What's your flat-iron routine Transitioners and Naturals?

[keriplz]

Can I read some of your routines for when you decide to flat-iron your hair? I feel like my HHJ is going very well so far, but when I do decide to straighten my hair, it's the same routine for when I was breaking my hair off (just add a heat protectant)... I would like to wear my hair straight today, so I want to see what you ladies do to get your hair straight without causing excessive damage.

Please include everything, from pre-poo, protein treatments, to blowdrying when its 80% dry etc.

[Sapphire_chic]

Well my routine didn't get my hair pin straight last time but it did revert back completely. I'm transitioning and the majority of my hair is 4a ish

I deep condition with la kair cholesterol mixed with an oil for about an hour.

detangle with a denman to remove shed hairs.

rinse my hair off in the shower with an acv rinse for the last rinse to smooth the cuticles or whatever lol

plait hair into six sections, apply heat protectant when hair is damp and sometimes a leave in (next time i straighten it will be aphogee green tea and keratin and fantasia ic heat protect)

air dry completely

Take down plaits one by one straightening in very small sections and chasing with a denman, using about 2 passes

I used 190 celcius last time but i plan on using 200-210c next time because my hair is very coarse and needed abit more heat. i've used that temp before successfully but you may want to increase the heat more slowly until you find a temp you are comfortable with.

[SherylsTresses]

My flat-iron routine is rollersetting my hair, airdry then flat-ironing the roots only. I try to stay away from too much direct heat.
I use the Chi Silk Infusium but thinking about K-Pak heat protectant since I their products.

[NikStar]

I flat iron once a month during the fall/winter. What I do, after washing and conditioning. I apply a healthy amount of Salerm 21 (I use as a heat protectant) and a dab of coconut oil on the ends, and I also spritz my hair with Chi Keratin Mist, then I put my hair in about 8 braids and let it airdry overnight. The next morning I take down each braid and then take small sections and swipe once to stretch it, and then the second swipe I use the comb chase method using this comb:




My hair turns out looking like an old school press using this. Super straight! Oh and I use my flat iron at 375 degrees. Using the chase-method has allowed me to reduce the heat on the flat iron but getting the same results as I would with higher temps. After I finish, I apply a little bit more coconut oil to the length of my hair and that's it. Don't really have any reversion issues.

[keriplz]

Thank-you ladies! Since I am pressed for time I may roller set my hair, then press the roots. The only problem is that I don't have an over-head dryer.... Hmmm maybe I could borrow my roommate's blowdryers and have them pointed at my head lol

[Nonie]

• DC with GPB.
• Shampoo with Garnier Fructis then rinse.
• Condition with CHI Infra Treatment applied to small sections at a time and combed through to ensure complete coverage of the strands.
• Rinse with water and then ACV solution.
• Airdry in Curlformers to stretch (I prefer this to blow drying because it = no heat for this step)
• Working on one stretched Curlformer section at a time, undo, spray to coat thoroughly with John Frieda Frizz Ease Heat Defeat Protective Styling Spray to wet, then press wet-to-dry with a Babyliss Pro Ceramic Flat Iron set at 230 degrees Celsius (446 degrees Fahrenheit)
• Once all sections have been flat-ironed wet-to-dry (only one pass necessary), I take narrow sections again and coat very well with John Frieda Frizz Ease Hair Serum Thermal Protection Formula and pass the iron over the each narrow section once.
• Finito!
  
  No smell of burning protein/hair during the press, after the press or when I wash the press away; no broken hair pieces all over the place; reversion is 100% complete on washing my hair.

[malibu4590]

I typically don't flat-iron often but my routine is pretty simple and it lasts through the next wash day.

• Shampoo in braids w/ castille soap mixed with jojoba oil and a few drops of SAA
• 2nd Shampoo with Nexxus Sleektress
• Condition with Nexxus Hydrasleek
• Deep Condition with NTM DC with few drops of SAA
• After rinsing with hair still in 4 braids, loosen one braid at a time and detangle with a wide-tooth comb and then a medium-tooth comb.
• After detangling that one braid, blowdry with Nexxus Heat Protexx and Chi Silk Infusion using a paddle brush and the tension method.
• Clip that section away and move on to the next until the entire head is done.
• Flatiron on 360 degrees with Runway.

[Dommo]

I'll chime in. I wash my hair 1x a week. FYI, IMO, some techniques will be different on naturals and transitioners(you have to work with 2 textures so aidrying, etc is not a good idea)IMO

1. Hot oil treatment on dry hair with any oil really (grapeseed, olive, coconut, vatika....)
2. Shampoo out with moisturizing shampoo (currently use green CON)
3. DC with silicon mix or an alter ego condtioner (I've noticed that a lot of those "all natural" conditioners don't really give me that professional swing and bounce. I detangle while applying my DC.
4. Rinse out with cool water leaving a tiny bit on. (no need for a leave-in unless you have really dry hair)
5. in sections apply a serum (i'm currently using Moroccan oil serum but you can really use any)
6. Blow-dry with comb attachment in sections. I am too far along in my transition to air dry or wait until my hair is partly dry. I have to blow dry on wet hair in order for my hair not to tangle or anything.
7. Then I use my FHI platform around 340 degrees (higher if needed). No products needed. Remember to work in very small sections especially on the edges and nape.
8. Results = relaxer straight, bouncy hair.

[MilkChocolateOne]

once a week

1. i wash with diluted shampoo

2. condition

3. apply my leave ins, lacio lacio to the length and ends, joico kpak smoothing balm or joico k pak color therapy styling oil to the roots

4. rollerset and sit under the dryer

5. flat iron roots only

[KiSseS03]

I'm a transitioner, just passed the 11 months post mark!

My flat-ironing routine is to wash my hair in sections, deep condition and then roller-set. I usually let the roller-set air dry over night, and the next morning I lightly flat-iron just the roots.