Welp, my hair is heat damaged

[mischka]

Got my hair straightened about a month ago and after several washes I can definitely tell it has damaged my curl pattern. I may as well be relaxed, my texture is such crap now. I've never gone and just chopped off large chunks of my hair but I'm so over it I am really starting to gain momentum for it. But I figure I had relaxed hair for years and never cut it off so whatever.

Like in my avatar, my hair makes the prettiest coils at the end, especially when I braid after washing. It doesn't do that anymore. It looks like crap relaxed hair (note: I'm not saying relaxers give you crap hair or women with relaxers have crap hair. I'm saying my hair looks like a bad relaxer).

Sick of it.

 

[**SaSSy**]

You should try a heavy protein treatment like Joico or Aphogee

 

[lilyofthenile]

Try several protein treatments and see if there are any changes. If not, you'll sadly have to grow it out.

 

[mischka]

My hair is already breaking from too much protein I think. Ugh it really all just needs to go. I'm too chicken to do it.

 

[**SaSSy**]

Well if you said too much protein, then try moisture, then if that doesn't help trying something else. If you really want to save your hair then try all possible solutions, then IMO when all choices have been exhausted cut your hair. Deciding to cut your hair shouldn't be an all ends all solution, but it's not the end of the world if you do.

 

[ms.blue]

If the protein treatments don't help then you could trim slowly instead of doing a big chop.

 

[Esthi777]

I would braid or twist those areas and K.I.M. I don't know how long your hair is and if it would be a big deal to cut off this pieces but as for me, I need every strand. I have damage in my bangs, my nape and on my right side temple (or it could be my 2a area, still unsure) but after manipulation with finger twisting and gel, it's not that noticeable according to DH. Maybe when my hair gets really long, I'll cut it but I say keep it.

 

[pookaloo83]

Where da pitchas?

 

[Fhrizzball]

Are you sure your hair is breaking from too much protein and not just not enough moisture?

 

[Evolving78]

i would try flexi rod sets, or buns, so you won't have to bother with it too much. maybe you could try a natural conditioning recipe that will moisturize your hair?

 

[Rei]

if it still looks good in styles, keep it. My hair ended up getting heat damaged too back when I did my BKT, but it was just stretched enough to look like I blowdried all the time (and I was just fine with that). If not, then just chop. Go to a salon and say you want them to chop if you are too scared to do it yourself. The ends are going to have to go eventually anyway.

 

[Bublin]

So both you and your sister's hair are severely heat damaged now?

 

[laurend]

Got my hair straightened about a month ago and after several washes I can definitely tell it has damaged my curl pattern. I may as well be relaxed, my texture is such crap now. I've never gone and just chopped off large chunks of my hair but I'm so over it I am really starting to gain momentum for it. But I figure I had relaxed hair for years and never cut it off so whatever.

Like in my avatar, my hair makes the prettiest coils at the end, especially when I braid after washing. It doesn't do that anymore. It looks like crap relaxed hair (note: I'm not saying relaxers give you crap hair or women with relaxers have crap hair. I'm saying my hair looks like a bad relaxer).

Sick of it.

Been there and done that in 1997. I had to wear braids for 6 months to get my hair healthy again.

 

[mischka]

So both you and your sister's hair are severely heat damaged now?

What sister? Wrong poster. Also did not use the word severely. Thnxby.

 

[mischka]

See how in the first two pics my hair (which is supposed to be wet but is extremely porous) is just straight and stickly... there is conditioner in my hair in these pics.

The third pic is after I combed through with a denman... my curls don't even clump together anymore. And look at the ends.

The last pic is my avatar in full size, and there isn't even any product at all in my hair in that.

I hate this.

 

[Esthi777]

It actually doesn't look that bad to me. I know we can be our own worse critics but I really think you can come back from this with all the suggestions mentioned unthread.

 

[NappyNelle]

^^I agree. I'm sorry this happened to you, but I think you'll be able to bounce back from this!

 

[mischka]

Thank you for saying that. Well there is the fact that it looks bad, but also that I lost my curls... I loved my curls The whole point of being natural was to luxuriate in all the curls And it's my WHOLE head too, not just certain areas (except my bushy *** newgrowth)... just a mess.

 

[westNDNbeauty]

It's not too bad. This happened to me a few years ago. My entire head! Glad I was the one holding the flat iron when it did happen. I actually grew mine out by masking it with braid n curls. No one ever knew.

Since then I've learned that hair can withstand moderate heat when your hair is super duper oper moisturized by your DC.

 

[curlyninjagirl]

Gosh. Sorry this happened, OP. Friggin heat! The results seem so unpredictable sometimes. If this were me, I'd say '*** it' and chop. (I'm pretty impulsive though.) Growing out hair is fun, trying to keep damaged hair on your head is not! That's my experience anyway. Good luck.

 

[mist0898]

I agree i believe that you will be able to come back from this completely, from the looks of it. It actually looks no where near as bad as mine....I have hair type 3c and i have so much heat damage in large sections of my hair that it seems to even be growing out of my scalp in those areas already damaged, because its not just the ends that are straight. One side of my hair in the front when its wet and i let it air dry it looks bone straight like i already blowdried it. Now the other side of my head curls up nicely but the damaged side is so off I cant wear it loose and curly because i have to manipulate that side entirely too much and it still wouldnt match my curls on the other side. So i always end up slicking it back into a bun. I really feel like crying because of this because my hair has come so far and has grown so much since I have been without a relaxer since 2008 and I am completely heartbroken as a result. I have no idea how to begin to try to fix this if it could even be fixed at all and there is no way im ever doing a big chop to try to start over from scratch to see if it will grow back out normally, because it honestly doesnt seem like it will in those heat damaged areas. I wish my heat damage looked so little like yours. Hopefully my horror story will comfort you a little and let you know that it seems to be that your hair will turn out just fine.

 

[mischka]

If I had straightened my hair again at any time while it was straight I think it would be bone straight. This happened after only one flat ironing experience! When I wore sew ins, my leave out got stick straight from constantly flat ironing it... I'm more mad that this wasn't even gradual, it was a one off that completely loosened my texture all over.

I'm just glad I saw how badly it straightened it before I did it again and made it worse.

 

[DrC]

mischka your curls don't look bad at all. I was expecting to see bone straight ends. Maybe after a few more washes, your hair will revert back to its regular curl pattern.

 

[mischka]

It doesn't look so bad because it's wet. It looks like complete crap when it dries, and my ends do not hold a curl at all.

 

[havilland]

Def try deep moisture treatments weekly balanced with protein as needed. And trim away slowly every couple of weeks. (1/4 inch at a time). Also hide your hair in buns or some other style, Until you start to see an improvement.

I have majorly damaged my hair many times over years of styling. I have found that slow and steady wins the race.

I have never cut all my hair off!

My damage remedy formula:

---condition deeply, weekly

---hide that hair

----trim, not cut

Continue these steps until you see an improvement. It could take up to a year but it's possible to get better



Sent from my iPhone while out living my best life!

 

[Bublin]

Got my hair straightened about a month ago and after several washes I can definitely tell it has damaged my curl pattern. I may as well be relaxed, my texture is such crap now. I've never gone and just chopped off large chunks of my hair but I'm so over it I am really starting to gain momentum for it. But I figure I had relaxed hair for years and never cut it off so whatever.

Like in my avatar, my hair makes the prettiest coils at the end, especially when I braid after washing. It doesn't do that anymore. It looks like crap relaxed hair (note: I'm not saying relaxers give you crap hair or women with relaxers have crap hair. I'm saying my hair looks like a bad relaxer).

Sick of it.

So both you and your sister's hair are severely heat damaged now?

Oh, apologies, i genuinely mixed you up with another poster.
I said severely because of the way you described your hair.......

eta - i multi-quoted the wrong posts.....but you get the idea.