Heat... maybe it's NOT damaging to hair??!!?

[*Frisky*]

I think natural hair can handle more frequent use of heat than relaxed hair can. The strands are already broken down by chemicals and to constantly apply heat to those already broken down strands is going to eventually cause breakage and damage. I want to see some testimonials of some WL relaxed heads that use heat frequently then MAYBE I would see it differently.

 

[LoveLiLi]

Heat is my friend. I used heat weekly when I was relaxed and my hair was always long. I think harsh/frequent brushing and wrapping my hair every night was waaay more damaging. The key for me was to air dry and straighten with a big barrel curling iron (using a flat iron was asking for trouble).

Now that I'm natural the use of heat is keeping the split ends and single strand knots away. I avoided heat for well over a year and my hair grew at a good rate, but my ends looked crazy (and I deep conditioned/wore protective styles, moisturized etc.). I was able to wear my hair curly with no problems but the first time I straightened it...... my hair was looking a hot mess.

I got ~3 inch 'trimmed' Sept. 2nd and she cut my past shoulder length hair into a bob. It would barely fit into a bun erplexed. I began flat ironing once a week, but still wearing my daily bun and my hair is already back to where it was before she cut it. I attribute these great results to OCT/Gro-aut and - wait for it - HEAT!

Keep in mind that I always use a heat protectant. I loved Aveda USC with a little Redken heat glide when I was relaxed, but I've moved on to Sabino moisture block.

 

[BillsBackerz67]

Heat is my friend. I used heat weekly when I was relaxed and my hair was always long. I think harsh/frequent brushing and wrapping my hair every night was waaay more damaging. The key for me was to air dry and straighten with a big barrel curling iron (using a flat iron was asking for trouble).

Now that I'm natural the use of heat is keeping the split ends and single strand knots away. I avoided heat for well over a year and my hair grew at a good rate, but my ends looked crazy (and I deep conditioned/wore protective styles, moisturized etc.). I was able to wear my hair curly with no problems but the first time I straightened it...... my hair was looking a hot mess.

I got ~3 inch 'trimmed' Sept. 2nd and she cut my past shoulder length hair into a bob. It would barely fit into a bun erplexed. I began flat ironing once a week, but still wearing my daily bun and my hair is already back to where it was before she cut it. I attribute these great results to OCT/Gro-aut and - wait for it - HEAT!

Keep in mind that I always use a heat protectant. I loved Aveda USC with a little Redken heat glide when I was relaxed, but I've moved on to Sabino moisture block.

Im glad to hear that. this is why I started to use heat now. My hair would get really long but the last inch or so of my hair was a mess.

 

[ajoyfuljoy]

Now that I am trying to transition I plan to use heat at least once a month to keep my hair from (in the words of WhipEffectz) having relations with itself

 

[thinkpinkprincess]

I dunno probably cause I used that wallbash thingy

oh well that's understandable lol

 

[longhairlover]

it's not damaging to my hair, I blow dry once a week and sometimes flat iron once a week, I have never had any heat damage, I am now however starting to moisturize because I forgot relaxed hair needs moisture duh.

When heat is used properly you can have healthy hair, I have always used heat and always had healthy strong hair.

 

[thinkpinkprincess]

I only have one thing to say.

Try putting that flat iron on your forearm instead of your hair. Then you'll see what kind of damage it's capable of.

OF COURSE a 300 degree implement causes damage. It may make the hair behave and "look" better, but c'mon now... does it really make sense that high levels of heat are not going to cause any damage?

I appreciate your opinion Neith, but I'm not sure it's fair to draw a parallel between skin (which is still a living organizism and maybe less tolerant to heat) and hair ( which is "dead", so you're not "killing" the hair cells while using them)


ETA: Not every heat appliance gets that hot... heat is a pretty general term and alot of appliances have different temperature settings. I always use my blowdryer on the "low heat" temp

 

[thinkpinkprincess]

I haven't experienced any breakage either from using heat. My hair is still growing like a weed. I've been waist length before and I'm well on my way to going back to waistlength with my flatiron in hand! I do use heat protectants, I deep condition and make sure I have ample protein treatments.

it's not damaging to my hair, I blow dry once a week and sometimes flat iron once a week, I have never had any heat damage, I am now however starting to moisturize because I forgot relaxed hair needs moisture duh.

When heat is used properly you can have healthy hair, I have always used heat and always had healthy strong hair.

you guys have beautiful hair! it looks so long, shiny, and healthy!

 

[thinkpinkprincess]

Also, whether or not your hair gets damaged by heat can also be contingent on whether or not you have double processed/chemically colored hair as well...

 

[Ms_Twana]

it's not damaging to my hair, I blow dry once a week and sometimes flat iron once a week, I have never had any heat damage, I am now however starting to moisturize because I forgot relaxed hair needs moisture duh.

When heat is used properly you can have healthy hair, I have always used heat and always had healthy strong hair.

OT: Your hair is BEAUTIFUL!!!

 

[Iansan]

I use indirect heat on my hair via a diffuser everyday. I don't know about direct heat though...

 

[Honi]

I think natural hair can handle more frequent use of heat than relaxed hair can. The strands are already broken down by chemicals and to constantly apply heat to those already broken down strands is going to eventually cause breakage and damage. I want to see some testimonials of some WL relaxed heads that use heat frequently then MAYBE I would see it differently.

I agree with this. Chemical use already weakens the hair. Add excessive heat + frequency of use and the protein (hair) is broken down even more (think dominican blow outs). Heat protectants can only do so much but my thought is how does a heat protectant stand up to 300 degree plus heat? Does a heat protectant eventually break down at a certain temp?

Damage may not even be apparent initially until it breaks off. I think heat is fine as long as it is in moderation. I don't use direct heat ever on my hair.

 

[CenteredGirl]

I love you... you are so ON POINT I want to freaking SCREAM I have been using heat non-stop (DC, blowdry, first press and flat iron) for over a month WITH protein treatments and my hair is THRIVING. I am a 4abz, kinky, cottony, fragile haired natural gurl. Go figure.

So, I'm thinking that maybe heat isn't actually bad for the hair for a few reasons.....

1. Heat allows nutrients to penetrate into the hair when it's wet (aka deep conditioning, steam treatments) so why would this all of a sudden not apply when using heat on dry/semi - dry hair? Maybe blowdryers/flat irons actually INFUSE nutrients into the hair and allow them to actually penetrate versus just sitting on top of the hair!

2. The straighter my hair is, the easier it is to maintain and detangle, thus less breakage... I feel like I actually have significantly less breakage when i am able to slide the comb easily through my hair throughout the week , versus when my hair is airdried but crunchy and hard to comb through each day!

3. gliding a heat appliance over the strands smooths the cuticle which not only makes the hair shinier and look healthier, but also smooths down the outer layer of the cuticle, which allows the inner layers, and thus the hair strands, hair to be more protected, right?

Again, please shares your thoughts, and experts, please enlighten me if I'm wrong!

 

[Mook's hair]

Hi thinkpinkprincess,

First I want to say that I have read many of your posts lately and I commend your search for real answers and I think you ask your questions and voice your opinions in a very diplomatic thought provoking fashion and you should continue to do this. Kudos to you!

I am transitioning to Natural. And almost at the end of my journey.

Before I started my transition and pre LHCF, I Deep Conditioned, Blow Dried and then Flatironed my hair once a week. I only experienced some damage but not very much. As I learned more from this forum, the damage decreased even more.

Then as I started to Transition to natural I did a lot of no Heat & No direct heat experiments....And my hair was not happy with me at all. I learned that I can go about 3 weeks With NO HEAT of Any kind but any more than that and my hair just doesn't feel good.

I learned that direct heat in moderation is actually helpful to my hair for some of the reasons you mentioned such as absorption detangling and cuticle smoothing.

The use of heat is also largely dependent on the level of skill the person has with the heat appliances. Misuse and overuse are serious problems that can lead to disaster. I feel confident in my flat ironing skills. I'm still working to improve my blow drying skills.

 

[pisceschica]

So, I'm thinking that maybe heat isn't actually bad for the hair for a few reasons.....

1. Heat allows nutrients to penetrate into the hair when it's wet (aka deep conditioning, steam treatments) so why would this all of a sudden not apply when using heat on dry/semi - dry hair? Maybe blowdryers/flat irons actually INFUSE nutrients into the hair and allow them to actually penetrate versus just sitting on top of the hair!

Steam is more moisturizing than dry heat its just adding moisture int your hair. In addition to this when you use indirect dry heat (hooded dryer) you usuallyuse a platic cap so your hair stays moist from whatever conditionier you put on your hair.

Just think about anything if you "warm up" something like wet clothes nothing bad happens b/c there is still moisture to "suck out" but if you take the same clothes dry and warm them up fire could occur.

2. The straighter my hair is, the easier it is to maintain and detangle, thus less breakage... I feel like I actually have significantly less breakage when i am able to slide the comb easily through my hair throughout the week , versus when my hair is airdried but crunchy and hard to comb through each day!

Manageability vs ripping your highly texture hair out makes sense but excessive heat still causes damage for most.

3. gliding a heat appliance over the strands smooths the cuticle which not only makes the hair shinier and look healthier, but also smooths down the outer layer of the cuticle, which allows the inner layers, and thus the hair strands, hair to be more protected, right?

No. For the most part the newer ceramic and tourmaline technologies of heating implements coupled with heat protective sprays and creams lessens the damage to the cuticle.

But there is still damage. Heat opens the cuticle that is why its used for conditioning treatments, processing haircolor faster, etc. But when your hair is complete dry and you put heat over it it just allows for the cuticles to get damaged. Your cuticle is smoother but you have to realize if you do this too much especially to hair that is not freshly washed you will get damage b/c whatever dirt or product is on your hair will be trapped in your cuticle and cause it to rupture (breakage).

Some peoples hair works just fine with heath some don't. I have fine hair and there is no way that I can use heat implements all the time. When I dry my hair I use a hooded dryer. And maybe 1-2 times a week I use med heat tourmaline flat iron with heat protective cream to tame my hair when it gets frizzy in between washes.

 

[ladylibra]

1. Heat allows nutrients to penetrate into the hair when it's wet (aka deep conditioning, steam treatments) so why would this all of a sudden not apply when using heat on dry/semi - dry hair? Maybe blowdryers/flat irons actually INFUSE nutrients into the hair and allow them to actually penetrate versus just sitting on top of the hair!

the ingredients in most leave-in styling products are meant to just sit on top of the hair. they help you achieve a style, not really meant to make your hair healthier, but just "look" better.

2. The straighter my hair is, the easier it is to maintain and detangle, thus less breakage... I feel like I actually have significantly less breakage when i am able to slide the comb easily through my hair throughout the week , versus when my hair is airdried but crunchy and hard to comb through each day!

well to each her own. when my hair is straightened it has to be combed every day... whereas when it's curly, i only detangle once a week. less manipulation. and when i detangle, my hair is coated with conditioner so the Denman brush gets thru it easily... where as when i comb/brush my straightened hair it is dry - there is no protective barrier.

3. gliding a heat appliance over the strands smooths the cuticle which not only makes the hair shinier and look healthier, but also smooths down the outer layer of the cuticle, which allows the inner layers, and thus the hair strands, hair to be more protected, right?

heat opens the cuticles, which is why you use it during deep conditioning and steam treatments to help nutrients penetrate the hair shaft. cold closes the cuticles. even when i use heat on my hair, i always follow it up with cold air or cold water to seal the cuticles.

heat is damaging to hair for the same reason it's damaging to anything else - if it's too hot, it burns! heat itself is not the enemy though. it's too much heat, done too often or done on too high of a setting that causes damage.

 

[thinkpinkprincess]

Someone who comes to mind when I think about the argument against using heat is Atayaa( SP?)! She uses heat once a week (Blow dry, flat iron, AND curling iron!) Her hair is gorgeous, thick, and swingy and basically looks like the epitome of health! And she's not even natural, she's RELAXED! Check out this video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyUmztQEPWA

 

[ladylibra]

^^^key words: LOOKS LIKE

now i LOVE Ateyaa and her hair, don't get me wrong and when i was relaxed and abusing the crap outta heat (way more than once a week... try at least once a day erplexed ) my hair still "looked" good... but, as soon as it reached APL the ends would split like crazy. so i'd hack off several inches and it would grow out again, get near APL and split like crazy again.

heat in moderation, however, is another thing entirely. i'd say most black women outside of this hair board to not use heat in moderation. they abuse it like i did back when i was relaxed... cuz they are concerned with the LOOK and not the HEALTH of their hair.

 

[BrooklynSouth]

Thinkpinkprincess.. the NEW HAIR REGIMEN REBEL...do your thing, do your thing.

 

[lildhe]

Speaking of heat...I remember Victor from Sabino mb said that mb works "better" with a flat iron that reaches 450...I believe in mb...I used it and Steam from my Greens pot couldnt and didnt make my hair frizz ...my tight curls fell from the steam but no frizz in sight !!! Hair feels Toney Tiger Great !!!!

 

[thinkpinkprincess]

Thinkpinkprincess.. the NEW HAIR REGIMEN REBEL...do your thing, do your thing.

I'm not trying to be a rebel, honest! I'm just putting my thoughts out there, what I think makes sense, and I was just hoping to hear other's views about these issues as well!

 

[mxdchiq86]

my hair thrived up until my early teenage years when i began using heat. i know for a fact that excessive heat killed my hair. that's not to say that using a heat protectant and DC'ing often wouldn't combat heat damage and i wouldn't know because i was doing none of that when i started flat ironing the life out of my hair but, i don't think it's worth it to find out. i'm not that dependant upon heat. i actually enjoy wearing my hair natural and flat ironing less often ( once per month ). my hair is already thicker and my ends are much better.

 

[AceH]

Great thread thinkpinkprincess. I've been on this board for years, and I did it ALL! I started out texlaxed, did the big chop, was natural for a couple of years, and now I am relaxed. I thought about my journeys to brastrap (been there, done that) and beyond. I got there without using heat (the first time), but my hair was a HAM! It wasn't trained to take heat AT ALL, so I had all of this "healthy" hair that looked rough. It was thick and long, but the cuticles were not sealed and I didn't have the bounce, swang, etc. This time around, I use heat once per week starting with a blow dry (with a widely spaced comb attachment - this is KEY people), heat protectant, and a quality ceramic flatiron (heat controlled). When I blow dry and flat iron, there is NO smoke or burnt hair smell AT ALL. Before I use heat, I deep condition and I stay up on my protein treatments. My hair is thriving. I keep my hair moisturized daily, so I can comb through my hair, wrap it, etc with very little to no breakage.

I've learned that I must do what's best for MY hair regardless of what the masses have to say. Am I using Monistat (aka coochie cream) on my hair? NO. Am I using MTG (the ish formulated for horses) on my hair? Hell to the NO. Hair is hair, and it's not that serious. I think as long as I am practicing healthy hair techniques, I'll achieve my hair goals (again) with time, patience and TLC (while using heat or not).

BTW, I love Ateyaaa's youtube video. She uses heat (as well as protective styling w/her wigs) and her hair is very healthy and has much swing!

 

[bellecheveux]

Someone who comes to mind when I think about the argument against using heat is Atayaa( SP?)! She uses heat once a week (Blow dry, flat iron, AND curling iron!) Her hair is gorgeous, thick, and swingy and basically looks like the epitome of health! And she's not even natural, she's RELAXED! Check out this video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyUmztQEPWA

Yes, her hair does look great, but has it really grown? And the more I watch her videos, the thinner her hair seems now... Maybe it's just me.

 

[Chevelure618]

ITA. I posted a similar thread a couple of weeks ago. After the first time I used my new FHI, I noticed how much healthier my hair felt. Granted I didn't do more than two passes at about 350 on each section, and my sections were not thin, they were relatively thick.

It made my hair soft, shiny, and easy to comb for days until my next wash. I feel the CHI silk infusion penetrated from the heat, and I feel that my ends, when smoothed down seem so much healthier and I can also see the ends much better to do a search and destroy.

In terms of "far infrared heat" I understand that it is heating the hair from the inside out instead of the outside in and that is how the hair does not get as fried. Even still, I think doing it on damp hair is bad. I believe that the water in the hair boils and bubbles the hair out.

My question is: how often can you smooth down the cuticle with heat in this way?

 

[chebaby]

Yes, her hair does look great, but has it really grown? And the more I watch her videos, the thinner her hair seems now... Maybe it's just me.

you know i've noticed her hair really does seem like its getting thin. but it still looks healthy. and im thinking maybe its the oil sheen thats weighing her hair down and making it look thin. idk, but she uses enough protein so her hair should be strong.

 

[*Frisky*]

Yes, her hair does look great, but has it really grown? And the more I watch her videos, the thinner her hair seems now... Maybe it's just me.

you know i've noticed her hair really does seem like its getting thin. but it still looks healthy. and im thinking maybe its the oil sheen thats weighing her hair down and making it look thin. idk, but she uses enough protein so her hair should be strong.

I have noticed too. Especially when she just gets done blow drying and is about to flat iron. Her ends look a little sparse. I say to each each own. I know what works for me and if people like heat and feel its their friend then who am I to judge them. All I can do is post my perspective.

 

[Muse]

Speaking of heat...I remember Victor from Sabino mb said that mb works "better" with a flat iron that reaches 450...I believe in mb...I used it and Steam from my Greens pot couldnt and didnt make my hair frizz ...my tight curls fell from the steam but no frizz in sight !!! Hair feels Toney Tiger Great !!!!

Same here, that's what I use.

I hear many people say that heat users would be better off rollersetting but show me how to do even a half way decent rollerset on my natural 4b roots and I will put away my flat iron

Also, the ladies who say heat is bad because they've experienced the damage were you using it responsibly? How often were you doing it? How high was the heat? Was it on dirty hair or what products did you use? Were you RELAXED? All those factors come in to play and I don't think anyone can point the finger at heat itself and turn a blind eye to their own misuse. I have misused heat plenty of times before LHCF and suffered major damage but to me it's not bad it was my fault. I have heavily tweeked my process and I feel ok using it on the regular now.

The only options I have for my hair is heat, relaxers, or a busted rollerset(perhaps if I were a 3b, 3c this would work out but the truth is I'm not even close). I don't like braids, twists, afros etc. so heat to me is a nice compromise because I'm doing it right this time.

 

[Solitude]

Yes, her hair does look great, but has it really grown? And the more I watch her videos, the thinner her hair seems now... Maybe it's just me.

It looks like it's grown some, to me. I also think she regularly trims...IDK, but she also does protective styling with the wigs in between the flat-ironing.

 

[JessCNU]

I think it's growing, i LOVE her videos