Terrified to straighten

SilverAngel45 · 11-04-2009, 03:30 PM

I'm terrified if I straighten I will have ruined my curl pattern forever... Has anyone had horrible or good experiences with straightening hair.

NEA · 11-04-2009, 03:47 PM

Then don't straighten it. No one can promise you what will happen. Some folks can do it, and have done it, and didn't experience heat damage. Others did it one time, and got stringy ends. It's a crap shoot.

If you do decide to do it, make sure your hair is freshly shampooed, conditioned and be sure to use some kind of heat protectant. I don't use "grease", which can "fry" your hair, especially if you use a very hot flat iron or pressing comb. It'll increase the likelihood of you getting stringy, fried ends.

Also, don't blow dry your hair. Stretch it out, by twisting or braiding it and letting it air dry. You avoid the double heat process of blow drying and flat ironing.

Finally, don't try to get super, bone-straight hair. That's the biggest mistake. Whatever you get after a couple of swipes with the flat iron (not set at the hottest setting) is what you should settle for. Add some cream hairdress, set it on some big rollers, to further stretch it out, and be done with it.

That's all I can tell you.

Sandy Coils · 11-04-2009, 04:21 PM

Oooh, girl. I am also afraid to straighten. I want too so bad - just to see what my hair would look like, but I can't chance it. I love my coils way to much to risk it.

If you choose to striaghten, NEA gave some good tips. Good luck.

shawnyblazes · 11-04-2009, 04:22 PM

[quote=NEA;1153528]Then don't straighten it. No one can promise you what will happen. Some folks can do it, and have done it, and didn't experience heat damage. Others did it one time, and got stringy ends. It's a crap shoot.

I agree. I had a sewin and my cousin convinced me to leave my bang area out . 8 inches and a 1 year of growth down the drain . i had to cut my bang down to 3 inches

6 months later its almost back to where it was

Kinky Rhonnie · 11-04-2009, 05:13 PM

I think about it every once in a while but I'm afraid also.

hippychic · 11-04-2009, 05:27 PM

wear a wig or weave to give you a straightened look. this way you'll be 100% certain not to risk damage.

totallytwisted<3 · 11-04-2009, 05:50 PM

I am too. I haven't straightened since I bc'd. I said I might straighten in 2011 for an event. But I don't even know if that will really happy bc I am terrified of heat damage as well. I don't want my hard work to go down the drain. I think I might actually do a very light blow dry and flat-twist out that CurlyChronicles did on her youtube for that special event, that way it will be straighter for the day but not really straight.I think I am most afraid of the flat iron. I will use a heat protectant and only run the blowdryer 2-3 times on each section, then flat twist and take out the next day. .

pulchri2dinous · 11-04-2009, 07:53 PM

Lately I've been wanting to straighten sooooooo bad, but I've been terrified! So, two nights ago I decided to just untwist a patch of hair and straighten it to see what happens. I straightened the patch and looked at it, saw the length, imagined my whole head straightened etc lol I was playing with it for a long time. Then I decided I was ready to see if I had damaged my hair forever (lol).

I stood infront of the mirror and loaded my hair with conditioner. I watched it start getting wavy, but it didn't automatically go back to my true texture. I was thinking, "OMG I EFFED UP MY HAIR! OMG I RUINED EVERYTHING! NOOOO!" Then it got wavier and wavier, so I started feeling relieved. Finally it shrunk back up and I think that was the happiest I have ever been about shrinkage!

I'm still afraid, but not TOO afraid. I just don't know if I want to put myself through all the stress that I felt when I thought I had damaged my hair lol (I'm crazy, I know). I still want to see what my hair looks like straightened, so I will try doing a wet roller set first then flat iron it if I don't get the desired results. Or I might even do a blow out. I think that since my hair was already stretched I was able to get it straight with only three glides on low heat.

VersaceCrazy · 11-04-2009, 08:16 PM

I don't think there's anything really wrong with getting your hair straigtened, BUT only if it's done by a GOOD professional who really knows what they're doing NOT someone who tries to fry your hair.

There are some people who (like Alicia Keyes for ex.) straighten their natural hair on a regualr basis, and still have healthy-looking beautiful curls!

I just wouldn't do it that often..I plan on doing mine again at the beginning of next spring.

NEA · 11-04-2009, 08:36 PM

I repeat...the only way to guarantee no heat damage is to not straighten your hair...regardless of who does it. A true professional only knows hair in general, so they can only go by the book, and by their experiences as a professional. But if your hair won't revert back, it won't hurt your feelings any less, because the person who straightened your hair is a professional.

4a/4b hair is very sensitive to heat and sodium hydroxide. I don't know what type of hair Alicia Keyes has, but I know it's not like mine, and it may not be like the OP's

This needs to be very clear, so that if the OP decides to go ahead with the straightening, they will know up front that there is no 100% formula for avoiding heat damage...except avoiding heat.

I have known folks who heat straightened for years, with no problems. All of sudden they straightened and their hair wouldn't revert back.

"Right or wrong" is not really the issue. If you (anybody) are willing to take the risk, to have straight hair, then I'm not here to tell anyone they're "wrong" for wanting to risk the health of their hair. It's hair, and it grows back, usually.

I straighten my hair, a couple of times a year, and I'm good. Peroxide color (drugstore brand) damaged my hair, and totally wrecked my ends.

subbrock · 11-04-2009, 08:37 PM

ive had good and bad experiences straightening my hair. one time i let my friend flat iron my hair and i ignored all of the warning signs (she didnt know what the hell she was doing, no heat protectant, the flat iron was so hot she burned a hole in her couch, my hair was smoking, etc). needless to say, she fried my hair. it smelled burnt for days until i decided i couldnt take it anymore and had to get it cut.

the rest of my experiences have been relatively good. i always use a heat protectant. i always flat iron on dirty hair (hair that hasnt been freshly washed and i use natural oils (olive, safflower, coconut, etc) as my heat protectant. apparently there is a misconception that using oil as a protectant will fry your hair, but thats not the case. using a heat setting that is too high is the culprit. think of it like cooking--you can put oil in a cool or warm pan and you wont fry a thing if the temperature isnt high enough. but regardless of whether or not you have oil in a pan, if its too hot your food will burn.

in the end, straightening my hair is always anti climactic for me. i end up washing my hair less than 8 hrs later because i prefer my hair curly.

pulchri2dinous · 11-04-2009, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by subbrock

apparently there is a misconception that using oil as a protectant will fry your hair, but thats not the case. using a heat setting that is too high is the culprit. think of it like cooking--you can put oil in a cool or warm pan and you wont fry a thing if the temperature isnt high enough. but regardless of whether or not you have oil in a pan, if its too hot your food will burn.

That's a great way to put it, subbrock

Quote:

This needs to be very clear, so that if the OP decides to go ahead with the straightening, they will know up front that there is no 100% formula for avoiding heat damage...except avoiding heat.

I have known folks who heat straightened for years, with no problems. All of sudden they straightened and their hair wouldn't revert back.

I definitely agree with this.

NEA · 11-04-2009, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by subbrock

ive had good and bad experiences straightening my hair. one time i let my friend flat iron my hair and i ignored all of the warning signs (she didnt know what the hell she was doing, no heat protectant, the flat iron was so hot she burned a hole in her couch, my hair was smoking, etc). needless to say, she fried my hair. it smelled burnt for days until i decided i couldnt take it anymore and had to get it cut.

the rest of my experiences have been relatively good. i always use a heat protectant. i always flat iron on dirty hair (hair that hasnt been freshly washed and i use natural oils (olive, safflower, coconut, etc) as my heat protectant. apparently there is a misconception that using oil as a protectant will fry your hair, but thats not the case. using a heat setting that is too high is the culprit. think of it like cooking--you can put oil in a cool or warm pan and you wont fry a thing if the temperature isnt high enough. but regardless of whether or not you have oil in a pan, if its too hot your food will burn.

in the end, straightening my hair is always anti climactic for me. i end up washing my hair less than 8 hrs later because i prefer my hair curly.

I mentioned not to use "grease", along with high temperatures. I don't think cooking is the best analogy, because we're talking hair, not food. But...

Texture has a lot to do with it. Heavy grease weighs down the hair, and when you apply intense heat, it can increase the likelihood of heat damage. I've had my hair straightened with a light oil, and with...grease (same level of heat) back in the day. I noticed a difference.

The point is that everybody can tell you what they do to straighten, and what works and has worked for them. I'm totally good with that.

But again, we need to inform people that there is a risk, because we don't know what they're working with: texture, overall health, products used, etc.

subbrock · 11-04-2009, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NEA

Quote:

Originally Posted by subbrock

ive had good and bad experiences straightening my hair. one time i let my friend flat iron my hair and i ignored all of the warning signs (she didnt know what the hell she was doing, no heat protectant, the flat iron was so hot she burned a hole in her couch, my hair was smoking, etc). needless to say, she fried my hair. it smelled burnt for days until i decided i couldnt take it anymore and had to get it cut.

the rest of my experiences have been relatively good. i always use a heat protectant. i always flat iron on dirty hair (hair that hasnt been freshly washed and i use natural oils (olive, safflower, coconut, etc) as my heat protectant. apparently there is a misconception that using oil as a protectant will fry your hair, but thats not the case. using a heat setting that is too high is the culprit. think of it like cooking--you can put oil in a cool or warm pan and you wont fry a thing if the temperature isnt high enough. but regardless of whether or not you have oil in a pan, if its too hot your food will burn.

in the end, straightening my hair is always anti climactic for me. i end up washing my hair less than 8 hrs later because i prefer my hair curly.

I mentioned not to use "grease", along with high temperatures. I don't think cooking is the best analogy, because we're talking hair, not food. But...

Texture has a lot to do with it. Heavy grease weighs down the hair, and when you apply intense heat, it can increase the likelihood of heat damage. I've had my hair straightened with a light oil, and with...grease (same level of heat) back in the day. I noticed a difference.

The point is that everybody can tell you what they do to straighten, and what works and has worked for them. I'm totally good with that.

But again, we need to inform people that there is a risk, because we don't know what they're working with: texture, overall health, products used, etc.

the same principle applies with hair or food. too high heat = burn. period. i wasnt referring to your grease comment because i didnt know what you meant by "grease". in another thread someone asked me about using oil as a heat protectant so thats why addressed it, again.

the OP is asking for our experiences with straightening our hair and we're telling her. i think we all know that heat styling in general is a gamble. no one is arguing that. and i think we also know that what works for one person might not work for the other. and if she didnt know then, she knows now!

blackmagicrose · 11-04-2009, 09:32 PM

Add me in the "want to straighten my hair but too afraid to" club. Although I just really want to for length and not much more else. I BC April 08 and haven't checked my length once. I was thinking about attempting it over Thanksgiving but I don't know. Knowing me I'll be too lazy to do it lol.

NEA · 11-04-2009, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackmagicrose

Add me in the "want to straighten my hair but too afraid to" club. Although I just really want to for length and not much more else. I BC April 08 and haven't checked my length once. I was thinking about attempting it over Thanksgiving but I don't know. Knowing me I'll be too lazy to do it lol.

Band it, to stretch it out. My hair will "straighten" when it's banded. I've got a few 4b sections, that won't get as straight. Of course, I'm not talking "flat-iron straight". I just mean straight enough to see your length.

Wild Curls Raquelle · 11-04-2009, 09:48 PM

I intended to straighten again next year. But after a friend burned my hair flat-ironing it on too high heat because she believed that the low setting "won't do a thang for this thick mess" I suffered more heat damage shortly before doing a bc. I just cut off a bunch of natural hair because it was heat damaged. I'm good I'll probably wait till year 3 of continuous curls before I even dust off my irons.

blackmagicrose · 11-04-2009, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NEA

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackmagicrose

Add me in the "want to straighten my hair but too afraid to" club. Although I just really want to for length and not much more else. I BC April 08 and haven't checked my length once. I was thinking about attempting it over Thanksgiving but I don't know. Knowing me I'll be too lazy to do it lol.

Band it, to stretch it out. My hair will "straighten" when it's banded. I've got a few 4b sections, that won't get as straight. Of course, I'm not talking "flat-iron straight". I just mean straight enough to see your length.

I did band it once, late September. Didn't love it. And I don't know why. Just didn't really like it. I'm definitely going to try it again though when I get the time. I think my technique in doing it was crappy.

kayasmommy · 11-04-2009, 10:09 PM

I was really afraid to straighten mine too. It had been over a year, and I was curious...but terrified of the potential damage. I went ahead and did it, and suffered no ill effects, but as it turns out, I didnt really like my hair straight. Even my BF (who insisted for months that he wanted my "old hair" back) wasn't really feeling it.

I was careful to tell the stylist (repeatedly) to use a good heat protectant, because I did not want to risk damaging my hair. She did, and I was fine. Happy to report my coils are still in tact. If you're nervous though, go with your gut. There's really no need to straighten your hair, if you aren't comfortable with it.

Good luck!

lsubabiedee · 11-04-2009, 11:25 PM

i waited 5.5 years after going natural to straighten mine. i was also afraid of permanently damaging my hair but i did as much research on different flat irons and heat protectants, and like 2 or 3 weeks ago, i just went ahead and did it.

i experienced no damage. i was terrified b/c i have such fine hair. i used A LOT of heat protectants tho. and i made sure i bought an iron that i could adjust the temp, and i used as few passes as possible.

now dont get me wrong, this isnt something i plan on doing regularly, but im not as scared to try it anymore...