I agree with the bolded, reading through the responses here, I see that heat training seems to work for some people and I can see that heat training is no where near the same as getting a relaxer. Alot of people can handle heat, but can't handle the chemical process of relaxers. Makes sense.
Heat training is to texlaxing AS heat damage is to under-processed.
One is intentional the other is unintentional.
At the end of the day they are both the same- broken bonds. Broken bonds are damaged.
I get what you're saying, but heat damage is permanent too. If you've been "training" for years, there's no way that one ApHogee treatment or a 100 dc's is gonna turn your hair into its natural pattern again.
Heat training is such a slippery slope, cause with one wrong move you could completely damage your hair (and I'm talking about the whole shebang, like breakage, split ends, etc).
I'm bout to get my EllePixie on and explain it in a metaphor: It's like the choking game that was popular some years ago amongst teenage kids. They'd choke themselves to get a high, but they had to know when to release the restriction from around the neck, just in time before passing out. Some kids made it...some kids didn't
There's a very fine line between heat training and the whole shebang of heat damage. Heat training can very easily lead to the real deal damaging stuff. Cause after training for so long, the ends of your hair will probably be permanently straight (since they've been exposed to heat way more) while the roots would still have some sort of pattern. I don't see anyone being able to wear a wash 'n go after that has happened to their hair.
So yeah, all of that just to say, it is permanent, just no burning scalps.
Heat is very damaging to me, but not chemicals.
I very much agree with you, but to the bolded, some people only use the heat on the roots if the rest of the hair is loose enough for them. I think it's a "controlled heat damage".
Just like some heads can't take chemicals and can withstand heat..some are the other way around, like me.
I like to think not all things are univesally damaging for everyone. Technically is "damage", because the hair was altered, but I'm not talking about this technical damage, I'm talking about the dry splitted hair kind of damage. If the hair is soft, shiny and all that, is healthy enough for me.
Yes, it's what they are seeking, but it's still damage IMO. But some people say their hair isn't damaged because it looks nice after they have styled it, but wet it looks like
If it's not looking "healthy enough" in its natural state, you might be looking at a failed attempt to heat train.
I think the heating only roots (or just non trained hair) is a nice approach to avoid further unnecessary damage.
I admit, I did see that thread and didn't read it entirely, but I thought there is a difference between finding a new name for heating training and asking the difference between Heat training and Heat damage as well as asking how does one know if their hair is heat trained!
I'll give you my opinion on what it is
The disclaimer is I am over 50. So back in the day, i didnt know anyone who had a perm. They called perm Vigorol and it smelled terrible. And so for special occasions we would get a press and curl. Or sometimes for church. The hairdresser said she was "training" our hair so it would straighten easier. After the press was washed out or "sweated" out we could always get our "afro" back lol.Not sure if that is still what it means now.
My hair is retaining more length than it did when I was completely no heat <shrug> 
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When I imagine heat damaged hair, I imagine random straight pieces non uniform texture, hair breaking etc. I imagine healthy heat trained hair to be looser than it's original texture but intentional and importantly hair is loosened gradually and consistently.
I don't really understand the controversy in these threads. People run around screaming damage damage damage which no one would dare say in a relaxed thread. The whole thing is being turned into some taboo.
My hair is verrry slightly heat trained as I straighten once a month or every two months. My 4a curls are slightly clumpier and my hair has less volume but definitely not looser texture. I now have next to zero ssks which were plaguing me before and less split ends.
Oh and I can wear wash n gos now as ssks are non existent and my hair is less tangly
It would be nice to have a thread about heat training (without the extras) in order to have a knowledge bank like one that exists for all other style choices but until the hysterics and sarcasm dies down people will keep doing it behind the scenes instead.
The bolded was what I was trying to do when I started the thread. I wanted to learn more and to know the difference. I think the discussion is going well so far, a couple of extras, but ok so far.When I imagine heat damaged hair, I imagine random straight pieces non uniform texture, hair breaking etc. I imagine healthy heat trained hair to be looser than it's original texture but intentional and importantly hair is loosened gradually and consistently.
I don't really understand the controversy in these threads. People run around screaming damage damage damage which no one would dare say in a relaxed thread. The whole thing is being turned into some taboo.
My hair is verrry slightly heat trained as I straighten once a month or every two months. My 4a curls are slightly clumpier and my hair has less volume but definitely not looser texture. I now have next to zero ssks which were plaguing me before and less split ends.
Oh and I can wear wash n gos now as ssks are non existent and my hair is less tangly
It would be nice to have a thread about heat training (without the extras) in order to have a knowledge bank like one that exists for all other style choices but until the hysterics and sarcasm dies down people will keep doing it behind the scenes instead.
When I imagine heat damaged hair, I imagine random straight pieces non uniform texture, hair breaking etc. I imagine healthy heat trained hair to be looser than it's original texture but intentional and importantly hair is loosened gradually and consistently.
I don't really understand the controversy in these threads. People run around screaming damage damage damage which no one would dare say in a relaxed thread. The whole thing is being turned into some taboo.
My hair is verrry slightly heat trained as I straighten once a month or every two months. My 4a curls are slightly clumpier and my hair has less volume but definitely not looser texture. I now have next to zero ssks which were plaguing me before and less split ends.
Oh and I can wear wash n gos now as ssks are non existent and my hair is less tangly
It would be nice to have a thread about heat training (without the extras) in order to have a knowledge bank like one that exists for all other style choices but until the hysterics and sarcasm dies down people will keep doing it behind the scenes instead.
I think discussing the difference is important also, yes there is controversy to it because people make it that way, but if someone is wanting to heat train, it is important for them to know the difference so they don't end up with unwanted results.
