Whats the diffrence between using a hot comb and using a flat iron

Saida

New Member
After Bliss806's thread, about hotcombing relaxed hair, I was wondering what the diffrence was between the two..

Also another thought ive been having for everyone who relaxes, how do you get your hair straight and shiney?? is it by rollersetting, or blowdrying?? because everytime I airdry it dosent get that straight, as how I see your pictures :ohwell:
 

AvaSpeaks

New Member
After Bliss806's thread, about hotcombing relaxed hair, I was wondering what the diffrence was between the two..

Also another thought ive been having for everyone who relaxes, how do you get your hair straight and shiney?? is it by rollersetting, or blowdrying?? because everytime I airdry it dosent get that straight, as how I see your pictures :ohwell:

Is this a serious question?
 

Sui Topi

New Member
:blush: you gotta do something to relaxed hair to get it straight and shiny, rollersetting, flat iron etc...having a regular old air dry and straight shiny results usually works for asian people etc...but we have to manipulate a bit.

and I would assume that the hot comb's extra fine teeth would most likely rip your hair out from the roots where as the flat iron just glides ontop. HTH
 

Saida

New Member
:blush: you gotta do something to relaxed hair to get it straight and shiny, rollersetting, flat iron etc...having a regular old air dry and straight shiny results usually works for asian people etc...but we have to manipulate a bit.

and I would assume that the hot comb's extra fine teeth would most likely rip your hair out from the roots where as the flat iron just glides ontop. HTH

thanks for the reply :kiss:
 

lovenharmony

ET / OT Bonafide Member
After Bliss806's thread, about hotcombing relaxed hair, I was wondering what the diffrence was between the two..

Also another thought ive been having for everyone who relaxes, how do you get your hair straight and shiney?? is it by rollersetting, or blowdrying?? because everytime I airdry it dosent get that straight, as how I see your pictures :ohwell:

Flat Iron...maybe 450 degrees of heat at the maximum
Pressing comb... light your hair on fire!

MAJOR DIFFERENCE!! :yep:

And in order to get your relaxed hair straight, rollersetting and wrapping usually does the trick.
 

Sui Topi

New Member
I think though you can hot comb with success. Check out pink skates' fotki, I think she hot combs, but shes very careful
 

Saida

New Member
it might seem strange to someone of you, but I really didnt know it was that big of a diffrence, :ohwell:

about the wrapping and rollersetting thanks for the tip ;)
 

Dposh167

Well-Known Member
i agree. wrapping and rollersetting does the trick. I flat iron after my rollerset is dry. Then wrap my hair up with coconut oil. in the morning my hair has a nice shine to it. some girls use hair serum or polish. such as chi silk infusion or the ic brand
 

fluffylocks

New Member
Yeah some hot combs have uncontrolled heat and dont have a setting you can controlll like a flatiron. With a flatiron you comb your hair straight, then run the iron over your hair (basically anyone could do it)---with a hot comb, you have to comb the iron through your hair---with skills a pressing comb can be really good though.

For shine, there are alot of different things to experiment for your hair---
Clear rinses, glazes, acv's, henna/cassia, oil, serums, pressing oils, sheens, and sometimes certain setting lotions and moisturizers

For straight hair
Rollerset & wrap (and flatiron maybe or blow roots)
Airdry in a ponytail
Airdry & flatiron
Blowdry
Blowdry and flatiron

The shinest hair seems to come from rollersets, alot of blowdrys are dull looking. Airdrys seem to be dependent on the persons hair and what they use, and airdrys and flatirons are pretty shiny.
 

Covergirl5906

Well-Known Member
Flat Iron...maybe 450 degrees of heat at the maximum
Pressing comb... light your hair on fire!

MAJOR DIFFERENCE!! :yep:

And in order to get your relaxed hair straight, rollersetting and wrapping usually does the trick.


DITTO....I stay far away from pressing combs and marcel irons...
 

PinkSkates

New Member
Originally Posted by lovenharmony
Flat Iron...maybe 450 degrees of heat at the maximum
Pressing comb... light your hair on fire!

MAJOR DIFFERENCE!! :yep:

And in order to get your relaxed hair straight, rollersetting and wrapping usually does the trick.

To the OP, the above bolded only happens if you don't know what you're doing. I've been pressing my nautral hair for 7 years now. And my hair has flourished and retained length like never before. Just because people don't have good technique with using heating tools does not mean you can't. You have to educate yourself on your hair type. And use products and tools to help you maintain your hair.
 

BeautifulFlower

Well-Known Member
I am so glad you said this. This is way I will NEVER give up direct heat. Its about learning how to use it and learning your hair type. Direct heat isnt bad, misuse can be a damaging however.


To the OP, the above bolded only happens if you don't know what you're doing. I've been pressing my nautral hair for 7 years now. And my hair has flourished and retained length like never before. Just because people don't have good technique with using heating tools does not mean you can't. You have to educate yourself on your hair type. And use products and tools to help you maintain your hair.
 

longhairlover

New Member
a hair stylist would cringe if they knew you ladies were using a straightening comb on your relaxed tresses.

You are never supposed to use a hot comb on already relaxed hair, it takes the hair out and adds way more damage than a flat iron.

A flat iron is just a hot tool the smoothes the hair, a hot comb is meant to temporary straighten virgin hair.




After Bliss806's thread, about hotcombing relaxed hair, I was wondering what the diffrence was between the two..

Also another thought ive been having for everyone who relaxes, how do you get your hair straight and shiney?? is it by rollersetting, or blowdrying?? because everytime I airdry it dosent get that straight, as how I see your pictures :ohwell:
 

Lynnerie

Well-Known Member
I think though you can hot comb with success. Check out pink skates' fotki, I think she hot combs, but shes very careful

Pinkskates is also NATURAL. The OP was asking about hot combing Relaxed hair. If you're relaxed there's no need to be hot combing your hair cause its already chemically treated. OP, you should check into rollersetting. rollerset your hair and if necessary flat iron the roots. use a heat protectant like Chi silk infusion. then wrap your hair with saran wrap sit under the dryer for like 7 minutes. Take it down and it should be smooth and silky.
 

Saida

New Member
Pinkskates is also NATURAL. The OP was asking about hot combing Relaxed hair. If you're relaxed there's no need to be hot combing your hair cause its already chemically treated. OP, you should check into rollersetting. rollerset your hair and if necessary flat iron the roots. use a heat protectant like Chi silk infusion. then wrap your hair with saran wrap sit under the dryer for like 7 minutes. Take it down and it should be smooth and silky.

Yeah it was directed to relaxed hair :yep:

What is a saran wrap :look:

And yeah I think im going to blow dry... I have forever always airdried.. and first after maybe 2 days my hair would look shiney and even then it wouldnt be completly straight :ohwell: now I know :yep:
 

Saida

New Member
To the OP, the above bolded only happens if you don't know what you're doing. I've been pressing my nautral hair for 7 years now. And my hair has flourished and retained length like never before. Just because people don't have good technique with using heating tools does not mean you can't. You have to educate yourself on your hair type. And use products and tools to help you maintain your hair.

Your right pinkskates..:yep: and your hair looks beautiful

do you think your hair would be able to take pressing it, if you were relaxed??
 

MoMo

New Member
I can say that when I was transitioning in 2006, my stylist would do a "hard" press on my roots and lightly press through my relaxed hair and I was able to grow from chin length to APL.

Now I also know this girl that is texlaxed (although the stylist calls her something different) and she gets her hair pressed and her hair has just recently grown to WSL. Mind you, this is not something that she does on a regular basis (i.e. every week or every two weeks, more like monthly or once every two months).

I guess I would say that I see where Saida is coming from. I have nothing against macel irons or pressing combs as long as the hair is protected and the irons are used properly.
 

PinkSkates

New Member
Originally posted by Saida
Your right pinkskates..:yep: and your hair looks beautiful

do you think your hair would be able to take pressing it, if you were relaxed??

Thank you! And to answer your question, No! :nono:
My hair cannot withstand harsh chemicals from a relaxer + direct heat on a regular basis. My hair was relaxed in the 90s and my stylist did not ever use a hot comb on my relaxed hair. And I personally don't recommend that you put a hot comb to relaxed hair, even if you are just straightening your roots. It's too easy to overlap the hot comb onto the relaxed part of the hair strands.
 

Saida

New Member
im to lazy to really use any of them :lachen: I have a flatiron that I maybe use like 4 times a year

but I do like how everyones rollersets come out, so im going to try that :yep:
 

Sui Topi

New Member
im to lazy to really use any of them :lachen: I have a flatiron that I maybe use like 4 times a year

but I do like how everyones rollersets come out, so im going to try that :yep:

lol rollersets are even more work the first couple times around :lachen:...

but I think they are healthier than strictly the flat iron
 

TwistNMx

New Member
To the OP, the above bolded only happens if you don't know what you're doing. I've been pressing my nautral hair for 7 years now. And my hair has flourished and retained length like never before. Just because people don't have good technique with using heating tools does not mean you can't. You have to educate yourself on your hair type. And use products and tools to help you maintain your hair.

:wave:Pinkskates.
...And you definitely "know" what you're doing...hands down.
:yep:
Just lovin' your hair gurl!!! :luv2:
 
Hotcombing damaged my hair, I believe,and altered my texture.

If I had stopped hotcombing so much when I first BC, I think I would have a stronger curl pattern and less long term damage to my hair.
 

Isis

New Member
it might seem strange to someone of you, but I really didnt know it was that big of a diffrence, :ohwell:

about the wrapping and rollersetting thanks for the tip ;)
All questions are good questions, including yours. :yep:

I've never owned a flat iron so all I know is how a hot comb works. It burned off and ripped my hair out. I threw it away just before starting this hair journey and haven't looked back.

Some of the ladies here have a lot of success with flat irons, which is probably safer since they do not have small teeth and the surface is smooth.

Personally, I've had success just with rollersetting on smooth, magnetic rollers, which smoothes out and straightens the hair. I airdry overnight this way.:yep:
 

cocoberry10

New Member
Bumping! I agree with this. I am transitioning and plan to press (at least on occasion) when I am fully natural.

To the OP, the above bolded only happens if you don't know what you're doing. I've been pressing my nautral hair for 7 years now. And my hair has flourished and retained length like never before. Just because people don't have good technique with using heating tools does not mean you can't. You have to educate yourself on your hair type. And use products and tools to help you maintain your hair.
 

Yellowflowers

Well-Known Member
Honey don't feel bad about asking questions.

I agree with every one that you do not have the control over the temperature of a hot comb that you have with a flat iron. And the teeth can rip out precious strands.

When I was a practicing cosmetologist I was taught that you always use a paper towel. This includes pressing with a comb and yes, also pressing with the marcelle irons. (old school):grin:

Rub the iron over the paper towel each time you heat the comb. If it burns the paper towel it is too hot. You have to continue this process through out the whole head. This was done only on clean virgin hair.

One lady in our class burned a whole lock of this lady's hair. Stunk up the whole salon. I knew that a couple of days later this poor lady would be missing a plug out of her head.

I would not recommend pressing relaxed hair. Some people do this though. I guess it is because they do not have a flat iron.

Be careful.
 
Last edited:
Top