Naturals & Heat Damage: Questions(s)

[RubyWoo]

Hey ladies,

For those that have or know someone who has suffered heat damage:

1) Prior to straightening your hair, what was your regimen? Did you shampoo/deep condition/protein on a regular basis?

2) What heat tools did you use? Flat iron, blow dryer or pressing comb?

3) If you could re-do your experience, what would you have differently?


For everyone else: do you think heat damage is preventable? How so?

 

[ConstantlyDynamic]

i'm especially curious about question #2 because whenever i had my naps professionally straightened, my hair was fine but when i took a flat iron to it, that's when my curls wouldn't revert. i know i used a lot of heat but so did the stylist so is one tool more conducive to damage?

 

[EllePixie]

I think there are a lot of factors with getting heat damage in addition to what you asked - like the current condition of the hair, curl pattern, texture, how you care for your hair when you are getting your hair to revert back, etc...it's just different for everyone.

However, chemistry says that applying heat to the hair of 419 degrees+, helices of the hair protein melt.

 

[Louisex3]

1) Prior to straightening your hair, what was your regimen? Did you shampoo/deep condition/protein on a regular basis?
my regimen is the same as it was before, I DC with ors replinishing pak, my protein treatments are aphogee

2) What heat tools did you use? Flat iron, blow dryer or pressing comb?
i used my straighteners (flat iron)

3) If you could re-do your experience, what would you have differently?
Well, i had washed my hair and everything and moisturized with a water + glycerin spray. Everytime i tried to straighten a section it would just revert straight back, it wasn't getting straight at all. So i kept going over and over the sections until they looked presentable.
I think the glycerin had something to do with it. I think it absorbed the moisture from the steam coming off the straighteners causing my hair to revert.
Most of my hair reverted back (thank god) but i do have some patches in my hair that are heat damaged

 

[ms.blue]

My heat damage was caused by flatironing my hair every other day with or without heat protection. The damage is at the front where I left out my hair for the weave so right now it looks like im transitioning since the ends are stick straight. I really didn't have a reggie. Now that has all changed, I wash (clarifying I get the best results) deep condition separately with a protein and moisturizing conditioner and use 2 different heat protectants.

 

[prettybyrd]

1) Prior to straightening your hair, what was your regimen? Did you shampoo/deep condition/protein on a regular basis? I had no regimen. This is probably why I experienced heat damage. I co-washed nearly everyday and used no real moisturizer, I think I was just leaving in a little conditioners or AVG. Of course this damage was before LHCF. When my hair was damaged, I don't think I had DC'd in over a year.

2) What heat tools did you use? Flat iron, blow dryer or pressing comb? When I started experiencing the damage, I was going to a stylist, and I allowed her to use a blow-dryer and a flat iron, both on the highest setting with many passes through wet hair (blow-dryer) and no heat protectant (flat iron).

3) If you could re-do your experience, what would you have differently?
Ha! Well, everything! I would certainly not have allowed any heat to be applied to my hair without it being properly moisturized, and I would definitely have had a solid regimen that included a great DC used regularly. I did those things when I was relaxed and used heat, I don't know why I thought that I didn't as a natural.