Why does everyone want to "train" natural hair?

gimbap said:
Personally I think it would be easier to just slap a relaxer in your head if you want to wear straight hair 24/7 :shrug:
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ita if you wanna be straight 24/7...but about the sistas who want to wear their natural hair straight only some of the time? what are they supposed to do?
 
curlicarib said:
Ladies.......seriously? To assume you know the mindset of every natural who straightens her hair regularly, is pretty arrogant and presumptuous. None of us knows the true motivation of someone else. Why someone straightens their hair is their own business. Our approval is not required. Nor should it be. If being a kinky, curly natural works for you - roll with it. But please, don't be so judgmental of others. This is the joy of living in a free country - we get to do what we want with our hair.

No offense to anyone intended.
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Exactly. To say someone's mindset is backwards because you don't agree with it is just......dumb actually.
 
pookaloo83 said:
Why is it a crime to wear your natural hair straight all the time if you want to? You are still natural am I correct? It's just straight. NO CHEMICALS. One wearing their hair not straightened does NOT make you better than the one who does. Just sayin. Some people are just so EXTRA. :rolleyes:
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thank you!!!...some kinky haired folks are always so extra on this subject matter.
 
Ms. Feliz said:
What if their hair cannot tolerate the chemicals of a relaxer? Then what?
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you bring up a good point. i stand corrected. if you are a natural sista and want to wear your hair straight 24/7... then by all means break out the hot comb or flat iron and do what makes you happy!
 
Wow. Anyway. I'm natural and when I press my hair it wont stay that way for long. But as a kid I don't remember having a problem with my hair snapping back. I guess it was heat trained but it was not broken off or anything. I actually looked a lot healthier than it does now. Natural hair is a lot more difficult for me to care for. But that's just me and MY hair.:look:
 
*goes back to read OP*

Nowhere did she say she didn't understand why some naturals straighten on the regular. She asked what's up with so many people thinking natural hair had to be "trained" into a straight style and how she thought trained = heat damage.

**Goes back to re-read responses to see if anyone actually answered the question**
 
I do not think "training" has to equal damage. The front of my hair is easier to pull back the more frequently I do it. The more I wear it down the more it snaps back over time. My sis went from a kinky curly natural to straight than back again. By the end of several months, her hair tightened up to her original texture (no big trim or breakage).
My stylist told me I needed to stop neglecting a section of my hair during the detangling process. She indicated it would be easier to detangle if I was consistent. She was right. Was I training that section? The more often I wear a wash & go, the more defined my pattern. The farthest I am away from a shampoo, the shinier my hair is...etc, etc, etc...

However, I still fear damage from "heat training", so I stay away from straight hair.

ETA: some people do not want to wear puffs, fros or a wash & go. They really aren't concerned with the consistency of the strands. Most of them do not even notice the difference.
 
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asubeauty said:
As she was flat ironing, she told me that I should come to her at least once a month to get a trim and to let her straighten it so that it "won't be so used to being natural, it'll be used to being straight."
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Doesn't that defeat the purpose of going natural? LOL! And good grief...a persons hair would NE-VER grow if they got a trim once a month...:nono:
 
Eisani said:
*goes back to read OP*

Nowhere did she say she didn't understand why some naturals straighten on the regular. She asked what's up with so many people thinking natural hair had to be "trained" into a straight style and how she thought trained = heat damage.

**Goes back to re-read responses to see if anyone actually answered the question**
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Those people/stylist(mainly stylists) who think natural hair needs to be trained are the people who have a relaxed mindset! Alot of stylists find it easier to work with straight/relaxed hair. So they would "train" the natural's hair so it would save them time styling it.

Also trained hair doesn't always equal damage. Alot of RELAXED heads train their hair to wrap going one direction. Even if they tried to wrap in the other direction it doesn't work. I think anything done over a long period of time(relaxing,flat ironing, wraping one directions, weaves) all can attribute to damage.
 
dancinstallion said:
Also trained hair doesn't always equal damage. Alot of RELAXED heads train their hair to wrap going one direction. Even if they tried to wrap in the other direction it doesn't work. I think anything done over a long period of time(relaxing,flat ironing, wraping one directions, weaves) all can attribute to damage.
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I was thinking about this the other day. Like with heat training or heat damage. I don't necessarily think heat training is heat damage. I dunno. If your hair is heat trained yet long and full and healthy how can I or anyone call it damaged? Just like with relaxed hair. Ideally once the chemical is in it's "damaged" but how can that be with so many healthy haired relaxed people? I think damaged hair is hair that is broken off and just all jacked up. I don't think hair is automatically damaged just because it's heat trained or relaxed.
 
asubeauty said:
As far as I know, "training" natural hair = heat damage. Why does everyone think it's a good idea? :wallbash: :spinning:
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I don't think that everyone does think along those lines but IMHO, I think that it could be because as the hair gets longer, "heat training" it keeps it from drawing up and tying up on itself. I don't really agree with the term heat training because it could get confusing and/or misunderstood. Using heat to temporarily elongate the curl pattern is one thing but blow frying your hair into submission (heat damage) is something totally different. (At least to me.) Some people blow dry because it keeps their hair from knotting up on itself. I can understand that. Right now I'm at a longer twa stage and I have no idea how my hair is going to react when it's shoulder, apl, bsl, etc. I think it will be a process since there will be more hair to deal with ya know? I don't know that I will be doing that but it's a viable option if I begin to lose hair to SSK's.


I personally appreciate the diversity of our hair. It's a beautiful thing. Long, short, curly, kinky/coily, straight.... it's ALL good.
 
There is another site that does not tolerate the use of heat in styling hair. This isn't it and that is why people love it here. The freedom to do strait styles without getting the side eye. I am going to learn how to do heat styling the healthy way when my TWA grows out. I'm hoping it cuts down my single strand knots and gain retention.:yep:
 
*throws some conditioner on top of my fro* GROW HAIR GROW
sprays in some moisturizer DRINK HAIR DRINK
Picks up a flat iron and of course heat protectant STAY HAIR STAY
lol I couldn't resist just the word training kinda makes me squint and turn my head to the side
 
DDTexlaxed said:
You should not call them that. It is sad that naturals have division because some choose to wear strait styles. I've seen several women who do this because their hair is very long and it cuts down on single strand knots. Training can lead to damage if not done properly. There are several ladies here and on You tube who have done this and their natural hair is gorgeous and healthy. Not all ladies go natural with a goal to have a big fro. They have the mind set to enjoy their natural hair's versatility.
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I could be wrong but I think she meant those who "train" their hair, not just the women who straighten their natural hair. Personally, I think there's a difference. :yep:
 
rockstar said:
Not every natural straightens or "trains" their hair for aesthetic purposes. I straightened my hair for years (taking breaks in summers) because it worked for me. My hair grew and retained length better using heat than it did with WnGs and bunning in the summers. I teetered between BSL/MBL, until recently cutting to APL. I'm not sure if my hair is damaged, but I don't have any strands that will not curl up or different in texture.
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to your point, I have to say that one of my current challenges is reaching and surpassing the length I once achieved when I was relaxed. Over the next few months I plan to evaluate whether my hair retains more length from curly styles or stretched styles. Then I can determine what my priority is and style accordingly. Everyone's hair is different. We should just have fun with it and not worry about being labeled by it.
 
Just because you don't use chemicals to PERM(anently) alter your hair does not mean you are natural. Natural hair is hair in which the original curl pattern has not been permanently altered. The source by which one has changed their original texture is of really no consequence. If you need to cut your hair to get back to your original pattern, heat or chemicals alike, you aren't natural. So imho a discussion on "naturals" who have heat trained their hair imho is moot. Permanently straight hair by fire, permanently straight hair by chemicals...there is no difference.
 
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LOL. People get so silly with this topic. I'm a heat trained "natural." You see my siggie. The begining pictures is from chemicals. The results are from heat training. So that is why I don't "slap a relaxer" on my hair.

My hair has grown longer than ever, shiny and has movement. If that's damage I'll that it.

It you'd like to see what Heat training can do for you check out my airdried hair
http://www.youtube.com/user/Brittanynic16#p/u/7/JGgsLtxcxC4
 
brittanynic16 said:
LOL. People get so silly with this topic. I'm a heat trained "natural." You see my siggie. The begining pictures is from chemicals. The results are from heat training. So that is why I don't "slap a relaxer" on my hair.

My hair has grown longer than ever, shiny and has movement. If that's damage I'll that it.

It you'd like to see what Heat training can do for you check out my airdried hair
http://www.youtube.com/user/Brittanynic16#p/u/7/JGgsLtxcxC4
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Oh, wow. Can you please share your regimen with me? I truly want to do the same with my hair!:yep:
 
If you're heat training your hair, you aren't natural. Straightening your hair once in a while is just a styling choice, but the hair is able to revert back to its natural state.

If your "training" your hair to do something it does not/will not do on it's own, then that's not natural:ohwell: Natural meaning existing in or produced by nature.

I can see the benefit of straigtening hair, but let's not delude ourselves.
 
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BEAUTYU2U said:
I could be wrong but I think she meant those who "train" their hair, not just the women who straighten their natural hair. Personally, I think there's a difference. :yep:
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Yes, you were totally right. If wish people would read a little more closely instead of jumping (so high) with conclusions.

Thank you :yep:
 
I am new at this, but I went natural because I didn't want to be running to the salon for relaxers anymore. I used to think I "needed" relaxers and that made me a slave to it.

I don't know what kind of natural I'll be. I have a job interview next Tuesday and for job interviews I straighten because I know how to work with those styles (been doing it for my whole life.)

So I guess I'm not trying to meet anyone's idea of what it means to be natural. I'm just going to do what I do.
 
My hair is not a dog, so I personally am not interested in "training" it to do anything. I prefer my natural hair in its natural state, which is why it's curly 98% of the time. I also love the versatility of natural hair so when I want it straightened, I straighten it. Throughout my hair journey, I've learned that people can do whatever they want to do with their hair and I do the same. I turn up the corner of my lip to people who try to tell other people what to do with their own hair. :look:
 
Most people on the hairboards that heat train, do so to cut down on SSK's. Not everyone is ashamed of their natural texture. Sure, some people are and this hairdresser seems like she has something against thick, kinky hair but it isn't fair to group everyone together.
 
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