WHAT IS UP WITH THE HEAT THING?

[soslychic]

I just don't understand this ceramic stuff. How can this possibly barely be damaging at all like everybody is saying. How is that possible? Yes I would LUV to flat iron my hair, but it's relaxed and relaxed hair plus heat every week (I wash my hair at least every 3 days, so I'd have to find a different way to style it on the other days). But even once a week, wouldn' t that be damaging? I know...I know...I should try and see how my hair reacts, but is there some kind of information about ceramics that I am missing? Maybe I just need to research more....

 

[dontspeakdefeat]

I honestly don't believe that the ceramic irons are non-damaging. Any type of heat, regardless where it comes from, is damaging in my opinion. I think that if used with protection and on an occasional basis it should be ok.

 

[soslychic]

So do you think once a week would be too much?

 

[myco]

I think it's about degrees of damage. Like dontspeakdefeat said, all heat is damaging. This is a less damaging version for some people. But I still would only do it occasionally, with a heat protectant and on the lowest setting possible. Too much of anything can be bad.

 

[Guest]

Not really. I don't even think that 1x a week w/a regular curling iron will ravage your hair. I curl mine about 1x every other week, but it's in wet buns for the other 2 weeks. I think as long as u take care of it, moisturize, moisturize, condition, condition, condition, that it won't be so bad. Then again, if I blow it out and curl it Monday, it won't make it til Friday b4 I've conditioner washed and smacked into a wet bun again!!!!

 

[Tracy]

Unfortuantely SSC, in this, as in all things hair related, you are going to have to see how YOUR hair reacts.

For some people, not only is heat once a week not damaging, but heat more often than that isn't damaging. The theory behind ceramic irons is that they CONDUCT heat better than traditional irons which means that there are no "hot spots" on the iron as you use it - places where the heat is more intense, and therefore MORE damaging than in other parts of the iron (and thereby the hair) itself. There is an even distribution of heat all over, and your hair is supposed to curl or straighten more quickly and efficiently as a result.

Now - ceramic irons did not work on my hair at all. If you know that heat will be problematic on your hair once a week because of past experience then my guess is that ANY heat will be a problem - ceramic or no. In that case I'd say stay away. To make it even more confusing - I can use regular irons on my hair (non-ceramic) once or twice a week with no trouble. WIth the ceramic iron however I found that the iron (and by default, my hair as well) got HOTTER than with a regular iron which led me to believe that I was inadvertantly putting MORE heat on my hair to do the very same job that a regular iron would accomplish just fine.

For people with very thick or coarse hair (mine is fine and thin) however, it sometimes takes two or three swipes with a regular iron to get a decent curl or the desired straigthening effect and so for those folks, overall, one go round with a ceramic (even if it's a little hotter I guess) is preferable to the two or three rounds with a regular one.

Some people who used it said their hair curled better and was LESS hot than normal (the actual hair itself after the iron was removed). This was not my experience - but as you see the experiences vary. I imagine yours will too.

An overall knowledge that heat doesn't work on my hair would have kept me from testing it out. Because that wasn't the case with me, and I knew it, I gave it a try. You'll have to weigh your options based on what you know about your hair.

I hope this gave you a little more info to work with though.

 

[dontspeakdefeat]

Very well said Tracy!

 

[soslychic]

As usual Tracy, you pulled it all together. Thanks so much!!
(to everyone as well)