Your personal progress after giving up heat styling?

[xoxophelia]

I have not been heat styling my hair for a little while now, and need help to keep up steam. Without the aid of a blow dryer, bad hair days are more frequent than not as my hair is currently damaged (I hope.. because then my hair can get better). This transition period where you no longer heat style to cover up the damage in order to not create more, is long and difficult. Especially with seeing so many girls with perfectly in place hair where as mine, today, looks a little bit like a hot mess.

So my question to you is: how much of a difference did it make for you over time after you stopped heat styling? How did it effect your texture, shine, health, breakage etc.

If you have before/after pics in your profile and want to point them out or post them here that would be helpful

[akilina]

When I quit heat styling as much I realized that I actually like my hair when its not treated with a heat tool. It looks good with my face and now I dont even care to straighten it. My hair has generally improved since joining lhc. Not only from stopping the use of heat tools. I might post a picture of my normal hair in my album in a few.

[curlylocks85]

I have not heat styled in almost four months and I have noticed a tremendous difference in my hair appearance. My hair would seem to look great, but in all actuality, my hair was brittle at the ends and would break off more than I would prefer.

I did go through a transition period and still am. The look of my hair without heat tools did not look that great in the beginning however, after the first month or so my hair has greatly improved in quality. My natural texture feels soft and my hair shines like never before.

I still have a lot of damage to grow out, but now I can see the error of my ways. Sometimes I do feel like my hair does not look great compared to others but then I realize that comparing my hair to other peoples hair is ridiculous. I have to be happy with myself and not worry about looking like them. In addition, I did look like them and all it got me was brittle breakage that stopped me from growing out my beautiful curls.

Just give it some time and learn to accept your hair for what it is. Once you accomplish this than the possibilities of your hair care will be unlimited.

[Copasetic]

I have a lot less breakage now that I don't constantly heat-style my hair. For a while I had a mohawk of breakage.

Giving it up was hard at first, but as my hair got longer, I didn't really have the desire to heat style. It would take way too long, and I don't have that kind of time.

[Tovah]

I haven't heat styled since October....I think....well around then. My hair was so badly damaged from chemical colors and hot blow drying every day that I was told that I needed to cut it all off! Well, thank goodness for LHC. I did stop using cones but more importantly I never ever used a blow dryer again. After about two weeks (and a deep conditioning treatment) people actually started complimenting my on my curly hair. I have to admit that I have some not so good days, but then I just put my hair up. Yes, when I was blow drying, my hair was more consistent, but a photo taken of the back of my head convinced me that I needed to do something. It looked like a rat's nest! Now, it's just soft curls, silky and shiny. I will need to trim off the colored hair as I'm letting the silvers grow in.

[hazelnut]

I haven't heat styled in about 9 months and I've noticed a huge difference in the health of my hair. Although I'm still going through a bit of a transition phase with my hair, I'm a lot better off than I was when I first started. I will admit that I did heat style back in August and September for parties that I had to go to and my hair did get worse after doing so, but I'm trying my best not to do that anymore and let my hair be. I'll be way too happy when I can finally cut all of the damage off, which is a lot of damage, but I'm slowly getting there. I figure I should be able to cut off a fair amount of damage in Dec 2010. But yeah, flatirons can do some evil things to your hair.

[Sprigs]

I havent heat styled in years now and my hair is markedly healthier. The ends dont break off, it doesnt have that gross frazzled look/feel about it, it just looks and feels... better, and I feel better for embracing my naturally curly hair

[LaurelSpring]

My hair is so much healthier without the intense heat styling I was doing before LHC. In winter though, if I wash my hair in the morning, I do blow it on the low setting holding it as far away from my hair as possible and aiming it at roots only. I only do that until its not sopping and slightly damp and finish with the cool setting. I have not noticed any damage from doing this. In the summer I dont use hear at all. Its so freeing!

[xoxophelia]

It seems that not heat styling may be worth it then. My roots do feel pretty healthy since I have stopped and I want to not get trims as often so.. it is a needed change really.

I don't put my hair up very often because I never really liked the way it looks on me but that may be a good solution for the bad hair days.

Around my hair line on the underside I have some sections that don't really grow too far past my shoulders. I am curious if this is from heat styling (but I somewhat doubt it :/).

So then.. I will hold off on the heat styling until my birthday as a goal (November). Just have to bite the bullet and do it

[CrisDee]

I'm in the same boat as you are, needing encouragement not to heat style. I've switched from chemical dye to henna/cassia, and heat drastically darkens my henna to a burgundy color I despise on me, so I have plenty of motivation. But I still hate how my hair looks, sticking out all over the place - it was so much easier to grow it out in the past, cos I've always used at least a blow fryer. I'd posted something on the shortie thread yesterday, and a couple kind ladies recommended hair bands and gel to get me through this horrid stage without losing my mind. Tried both, and I think it might just be something I can work with in the meantime Are you in a growing out stage as well, or are you just trying to be kinder to already long hair?