What's More Damaging--Heat or Relaxers?

[prettypithy]

After six months of natural, mostly heat-free styles, I want to start wearing more straight styles. I enjoy having natural hair but I am considering relaxing so I can do straight styles without the use of heat. Alternately, I could just start blow drying or flat ironing on my wash days but I'm afraid flat ironing weekly will be more damaging than a relaxer. In your experience, what is more damaging--heat or relaxers?

 

[BraunSugar]

I think both could be equally damaging if you don't take extra care with your hair. In the same token, I think your hair can grow and remain fairly healthy using either method. I guess it is all about what you feel is more convenient. I relaxed because my hair reverted extremely easily. My hair grew fine with a relaxer once I learned about healthy hair care. I'm sure you already know how to handle yours so you shouldn't have problems. Lots of luck!

 

[mzteaze]

I am like you, I want to wear my straight more often as a natural now that I have a little length. I roller set which gives me an option. It's easier than blow drying and flat ironing for straightness.

 

[prettypithy]

I think both could be equally damaging if you don't take extra care with your hair. In the same token, I think your hair can grow and remain fairly healthy using either method. I guess it is all about what you feel is more convenient. I relaxed because my hair reverted extremely easily. My hair grew fine with a relaxer once I learned about healthy hair care. I'm sure you already know how to handle yours so you shouldn't have problems. Lots of luck!

BraunSugar Thanks for the info. I LOVE your signature!!!

 

[prettypithy]

I am like you, I want to wear my straight more often as a natural now that I have a little length. I roller set which gives me an option. It's easier than blow drying and flat ironing for straightness.

mzteaze I will have to try roller setting when I get my extension braids out. Do you have a hooded dryer? I may need to invest in one.

 

[EllePixie]

I think both could be equally damaging if you don't take extra care with your hair. In the same token, I think your hair can grow and remain fairly healthy using either method. I guess it is all about what you feel is more convenient. I relaxed because my hair reverted extremely easily. My hair grew fine with a relaxer once I learned about healthy hair care. I'm sure you already know how to handle yours so you shouldn't have problems. Lots of luck!

+1 The ONLY reason I MIGHT lean towards a relaxer is because you can also get chemical burns on your scalp. But, you can also burn yourself with a flat iron as well. I know I've had some cute little forehead burns...

 

[prospurr4]

I definitely got the most damage when using both...improperly. My hair broke off to a damaged NL, which led me to LHCF and other forums. However, I do think that one or the other when used properly is fine.

I have chosen relaxers (texlaxed); therefore, I refuse to use direct heat.

 

[ebsalita]

There are lots of people on here with long, healthy relaxed hair who use heat so it's definitely possible to do all of that and still have great hair if you know what you're doing.

I am natural now but wear my hair blow dried and flat ironed- I do this once weekly and my hair has never been better or longer. I take good care of my hair and keep it moisturised and happy.

Regardless to what you do - relax, blow dry flat iron or all of the above you have to look after your hair and know your own hair's limits.

 

[Marley4920]

For me, heat is way more damaging than my relaxer. I relax every 3 months and use oils and SAA in my mixture. I don't use any heat on relaxer day and I neutralize very well. I'm more texlaxed. Even with tons of preparation, I couldn't prevent heat damage. I've purchases so many hairdryers and flat irons with the latest and greatest technology and still the heat would cause frayed ends with a weak structure. My hair is fine with a fragile cuticle - heat causes me a lot of issues

 

[prettypithy]

There are lots of people on hair with long, healthy relaxed hair who use heat so it's definitely possible to do all of that and still have great hair if you know what you're doing.

I am natural now but wear my hair blow dried and flat ironed- I do this once weekly and my hair has never been better or longer. I take good care of my hair and keep it moisturised and happy.

Regardless to what you do - relax, blow dry flat iron or all of the above you have to look after your hair and know your own hair's limits.

ebsalita, I hope I have results like yours. I never got real damage in the past until I started flat ironing my relaxed hair daily at 430, no heat protectant. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm hoping, I can harness the heat wisely this time.

 

[Dee_33]

For me, heat was more damaging. I gave up heat and relax 2x a year...my hair is reaping the benefits. I rollerset after co-washing and airdry, I'm retaining much better since I gave up heat.

 

[taz007]

For me, definitely the heat. I was a pressed natural in the first pic in my siggy. Not good

 

[Victorian]

Relaxer was worse for me as I have fine hair and a very sensitive scalp. Also, my hair actually straightens pretty easily so the relaxer was sort of overkill, even if I used a mild one, and I was only getting touch ups about 3-4 times a year -- But I always had flat hair. I like my hair much more as a straightened natural.
What's more damaging for you will depend on the specifics of how you maintain your hair.

 

[DDTexlaxed]

I was able to get strait styles with no damage when I relaxed. All I did was roller set my hair or lightly flat iron my air dried hair on low heat. My natural hair is harder to straiten. I need to blow dry and flat iron on high heat. So far, even that has been unsuccessful. I was a bit disappointed about that. So far, my vote goes to heat. The poll will differ from person to person because some have been successful with heat and relaxers and some have not been successful. Naturals who roller set, how do you do it?

 

[likewtr4chklit]

I was just coming in to say more of the same: both if used improperly

I side more with heat only bc I like to wear my hair straight or curly. But once you have learned the essentials of healthy hai care you can pretty much do whatever you please.

 

[prettypithy]

I have to develop my roller set skills. If I could get a roller set like this, it would be my ideal.

http://strawberricurls.com/2011/03/28/mahoganycurls-natural-hair-roller-set/

 

[Napp]

I have to develop my roller set skills. If I could get a roller set like this, it would be my ideal.

http://strawberricurls.com/2011/03/28/mahoganycurls-natural-hair-roller-set/

I dont mean to rain on your parade but i think her results are strongy correlated with her hair texture.unless your hair is similar(silky and easy to mold) then you might not get the same results without a relaxer.


I currently have had bad relaxer experiences compared to heat but i wouldnt say one gives more damage to another. Due to my current preferences staying natural and using heat seems to be the better choice because i find my hair can take alot of abuse and neglect in its natural state and retain length relativley well compared to when i had a relaxer but i didnt relax long enough to really make a sound conclusion.

 

[prettypithy]

Due to my current preferences staying natural and using heat seems to be the better choice because i find my hair can take alot of abuse and neglect in its natural state and retain length relativley well compared to when i had a relaxer

Napp This also reflects my experience, I just wanted to see if that was the norm...seems like, as with everything else, responses are highly individualized and diverse.

 

[mzteaze]

mzteaze I will have to try roller setting when I get my extension braids out. Do you have a hooded dryer? I may need to invest in one.

prettypithy

Yes ma'am. In fact I started with a cheap table top hood dryer, but just upgraded to a standing dryer. Should have upgraded a long time ago.

 

[westNDNbeauty]

I think they are both damaging.

If I were in your situation, I would be questioning which do I value more, permanently straight hair, or hair that can be straight one minute and still allow me to rock big hair...if big hair is your thing.

But I am mainly talking about versatility of natural hair.

 

[mzteaze]

I was able to get strait styles with no damage when I relaxed. All I did was roller set my hair or lightly flat iron my air dried hair on low heat. My natural hair is harder to straiten. I need to blow dry and flat iron on high heat. So far, even that has been unsuccessful. I was a bit disappointed about that. So far, my vote goes to heat. The poll will differ from person to person because some have been successful with heat and relaxers and some have not been successful. Naturals who roller set, how do you do it?

I am natural. It takes lots of practice and using the right tools and technique. You can read about my failures in the roller setting thread. But, plenty of others have the technique down and get great results.

Lol I am typing this on my iPad while sitting under the dryer.

 

[SmileyNY]

Both are damaging. Obviously.

If you really know what you are doing with a relaxer & you're careful not to overlap... I can say from experience that constant heat is more damaging. Because you are constantly using heat on the same hair strands, there are many more opportunities for the hair to become more & more damaged. With a relaxer, ideally you only relax the hair once with little to no overlap.

I was natural for 8 years & during that time I had a small set back with a heat damaged patch. That patch of hair was more unhealthy & damaged looking than my previously relaxed hair had ever been.

Yes... I know there "is always a chance of overlapping"... However, with constant heat, you are pretty much betting on heat damage. You would need it to eventually to get the desired consistently straighter result.


Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

 

[chrisanddonniesmommy]

I also believe they are both damaging. However, for me, relaxers thinned my hair something terrible. So, I gave them up. When I did relax, I only used heat twice a month (I would wrap my hair) and didn't have any problems, though. Since transitioning, my hair is thickening up again and I've only used heat once.

 

[Napp]

mzteaze

would you say your hair is easily moldable? I could be wrong but i noticed that sucessful natural rollersetters have hair that straightens and sets easily.

 

[Lynnerie]

For me relaxing was more damaging because since they would never get my hair bone straight, inorder to wear a straight style I still had to use heat. In my case I was relaxing and still flat ironing.

Being natural is allowing me to retain more length, even with the use of heat.

 

[prettypithy]

For me relaxing was more damaging because since they would never get my hair bone straight, inorder to wear a straight style I still had to use heat. In my case I was relaxing and still flat ironing.

Being natural is allowing me to retain more length, even with the use of heat.

Lynnerie Mine was similar. Perhaps because I was stretching relaxers, my hair was never all that straight even when going for the bone "straight" look. So I would need heat to wear a straight style any way. Also, I was in buns 70% of the time since it still took me a long time to achieve a straight look. I'll still do protective styles to optimize length retention...so mostly, I'm thinking of blow drying my hair with the tension method once a week. If I use a heat protectant and blow dry on warm, I don't think it will result in permanent heat damage but I guess you never know.

 

[LadyRaider]

What I noticed early on in my "HHJ" was that when I relaxed, I was STILL using heat for straight styles. I mean, my hair didn't get all the way straight. I am not sure if that was a problem with the way I get my hair relaxed? I don't know.

But that's what I noticed. So I figure why relax at all?

 

[sunnieb]

I hate direct heat on my hair! When I was natural, it just seemed to sizzle my poor strands and break them off.

My hair does better with a relaxer - now that I know how to properly take care of it. I don't burn at all and I love the versatility of my relaxed hair!

 

[prospurr4]

For me, definitely the heat. I was a pressed natural in the first pic in my siggy. Not good

taz007...wow...really (at the bolded)? Your hair is amazingly thick and beautiful now.

 

[prettypithy]

I hate direct heat on my hair! When I was natural, it just seemed to sizzle my poor strands and break them off.

My hair does better with a relaxer - now that I know how to properly take care of it. I don't burn at all and I love the versatility of my relaxed hair!

sunnieb Do you have coarse strands? I seem to be sensing a trend that the fine stranded ladies have had more issues with relaxers than the coarse stranded ones. My stylist told me that due to my fine strands, I am very susceptible to overprocessing which is part of why I'm wary of even texlaxing.