning every other day after I wash, DC and detangle in the shower, I put it in a pony, I don't comb, I don't touch it and I don't move it once it dries until its time to do it all over again.

 

[Christelyn]

So you have retained a good amount of length with this regimen?

So far, so good. I'm going to post pics using my "high risk regimen" next week. I'll check in occasionally to see what you guys think.

 

[1Aleeesha]

So far, so good. I'm going to post pics using my "high risk regimen" next week. I'll check in occasionally to see what you guys think.

I hope this isn't a dumb question because you already said it and I missed it but how long have you been doing it so far?

 

[clever]

I've been using heat on the reg. since April of last year and my hair is doing fine.Now spill the beans on the PM flat iron.I really want to try it..Do you have the silver one orthe black one?

 

[Vshanell]

So far, so good. I'm going to post pics using my "high risk regimen" next week. I'll check in occasionally to see what you guys think.

Well good for you....hope you don't have any problems.

 

[GeorgiaCutie]

Okay I used to this, but one day I was looking at my ends by holding them up to the light and noticed what looked like little white dots on my ends. The ends were also very lighter than the rest of my hair. I later found out that it was heat damage. I ended up having to cut off all my progress. Before joining this board I was almost APL. I ended up having to cut to SL. Yes, after I flat ironed my hair was swinging and "looked" healthy, but it was damaged.I no longer do this and only rollerset now, but like others have said if it works for you then go ahead.

 

[1Aleeesha]

Okay I used to this, but one day I was looking at my ends by holding them up to the light and noticed what looked like little white dots on my ends. The ends were also very lighter than the rest of my hair. I later found out that it was heat damage. I ended up having to cut off all my progress. Before joining this board I was almost APL. I ended up having to cut to SL. Yes, after I flat ironed my hair was swinging and "looked" healthy, but it was damaged.I no longer do this and only rollerset now, but like others have said if it works for you then go ahead.

That's interesting. Every once in awhile I get lazy/tired or whatever but only when I do that I would start to notice changes in my hair like it doesn't look as smooth when wet and doesn't hold water like it used to...Things like that can happen and then it wakes me up to go back to my norms, so I dunno I've been getting away with it forever but I owe it all to conditioning frequently and taking that 3rd and or 4th week break that I take. But the above is still interesting.

 

[Christelyn]

I hope this isn't a dumb question because you already said it and I missed it but how long have you been doing it so far?

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.

 

[LivingDol1]

if you're responsible and know how to use the tools, heat can work pretty well! i used to blow dry with a comb attachment and curl my hair twice a week when i was in HS and college, before i knew about this board and stuff. i never used heat protectant or leave in conditioner... and i didn't think my hair was in bad shape. it just wasn't growing as long as i wanted it to.

i prefer to do roller sets b/c it's not direct heat. i feel like i'm being safer and preventing breakage by not raking the comb attachment through my head or curling my ends with an iron.

i like heat! i prefer it over air drying and braid outs, which haven't been good for my hair. i'm just not going to use heat to excess.

 

[1Aleeesha]

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.

Keep us posted. I don't even have a "superior and very expensive flat iron" and I've been doing this for as far back as I can remember... Wondering if I got one of those would it be even better than it is now...

 

[simcha]

[/B]

Unfortunately for me, mine does not. Last summer I tried twists and twist outs, and got more breakage than I had ever seen in my life. I think it has to do with how fine my hair is, and how easily it is tangled. No tangles, no breakage.

My hair is the same way (fine). I tried braid outs with coconut milk and every moisturizing thing I could get my hands on and my hair just ended up dry and broken and knotted. If I don't comb my hair it tangles, knots and breaks off. I do air dry and then flat iron (with heat protectant) from the root to about half way down the shaft and then cross wrap it.

 

[VictoriousBrownFlower]

I did that for 5 months and it transformed my hair but not in a good way...
I went from this

To this

So I wouldnt recommend it to anyone. It doesnt do much at first but in time it will ruin your hair.

 

[Solitude]

Heat use is not bad for my hair. Heat ABUSE is, though. "bumping my ends," etc. caused me a lot of dried adn fried ends in the past.

I use direct heat once every 1-2 weeks now that my hair is healthier.

 

[RedVelvet310]

Only thing I'm afraid of is the time put into it . I have SO much hair on my big head this process is WAAAAY too long for me to be doing regularly. It takes me like 2hrs to flat iron my CBL hair!

 

[1Aleeesha]

Heat use is not bad for my hair. Heat ABUSE is, though. "bumping my ends," etc. caused me a lot of dried adn fried ends in the past.

I use direct heat once every 1-2 weeks now that my hair is healthier.

I'm glad you mentioned that! I'd never flat iron dirty hair... Only after it's been freshly washed and conditioned... I'd never flat iron daily or more than once in a 7 day period. And when I do flat iron my hair, I am real light on the ends. I do not go over them more than one time, and it suffices. I also don't blow dry I air dry, I think that helps too, if I blow dried I'd be in bad shape because I don't do it right and that causes breakage. So these things for me that I mentioned would be heat abuse, definitely. There is a thin line between heat abuse and heat use.

So I understand that!

 

[Christelyn]

I did that for 5 months and it transformed my hair but not in a good way...
I went from this

To this

So I wouldnt recommend it to anyone. It doesnt do much at first but in time it will ruin your hair.

I noticed in your siggy that you are relaxed. Perhaps that may have been the problem? I'm totally natural so I don't have the luxury of having my hair chemically assisted. Maybe the combination of the structural breakdown of the hair and heat was perhaps not healthy for your hair.

 

[Christelyn]

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.

 

[HoneyDew]

I shampoo, condition, blowdry (without the comb attachment) and flatiron weekly.

I think its too much but that is what I like to do to my hair. At the same time, I am not eager to gain long long hair. So this works for me.

If I wanted really long hair, I would use less heat.

But, I think the tools do matter. I use a really nice blowdryer and flatiron. There is a difference.

Once I was forced to use one of those little in-the-wall dryers that they have in hotels. It was horrible. My hair was so brittle and odd feeling.

My Rusk Speed Freak dryer is good at preventing dryness.

When I blowdry and flatiron, my hair is always soft and moist.

Using great products make the difference, as well.

But, point blank - heat cannot be used that much if you really want longer healthy hair. It will catch up, no doubt.

 

[VictoriousBrownFlower]

Wow your hair is thick and beautiful. I do believe natural hair can handle alot more than relaxed. ALso my hair is very fine so I'm sure the combination of the two is what did it to me.

 

[IMFOCSD]

I THINK HEAT IS OK AS LONG AS YOU ARE KEEPING THE HAIR MOISTURIZED, DC'ING WITH MOISTURE AND PROTEIN ON A REGULAR BASIS AND USING A HEAT PROTECTANT YOU SHOULD BE FINE. i FEEL THAT AS LONG AS YOU ARE NOT A HEAT ABUSER ITS ALL GOOD.

 

[Faith]

I'm with Christelyn. I tried twists and I had so many knots I had to cut some areas. It was horrible. I have tried small braids as well and I had the same experience. I definitely can't leave my hair loose because it knots easily and would mean more cutting.

In the end I'm left with try to maintain a straight look or braiding it up. I have done the braid thing for over 2 years and felt it was time to wear it out for a while.

I make sure I DC each week and each week or at the very most every 2 weeks I make sure one of my steps involves some light protein of some kind. I then apply a good leave in braid it into 10-12 braids to dry; apply SMB and Redken Smooth Down Heat Protectant.

With this regimen I have actually turned down the temperature on my flatiron. I figure very low heat, passing over my hair 1x, doing it every 7-14 days is not a bad thing at all. Because of the SMB I have not seen more split ends than usual (back in the day, before SMB I would have lots). But these products and my drying methods have been leaving my hair quite straight with like I said..low heat.

Definitely try the SMB if you want to use heat

 

[tthreat08]

just saw your post....I do the same! No longer afraid.

 

[clarity2008]

Too much heat gives me split ends like crazy. So in my opinion it's a trade off, more heat=more trims=less retention.

ITA. I would love to just flat iron my hair once a week and be done with it but too much heat makes my ends split almost instantly

 

[hillytmj]

I agree with many of the previous comments...maybe some people can take it, but when I used heat, I always needed a trim. I'm in the process of trying to find a new bonnet dryer and had to use a blow dryer/flat iron for the first time in about three years. It looks nice, but I'm not about to go back to that reggie again.

I've gotta get a dryer pronto!!!

 

[hothair]

Honestly, nothing. When I first came here it seemed heat was a HUGE (still is, i guess) although I'd never used heat enough to have a problem with it, I just thought better safe than sorry.

After following the staple rules on the forum for almost 2 years, my hair did grow, but I couldn't do anything with it when I wanted to and it ended up breaking again, I hadn't learned to deal with my hair in styles I like so when I tried it broke - I'm approaching this like someone on a diet, you go back to the foods you like and *wham* your double the size you were before, so I'll just watch what I do but still "eat" what I like in small portions.

I now intend to use a protein based reggie and flat iron once a week. I'm documenting this till July and will see the effect (or not) on my hair....

 

[SlantedEyezMiss2003]

No problems here, I just don't like to use heat much, and I DO NOT think heat is the devil, there are a lot of worst things that could be classified as being the devil's work. My friend uses heat one a week or once every two weeks, and her hair is to her waist....so I don't think heat is a bad thing, it's just how much you use it, if you use it every day, then yes I wouldn't expect to retain length, but once a week, with dcing and light protein treatment and using heat protectant all the time.....I use two heat protectants, one for when I blow dry and when I flat iron, and then I use a heavy moisturizer on top of that. But I use to use every day with no heat protectants, so there is a difference....I agree with if it works for you, keep doing it, and what works for one might not work for all........just my two cents.....

 

[Dove56]

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.

 

[Dove56]

I'm with Christelyn. I tried twists and I had so many knots I had to cut some areas. It was horrible. I have tried small braids as well and I had the same experience. I definitely can't leave my hair loose because it knots easily and would mean more cutting.

In the end I'm left with try to maintain a straight look or braiding it up. I have done the braid thing for over 2 years and felt it was time to wear it out for a while.

I make sure I DC each week and each week or at the very most every 2 weeks I make sure one of my steps involves some light protein of some kind. I then apply a good leave in braid it into 10-12 braids to dry; apply SMB and Redken Smooth Down Heat Protectant.

With this regimen I have actually turned down the temperature on my flatiron. I figure very low heat, passing over my hair 1x, doing it every 7-14 days is not a bad thing at all. Because of the SMB I have not seen more split ends than usual (back in the day, before SMB I would have lots). But these products and my drying methods have been leaving my hair quite straight with like I said..low heat.

Definitely try the SMB if you want to use heat

SMB is EXCELLENT for protecting your hair!!! My hair is still very healthy while using heat and SMB is definetely one of the reasons why!

 

[sylver2]

not afraid, i use to use heat weekly. ..but then my hair never got longer. it didn't break off or anything, it just stayed the same length.
if it works for u..great would love to see your hair in a year of this and its progress.

 

[Christelyn]

not afraid, i use to use heat weekly. ..but then my hair never got longer. it didn't break off or anything, it just stayed the same length.
if it works for u..great would love to see your hair in a year of this and its progress.

Thanks for chiming in on this, sylver2. It's funny that you mention updates...I'm doing a semi-weekly progress report on my weekly heat reggie so that the girls on the board can see any noticeable growth or stagnation, or breakage issues. On a side note, I do notice that women who are relaxed have more issues with weekly heat than naturals. It would be interesting to know if there were definitively true.