What do you do when some hairs won't revert after a press?

YankeeCandle

YankeeCandle

New Member
I washed out my 3-week long press a few days ago. It wasn't done with a pressing comb, but with the Instyler machine (I re-Instyled twice or three times over the same hair without washing over those weeks).

Several curls are long and stretched out and loopy, but even worse are ones that didn't revert at all---they look like they belong on an entirely different head! And they are much longer than the rest of the hair.

Also, the same thing happens to me when I wear my hair down and the curls get trapped by my heavy laptop bag shoulder strap and get pulled down--I end up with straight long hairs sticking out of my mass of curls!

Should I snip them? But then won't my hair be uneven the next time I straighten? Maybe I should steer clear of any further straightening to begin with! I have thin hair and can't afford to lose any...

My sis took this pic for me:



dvftvm.jpg
 
Since you didn't wash your hair for 3 weeks I would definitely deep condition the heck out of it. Give it another week or two of no straight styles and just deep conditioning, if it doesn't bring back the curls then I would start to trim the ends. I'm sorry that happened to you. I didn't know the Instyler could do that.
 
Looks like heat damage. I don't know if it can be repaired. :sad: Wow, your press lasted 3 weeks?:blush: The Instyler is that good?
 
LOL, BostonMaria and DDTexlaxed! I'll be honest: I didn't look like the freshest daisy in the bunch, but I didn't look "A HAM" either! I just looked someone with sort of dull, blah straight hair and a hint of curl at the ends/temples.

The Instyler is the first and only machine I have been successful at straightening my own hair with. I cannot wield a blow dryer to save my life, I am afraid of strong heat like pressing combs, and I flat irons don't do anything unless I've already done a good job blowing out (impossible for me).

As long as your hair is good and detangled first, the Instyler can do a very decent job of straightening 3c/3c curls. Now, as to 4-ish hair, I don't know. If someone had the type of hair that is almost kinky-straight in its natural form, maybe this machine would do even better than on curls, who knows?

Just don't expect Chi-like results...if you want the sleekest/shiniest possible look, you will need to go over it with a ceramic iron (which I don't own and don't need 'cause I don't want it that sleek and flat).

I will take BostonMaria's advice to keep DC'ing and wait a few more weeks before snipping.
 
It sounds like it may be heat damage. What you do next depends on how you wear your hair. If you intend to wear it straight on a regular basis then I would leave it alone. It will look fine when straight. I'd buy a few rods and curl the straight pieces so they don't stick out like a sore thumb when you wear your hair curly. If you wear it curly most of the time then I'd just cut those pieces that are hanging low. It will be uneven but it won't be the end of the world. You won't even notice it until you straighten your hair again.
 
Next time, don't straighten your hair once it's already been done. You said you went over it 2 or 3 times and that's not good. The instyler, from what I've seen of it, is just as bad as a pressing comb since that heated coil is right next to your hair at all times, but that's just my opinion.

Anyway, to help get some of your coils back you should do a protein treatment. It does help a lot of people because the protein patches up the damaged spots. You could do one hardcore or do a light one every time you dc, it's up to you.
 
Black Ambrosia, I'm curly 99% of the year, so I guess that means I'm snipping! Good advice about the rollers, though.

msa, you're right, I shouldn't have gone over it that many times. I think my hair is just too malleable; even without heat, the presssure my laptop bag strap (over 2-3 days of use) creates wavy/straight hairs that actually will not revert even after several washes.

I tried using a protein for the first time when I washed the press out. I used Nexxus Emergencee for 3-4 minutes, rinsed with water, and then used a light DC I had lying around (Biolage Hydra Conditioning Balm).

I don't feel like Emergencee did ANYTHING to strengthen my fine, mushy hair. Maybe I need a stronger one...
 
My mom had success with a protein treatment. I put some Joico K-Pak DPR in her hair, let it marinate, and followed up with a good moisturizing DC.
 
Thank you lilsparkle, Desirae, brucebettye and Mel1804 for the suggestions about the protein! I am totally new to the world of proteins, but when I was researching the Emergencee a few weeks ago, I saw all these raves about the Joico....so JOICO it will be.

Mel1804, I'm also thinking it will not revert to its true form...so I am ready to snip, but I will do the protein as an experiment first to see what it reaps.
 
Sorry, which K PAK are you all talking about? There are several different products under teh K-PAK line on their website. Thanks!
 
I've been natural since May and I had my hair pressed in Aug. The same thing happened to my hair after I had a press and curl with a straightening comb. I just cut the straight hairs myself and of course they were in different places. I just hated how I damaged my smooth curl and then was stuck with straight hairs. Yuk. I just had my hair shaped up at the barber shop on Tues. When I want a sleek look, I will blow dry and flat iron with my FHI Tools.

India
 
Do protein treatment, like others suggested. Maybe even a couple over a span of a month. Don't be too much of a "quick draw" with the scissors just yet. I've seen a person's hair revert over the span of about a month. It wasn't instantaneous.
 
India*32 said:
I just hated how I damaged my smooth curl and then was stuck with straight hairs. Yuk. I just had my hair shaped up at the barber shop on Tues. When I want a sleek look, I will blow dry and flat iron with my FHI Tools.

India
Click to expand...

Tell me about it! There's nothing more unattractive (besides my bald spot on my crown, :grin:), IMO, then a bunch of bizarrely placed straw-like hairs sticking down out of a mass of tight curls. Looks like a bird's nest.
 
NikStar said:
. Don't be too much of a "quick draw" with the scissors just yet. I've seen a person's hair revert over the span of about a month. It wasn't instantaneous.
Click to expand...

This is very good advice. If it weren't for this and the similar advice from other posters, I would have snipped the straight hairs within minutes of noticing them.
 
If you still have the emergencee try it a little longer than 3-4 mins. I usually put it on my hair, throw a cap on for about 20 minutes or so and I don't sit under the dryer. I love that stuff. I haven't tried Joico though.
 
I wouldn't snip just yet. Aveda Damage Remedy always helps my hair revert.
Just make sure you do a protein treatment before you straighten your hair the next time and use a heat protectant as well.
 
that is heat damage. i have had it and in my experience Allah, Jesus and Jehosaphat couldn't save that hair despite moisture and protein treatments. i had to snip snip snip.
 
aegis said:
that is heat damage. i have had it and in my experience Allah, Jesus and Jehosaphat couldn't save that hair despite moisture and protein treatments. i had to snip snip snip.
Click to expand...

:lachen::clapping:


Cocoslim: If you still have the emergencee try it a little longer than 3-4 mins. I usually put it on my hair, throw a cap on for about 20 minutes or so and I don't sit under the dryer. I love that stuff. I haven't tried Joico though

An old post had someone claimin they left their Emergencee on for several hours. IS that safe and /or even effective??

Kweenaameeena:
I wouldn't snip just yet. Aveda Damage Remedy always helps my hair revert.
Just make sure you do a protein treatment before you straighten your hair the next time and use a heat protectant as well.

I'll look up the Aveda. I straightened before I read about protein treatments on LHCF (i only discovered it like in August)! All I put on the hair before straightening this past time was an Organixx serum (Vanilla).
 
UPDATE:

It's been several washes (at least 4-5) since that press, as well as 2-3 Emergencee treatments, a Joico K PAK treatment, and several deep conditionings, and the curls never came back in those areas. I have more long loopy curls (3b?) than usual and many hairs that stick straight out like straw from my mane of curls, even right next to tiny pencil-diameter spirals.

So, I figured those hairs are a lost cause and I can't be walking around with straw sticking out of my mane...

And snipped the suckers off!

(like my thinning hair really needs to lose any more, right? I also look uneven now, with one side of my head that had had more non-reverting hairs looking shorter than the other side. sigh. )

That's it; I'm swearing off even my 1-2 x yearly press. It's too risky and I'm too paranoid.
 
I had a problem with the laptop bag b/c of work also, it would snag my hair... have you tried carrying a laptop backpack instead? Thats what I switched over to.
 
GIRL, I swtiched to backpacks last year PRECISELY for that reason!

When I first became a member here, I considered making my very first post about the laptop bag/heavy purse problem, but I thought it seemed like an obscure problem. It's not; I have permanently "straightened" many of my curls because of repeated pulling by bag straps.

I knew nothing back then about protective styling or about the need to keep your ends off your shoulders.

The backpack is helping but even it still catches (before my self-trim of like 4 inches this past press, my hair was several inches past shoulder length even while curly. Now it is right at my shoulders while curly, and it still gets caught).

I've taken to carrying around a clip of scrunchy to pull my hair off my shoulders while commuting, and then when I get to work, I shake out the hair and leave it out.
 
plastic said:
try pouring beer on your hair and leaving it on for a bit, maybe like 20 mins min.?
Click to expand...

I never heard of that! I mean, I've heard beer imparts shine, etc. but don't really know what properties it has and how they effect hair. Wish I'd read that before I chopped off all those inches, but honestly, I don't think anything was going to bring back those curls.

I wonder....

Can hair be too fine and thin to use heat without permanent damage?

Any other fine-haired folks who have had the same problem? Or not?
 
ZeeOl'Lady said:
Your curls still didn't come back?
Click to expand...

No, ZeeOl'Lady, :(

It had been several washes (at least 4-5) since that press, as well as 2-3 Emergencee treatments, a Joico K PAK treatment, and several deep conditionings, and the curls never came back in those areas.

I STILL have more long loopy curls (Andre 3b-ish) than usual and many hairs that stick straight out like straw from my mane of curls, even right next to tiny pencil-diameter spirals.

But even though I still see all these messed up hairs mixed in with my normal curls, I'm not going to cut anymore. I've already cut off the most egregious/noticeably longer ones (about 3-4 inches of hair).

The longest parts of my hair (i.e. the naturally looser parts in the back) were probably almost Armpit Length while curly before the press.

Now, after my mini-chop, those parts are just below Shoulder Length while curly and the naturally tighter curls in the front are a good few inches above the shoulder, especially a few days after washing.
 
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