Calling all natural 4a/4bs how straight can you get with a flat iron?

[SweetMarshCrystal]

Hey everyone! I love LHCF - which has inspired me to nurture my hair to its fullest potential --> but that's without a Perm that is! I'm in braids right now and plan to take them out this week. I just want to gain some inspiration from other natural 4a/4bs. I want to know if it is possible to attain that perm, straight look without having to do a perm but just do the usual...wash, blow dryer or rollers then flat iron your hair? Show me what you got!!!!

 

[Ms_Twana]

Yes, it depends on the flat iron and what you do while your hair is straight. You don't wanna go running a marathon or nothing. LOL!!! My hair has gotten straight with a CHI and ION flat iron from Sally's. Just be careful. I just washed my hair out from a flat iron, and I have some stringy, straight pieces now. Granted I used leave-in conditioner AND heat protectant.

 

[SweetMarshCrystal]

Yes, it depends on the flat iron and what you do while your hair is straight. You don't wanna go running a marathon or nothing. LOL!!! My hair has gotten straight with a CHI and ION flat iron from Sally's. Just be careful. I just washed my hair out from a flat iron, and I have some stringy, straight pieces now. Granted I used leave-in conditioner AND heat protectant.

That's what I don't want. But if my hair can grow healthy and long without the chemicals then I guess it's ok.

 

[glamazon386]

As straight as any relaxer. I don't think it has to do with the iron or products it's all in the technique. I get mines done at the salon it takes about 40 minutes. He blowdries with a paddle brush first and then uses a regular ceramic iron (no maxiglide or chi or anything) and no products in my hair. He adds a little mizani oil sheen to each section but that's it. No greasy weighed down hair. It comes out perfectly straight with body (it blows in the wind) and it stays that way for almost 3 weeks or until I decide to wash it out (which is usually aroudn week 2). Also there is no smoke or burnt hair smell. HTH...

 

[zzirvingj]

As straight as any relaxer. I don't think it has to do with the iron or products it's all in the technique. I get mines done at the salon it takes about 40 minutes. He blowdries with a paddle brush first and then uses a regular ceramic iron (no maxiglide or chi or anything) and no products in my hair. He adds a little mizani oil sheen to each section but that's it. No greasy weighed down hair. It comes out perfectly straight with body (it blows in the wind) and it stays that way for almost 3 weeks or until I decide to wash it out (which is usually aroudn week 2). Also there is no smoke or burnt hair smell. HTH...

What she said! My avatar pic is a pic of my 4a/b hair pressed straight with a flat iron by a stylist. She was able to get it relaxer-straight and it didn't take long for her to do it, either. Like Bmore said, it's all in the technique (and minimizing product usage when pressing it).

 

[SweetMarshCrystal]

What she said! My avatar pic is a pic of my 4a/b hair pressed straight with a flat iron by a stylist. She was able to get it relaxer-straight and it didn't take long for her to do it, either. Like Bmore said, it's all in the technique (and minimizing product usage when pressing it).

Your pics are inspiring. I guess that the flat iron can do its job to produce that bouncy, shiny and perm look... But every time I go to the stylist it seems their methods of doing my hair is like God gave them a miracle hands to work with and they always do it right!

 

[Ms_Twana]

As straight as any relaxer. I don't think it has to do with the iron or products it's all in the technique. I get mines done at the salon it takes about 40 minutes. He blowdries with a paddle brush first and then uses a regular ceramic iron (no maxiglide or chi or anything) and no products in my hair. He adds a little mizani oil sheen to each section but that's it. No greasy weighed down hair. It comes out perfectly straight with body (it blows in the wind) and it stays that way for almost 3 weeks or until I decide to wash it out (which is usually aroudn week 2). Also there is no smoke or burnt hair smell. HTH...

Bmore, have you had problems with your hair not reverting???

And I'm glad you ladies have hair that can get relaxer straight with any flat iron, because mines won't. I've GOT to have a good flat iron. A cheap one will NOT do it. Well, at least not for my ends. My ends just hold on to that curl as much as possible!!

 

[glamazon386]

Bmore, have you had problems with your hair not reverting???

And I'm glad you ladies have hair that can get relaxer straight with any flat iron, because mines won't. I've GOT to have a good flat iron. A cheap one will NOT do it. Well, at least not for my ends. My ends just hold on to that curl as much as possible!!

Nope. It reverts fine once I wash it. He uses the flat iron on a pretty low setting though. There's no smoke or that burning hair smell at all. I have an appt to get some color and a trim and flat iron in about 2 weeks. I'll be sure to take some pictures so you ladies can see.

 

[LoveLiLi]

I'm transitioning at the moment, but I'm 11 months in so I'll reply too. I get a relaxer straight look, but I don't blow dry. When I blow dry my hair it gets puffy and crunchy, but when I let it air dry my hair gets straighter and has a silky feel. I use Aveda Universal Styling Creme. Granted, I used it when I was fully relaxed as well, but if it ain't broke...

 

[Luvmylife]

Hey everyone! I love LHCF - which has inspired me to nurture my hair to its fullest potential --> but that's without a Perm that is! I'm in braids right now and plan to take them out this week. I just want to gain some inspiration from other natural 4a/4bs. I want to know if it is possible to attain that perm, straight look without having to do a perm but just do the usual...wash, blow dryer or rollers then flat iron your hair? Show me what you got!!!!

Yep...check my avatar. That was from the salon, but I can get my hair reasonably straight at home.

 

[rabs77]

2ND Pic from my siggy is a home job done with my MAXIGLIDE

 

[Afrolinda]

As straight as any relaxer. I don't think it has to do with the iron or products it's all in the technique. I get mines done at the salon it takes about 40 minutes. He blowdries with a paddle brush first and then uses a regular ceramic iron (no maxiglide or chi or anything) and no products in my hair. He adds a little mizani oil sheen to each section but that's it. No greasy weighed down hair. It comes out perfectly straight with body (it blows in the wind) and it stays that way for almost 3 weeks or until I decide to wash it out (which is usually aroudn week 2). Also there is no smoke or burnt hair smell. HTH...

I agree. See the pic in my avatar ( I have 4b natural hair ). I flat ironed my hair with a ceramic iron. I blow dried first.

 

[pinkdot's blog]

Look at my siggy!

In my May 3 pic I blow dried my hair first, then I went over it with a ceramic flat iron

In my August 21 pic I didn't blow dry my hair I just flat ironed it so it didn't come out so good

Right after I flat ironed my hair yesterday, I wanted to wear a wash and go and my hair reverted right back

 

[zzirvingj]

2ND Pic from my siggy is a home job done with my MAXIGLIDE

Work that maxiglide, girl!! I have one, too, and it gets my hair pretty straight. It's not as good as the salon, but it's verrry close. I swear one day I'm going to be able to get it just like how they do it!

 

[zzirvingj]

Your pics are inspiring. I guess that the flat iron can do its job to produce that bouncy, shiny and perm look... But every time I go to the stylist it seems their methods of doing my hair is like God gave them a miracle hands to work with and they always do it right!

Girl I know and I feel the SAME WAY!! Next time I get it pressed towards the end of the year, I'm actually going to ask them every product and tool (brand) they're using on my hair as they do it. I'm going to write it all down next and try to figure it out.

Cuz I can get my hair straight at home with my Maxiglide, but something in my technique does not get it as straight as they do in the salon! I have to figure out what it is....

 

[chickory_bee]

ITA with BMore...It's all in the technique. I flat iron my own hair, and as long as I use an iron that is small (eg 1 inch) and flat iron UP, it comes out straighter than straight. I don't blow dry tho...air dry over night in those ugly plaits, then straighten...Love it...
Reverts fine. Initially, its a little looser (curl wise) but if you hang in there long enough, the jungle balls will return.

 

[meaganita]

Yep...check my avatar. That was from the salon, but I can get my hair reasonably straight at home.

Luvmylife, your hair is so lovely!

And ditto to everyone who said they get their hair relaxer straight w/out too much (if any) product. My stylist always gets my hair bone straight, even if I'm fresh out of braids. But I don't like it because my hair is fine and it looks too flat. I recently discovered I could achieve a bouncy straight look at home w/out it being too flat. Technique is key. All it took was me paying a little closer attention to my stylist. I plan on flat-ironing my own hair with my *new found* skills for all my future fotki updates.

 

[bravenewgirl87]

Invest in a good straightening iron (Chi or the Sally's Generic Chi[i have this], FHI, MaxiGlide)

Wash your hair, and DEEEEP condition it (40 mins). Apply moisturizer and leave-in. I like to use Africa's Best Organics hair mayo leave-in, and some spritzes of Aphogee Keratin and Green Tea Restructurizer. You're going to need protein, but you will especially need moisture. Rollset all over, making sure the rollers are taunt. When the hair is dry, place the iron on medium heat and straighten. Be careful to detangle before you straighten, and watch out for snags. Try to avoid the ends. When you wrap your hair at night, they will lay down flat and smoothen.

ETA: Use serum when straightening. Chi silk infusion is the best. You can also wrap your hair after you washed it, if you don't want to rollerset. Its just going to be hard.

 

[adw425]

I can get my hair relaxer straight with the maxiglide when I use a heat protectant serum. It will stay straight when I use a heat protectant serum. It is important to note; however, that I was not able to achieve these same results with either the hot tools flat iron or the titanium flat iron from Sally's -- only the Maxiglide.

I maxiglided my hair over the week when I went home to Chicago for an annual picinic my high school gives. I did not have serum because I could not bring any with me (no more three ounce containers) and I refused to buy some in Chicago because I already have three bottles here, so I flat-ironed my hair as it was (I had put some butter on it the night before right before going to bed) and it looked just like a hard press my mom used to give me as a child with pressing oil. It did not stay straight because it just rained and rained and rained while I was there, but it waved up beautifully with alot of body -- just like when I was a kid before relaxing at 14.

 

[ladylibra]

come check out my Fotki... i've got some pics of my pressed hair that could easily pass for straight relaxed hair. i use a CHI knockoff, and my stylist uses a real CHI.

 

[lsw29]

My hair gets relaxer straight when I go to the salon. When I do my hair at home it gets pretty straight with my Maxiglide, but not as straight as when it is flat ironed at the salon. I have noticed at the salon that they flat iron with small sections of hair and a smaller flat iron than my Maxiglide. I may need to invest in a smaller flat iron to achieve the salon look.

 

[Syrah]

Yea, it's possible and it's 100% possible to do it at home.
Being natural doesn't mean your hair no longer can BE straight - it just means that you've got to be ready to put in the effort to get it there.

I'm a curly girl (I don't know if that makes 4-a,b or c) - if I want to go straight I can just blow dry it out and then flat iron and follow up with a syran-rap wrap (if you have questions, check out macherieamour's website - she has a great tutorial).

And sometimes I do just blow it out (not to be bone-straight) and wear it like that. Big hair can be fun!

I think for natural ladies, the key factors are the TYPE of heat you use. I threw out my coil blow dryer and bought a T3 tourmaline blow dryer. I can blow dry my hair on the LOWEST heat level in the same amount of time it used to take me to blow dry my hair on the HIGHEST heat level with my old dryer. Less damage (but still damage), more ions...all that good stuff.

I also purchased a Chi ULTRA flat iron - not the standard black and red one but the tourmaline ceramic iron. I've also heard ladies rave about the FHI (I tried it, it worked fine) and Maxiglide (which did NOTHING for me).

When I'm blowdrying I spritz with Aphogee's Green Tea restructurizer as I attack each section (I do eight sections). Once dry, as I flat iron, I"m applying cones to each section. And right before I syran-rap my head, I spritz with the Green Tea again and wrap, and then bake that mess into my head with the hooded dryer.

I'm lusting after the BaByliss ceramic iron hooded dryer (about $99 on ebay) but haven't bought it yet.

Hope that helps.

 

[Ms Lala]

My hair actually looks better flat ironed then relaxed. Relaxers never really straightened my hair. I still had to use alot of heat. My avatar if from me blow drying then flat ironing using a babyliss ceramic iron. I have coarse and thick type 4 hair and I was even surprised that it got that straight considering my history with relaxers.

 

[brownsugarflyygirl]

I personally cannot get my hair that straight.....also my hair will not get straight with a Chi...I spent a lot of money for no reason....another stylist tried using one as well. My hair just laughed and got puffy

My current stylist gets those relaxer-straight results
She blow dryers it and then flat irons it and uses a hot comb for the edges. It lasts about 3 weeks if I keep it covered at night and away from moisture.

 

[SweetMarshCrystal]

More?

 

[PinkSkates]

I get my 4a hair straight by pressing my hair with my old fashion hot comb and my favorite Aveda hair products. My pressed hair looks better pressed straight than it did when I had a relaxer.

 

[SweetMarshCrystal]

I get my 4a hair straight by pressing my hair with my old fashion hot comb and my favorite Aveda hair products. My pressed hair looks better pressed straight than it did when I had a relaxer.

I really like how your hair came out!!! Such an inspiratioN!

 

[SweetMarshCrystal]

Bumping! More replies !

 

[Maynard]

Invest in a good straightening iron (Chi or the Sally's Generic Chi[i have this], FHI, MaxiGlide)

Wash your hair, and DEEEEP condition it (40 mins). Apply moisturizer and leave-in. I like to use Africa's Best Organics hair mayo leave-in, and some spritzes of Aphogee Keratin and Green Tea Restructurizer. You're going to need protein, but you will especially need moisture. Rollset all over, making sure the rollers are taunt. When the hair is dry, place the iron on medium heat and straighten. Be careful to detangle before you straighten, and watch out for snags. Try to avoid the ends. When you wrap your hair at night, they will lay down flat and smoothen.

ETA: Use serum when straightening. Chi silk infusion is the best. You can also wrap your hair after you washed it, if you don't want to rollerset. Its just going to be hard.

Are you natural?

 

[Maynard]

My press by Balisi is in my avatar. I have 4b hair...