Would this be okay to do (???)

[Poohbear]

I'm on the No Heat Challenge and I'm doing the Super Grow Out Challenge. I'm also transitioning to natural. For 2005, I would like to track my hair growth progress each month like DSD.

Would it be okay to straighten my hair with heat once a month just to take a length pic? Also, would it be best to use a ceramic flat iron or a stove hot comb to press the new growth?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Shatani]

well, no heat means no heat.....so, that challenge is out the window if you straighten once a month....you might try banding as a way to chart growth....you can see how long your hair is when its stretched too....straightening your hair is not the only way to see if its grown....

however, if you do want to use heat to straighten, then i would suggest the flat iron....but thats just my preference...i dont like the feeling of the raking of the hot comb...

 

[candibaby]

Coming from a fellow transitioner (ooh i like saying that..) who is also on the Super Grow Out Challenge.. I dont see a problem with that. It's not like once a month is a LOT of heat. I plan to straighten my new growth with my flat iron every now and again to check my progress as well. Good luck on your hair growing/transitioning journey!

PS: You could always be on your own personal "minimal heat" challenge, since technically that isn't NO heat. (had to edit post to say this and scratch myself off the NO Heat challenge as well)

 

[Poohbear]

thanks for your responses, ladies!

bumping for more!

 

[CharUK]

Considering all the threads regarding bad experiences with pressing natural hair, I really wouldn't do that, personally speaking of course.

I think it would be better to get a t-shirt and pull the hair straight and mark it with a marker each month instead?

xx

 

[MizAvalon]

Heat once a month most likely wouldn't damage your hair, but you are definitely off the no-heat challenge if you do that. But, if you want to straighten to check your length, perhaps you could do it every 2 or 3 months? I don't think there will be much to see after 1 month.

 

[Poohbear]

Heat once a month most likely wouldn't damage your hair, but you are definitely off the no-heat challenge if you do that. But, if you want to straighten to check your length, perhaps you could do it every 2 or 3 months? I don't think there will be much to see after 1 month.

Hmmm... I might take your advice MizAvalon. Maybe I should change from "No" Heat Challenge to a "Less" Heat Challenge (which I've really been on since I blowdried once and pressed once since I started the challenge).

I don't think it will hurt anything. After the stove hot comb press I got Christmas, my curls came back after I washed. Even though curls coming back may not matter, my hair is not damaged from the heat either. My mom pressed it on low-medium heat and it wasn't a hardcore bone straight press.

 

[PittGirl06]

Well, you may not like what I have to say buuuuut if you follow thru it may do you good!

IF you track your hair growth like that in your transition, you MAY get discouraged if you do not see much progress. I would suggestion......no checking length challenge....just relax (oops, that I say that? hehe....I should say "chill" instead!) and let your hair grow! If you want to check progress, maybe check it less frequently than once a month. Try maybe once every 3 months or something like someone else mentioned.

I would avoid heat as much as possible but i would choose the flat iron if I was gonna use heat. Also, if you have a blowdryer with a comb attachment, that may work well too if you are careful.

I dont remember if you have braids or even are interested in them, but I strongly suggest getting braids or a sew in or some other type of extension just so you are not dealing with your hair. I currently am waiting to get the hook up from one of the africans in my residence cuz my hair wants me to play in it!

 

[Poohbear]

Well, you may not like what I have to say buuuuut if you follow thru it may do you good!

IF you track your hair growth like that in your transition, you MAY get discouraged if you do not see much progress. I would suggestion......no checking length challenge....just relax (oops, that I say that? hehe....I should say "chill" instead!) and let your hair grow! If you want to check progress, maybe check it less frequently than once a month. Try maybe once every 3 months or something like someone else mentioned.

I would avoid heat as much as possible but i would choose the flat iron if I was gonna use heat. Also, if you have a blowdryer with a comb attachment, that may work well too if you are careful.

I dont remember if you have braids or even are interested in them, but I strongly suggest getting braids or a sew in or some other type of extension just so you are not dealing with your hair. I currently am waiting to get the hook up from one of the africans in my residence cuz my hair wants me to play in it!

why would i not like what u had to say? you gave good ideas. i might take the no length checking challenge into consideration.
but i've thought about braids but I'm afraid of braids because I have fine textured, under- & over-processed hair and color-treated relaxed hair, and I'm also not comfortable with wearing fake hair.
Thanks for your response!

 

[ThickHair]

To check for length just have someone pull your hair straight and take a picture. You don't have to straighten first.

 

[PittGirl06]

I figured you may not like it cuz it involved no length checking and something tells me you really wanna use the heat and check that length! I understand not wanting to wear fake hair...before I started wearing braids, I seriously thought that people who wore weaves/braids were "hoochie mamas" --dead serious...lol. If you ever do try braids, I would reccomend something simple and more temperary like cornrows. At least then if you find that you just on't like them, you can take them down without feeling like you wasted too much money (cornrows are pretty cheap). Also, if you do get braids, it really shouldn't be a problem...just make sure they are not braided too tight or too small (at least pencil size). You may also want to consider maybe just having your real hair cornrowed back.