Heat damage and Natural Hair

[joemerald]

Ladies, I need your opinion on this. Last weekend I went on a ladies only trip and included were some ladies I did not know. One had her hair in braids as she was trying to grow it but said that she will be taking them out soon but did not want to relax because of damage she got previously so will straighten with heat. I asked her how often and she said weekly, I cautioned her that it could be damaging to do it that often and she may erode her progress. Another chimed in that because her hair is natural that it will not be damaging that heat is only damaging to relaxed hair. I disagreed and said that while it is more damaging to relaxed hair, to straighten natural hair weekly with heat was not a good idea. What do you think?

We also argued over trimming, I do not and my ends are not split so I will even up when I reach my goal, but other felt that trimming makes your hair grow. I know we have that argument here on the board also so I will not go into that one.

So is straigthening with heat weekly damaging to natural hair? Who does this on the board with no ill effects?

 

[bLackButtaFly]

There are a couple of ladies who are natural and straighten weekly or less. Chocokitty comes to mind. Your hair can handle more heat if you are natural, b/c you aren't disrupting it's chemical balance, but too much heat is never a good idea, and I think over time it would definitely change your curl pattern.
I also think the temp can damage the hair. I had my hair pressed once at a new salon. She used a pressing comb, which I have never needed on my hair to get it straight, and then a very hot curling iron. i could smell my hair burning. I didn't have a ton of damage, but I do have a little patch in the back that doesn't not curl like the rest, and when I first tried to wash it out I could still smell that singe. So i would never recommend using a pressing comb, I think there are better technilogies out there that are less damaging.
Trimming doesnt make your hair grow. Hair hair grows from the root, there no way somethig you did to the ends would affect its grow cycle. Trimming will lessen breakage b/c the splits can go all the way up the shaft, but imo it won't make your hair grow.

 

[cutiebe2]

Ladies, I need your opinion on this. Last weekend I went on a ladies only trip and included were some ladies I did not know. One had her hair in braids as she was trying to grow it but said that she will be taking them out soon but did not want to relax because of damage she got previously so will straighten with heat. I asked her how often and she said weekly, I cautioned her that it could be damaging to do it that often and she may erode her progress. Another chimed in that because her hair is natural that it will not be damaging that heat is only damaging to relaxed hair. I disagreed and said that while it is more damaging to relaxed hair, to straighten natural hair weekly with heat was not a good idea. What do you think?

We also argued over trimming, I do not and my ends are not split so I will even up when I reach my goal, but other felt that trimming makes your hair grow. I know we have that argument here on the board also so I will not go into that one.

So is straigthening with heat weekly damaging to natural hair? Who does this on the board with no ill effects?

This woman has incorrect knowledge. Heat is damaging, period. It is true that some here use heat weekly but they use heat protectant etc, and have the knowledge to keep their hair healthy. I feel bad that the woman with braids is being fed information that will harm her hair. The other woman doesn't seem open to learning from your knowledge. Its her loss

 

[PinkSkates]

I am natural and I press my hair once a month. My hair strands are strong and healthy; but I would never press my hair once a week. That's a bit much even on strong healthy hair. If someone presses your hair and they do not know what they are doing, or they just don't give a crap, then of couse they are going to burn and singe portions of your hair out. I allow no one to put a hot comb in my hair but ME! When I wet my hair it reverts immediately to its natural state. You can successfully have pressed natual hair without heat damage. You just have to use the proper heat protectant products on your hair and you have to have the proper skills on how to use a hot comb.

 

[mscocoface]

Regulary heat to the hair via pressing comb or any other heating element can damage the hair follicles.

If she uses heat like we normally would there will be damage sooner or later. I have been natural since the 90s and could never get length and did not undertstand why straight strands of hair were showing up on my head like I had relaxed them. This was due to my weekly hot comb abuse and maxi glide. I would put those things on full blast or heat and used both.

I would say based on her knowledge and how people normally use these YES she will have damage unless someone explains to her the proper use.

My hair holds heat and it takes a lot or heat for my kinks to come out so I do not use these tools any longer.

 

[angelk316]

relaxing can just be as damaging as using heat.
If she wants to go between curly and straight then she needs to press less often b/c pressing weekly will eventuall change the texture of her hair to a straighter texture.
If she wants to wear her hair straight all the time it doesnt really matter.

 

[cheetarah1980]

Weekly pressing can definitely damage natural hair. Naturally coily hair is extremely fragile. Heat rearranges the chemical bonds in the hair and when done at too high heat or too often permanent damage can happen. When your natural coily hair doesn't coil up any more, it's not "trained" straight, it's damaged.

 

[lana]

I was natural for years and heat was sometimes my best friend and other times my worst enemy. What helped was using the proper heat protectant on my hair. I finally started to see lenght. But since I wore my hair straight 99% of the time, I finally broke down and texlaxed, now I barely use heat each month and I'm retaining length.

I think you're nice to try to help your friend with her hair, I just don't offer advice unless people ask my opinion and then press for more information. I've found that people don't want to listen to others who are knowledgable on something that they are not. Hair is my joy and my hobby so I'm serious about it. Others aren't.

 

[ChocoKitty]

Thanks for thinking about me BlackButtaFly

I am a total advocate for using heat on natural--within reason. I only use heat on clean, thouroughly conditioned hair.

Heat can be used safely if you understand how to properly maintain you hair. But stay away from it if you know your hair is damaged! ::begin venting:: I recently had a bad salon experience which has caused me damage due to someones lack of knowledge... So I won't be straightening my hair for a bit. ::end venting::

With the proper apppliances, products, plus the right amount of moisture, protein and common sense-- natural hair can absolutely avoid heat damage. Most folks think you have to beat kinks and curls into submission with extreme heat. I believe that's where the damage comes in. I use methods that encourage the loosening of my natural curl before straightening. I.e coconut milk and lime in my cholesterol. This imparts extra moisture weighs down my coils making them much looser.

 

[ClassicBeauty]

I am a total advocate for using heat on natural--within reason. I only use heat on clean, thouroughly conditioned hair.

Heat can be used safely if you understand how to properly maintain you hair. But stay away from it if you know your hair is damaged! ::begin venting:: I recently had a bad salon experience which has caused me damage due to someones lack of knowledge... So I won't be straightening my hair for a bit. ::end venting::

With the proper apppliances, products, plus the right amount of moisture, protein and common sense-- natural hair can absolutely avoid heat damage. Most folks think you have to beat kinks and curls into submission with extreme heat. I believe that's where the damage comes in.

I totally agree. It can be done, but with lots of care. I shampoo and use a deep conditioner every week. I rollerset with leave in before I apply direct heat (which basically straightens the natural curls), and I use a heat protectant. I NEVER use a blow dryer and I use a flat iron instead of a hot comb. My hair is very healthy. I haven't had a trim since October (when I cut the permed ends off) and I still don't have splits. It can be done, but it requires a lot of work and attention. My hair is much more healthy now that it is natural compared to when I was relaxed (well I was really texlaxed, but I didn't know it until I joined this site.)