Help! No heat styling or heat styling?

[Luna2442]

I'm currently growing out my hair (shoulder to waist) and my own hair has heat damage!:( i cut 6 inches off so most of the damage is gone but all i can do now is wear my hair up:( my hair is between a 3b/3c), and i cant do anything with in its natural state and i haven't heat styled in a month but i reallllllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyy want to! im so TEMPTED! But then again i want my hair to grow out fast and never use heat anymore so that i can see my ''real'' texture but i also want to feel beautiful and wear my hair loose! but im scared the damage will increase. i dont even have a real curl in my hair anymore its just wavey frizzy. What should i do?:S im torn! i miss smooth falt ironed hair:( And i have another question: My mom never really used to know how to take care of my long curly hair growing up (it was mid back to waist) and she would always brush it out really harsh (and blow drying on high heat) so this is the first time im really taking care of my hair but i was wondering if i grow my hair out super healthy will i see my real curl pattern for the first time in my life? i never really saw it because as soon i started HS i started straightening my hair on high heat almost everday and doing a lot of manipulation to my hair (curling irons,improper moisturize) so it broke off and i went from midback to waist to just above my boob with looser curly but really frizzy hair and thinner hair also. Has anyone benefited from not using heat on hair and gained their ''old'' hair back or am i just waisting my time by not using heat?

Im already taking hair vitamines for faster growth and healthier hair:)

Thank you guys so much!

[goldenlady]

I have a similar problem. My hair is nearly waist but has a horrid natural texture (Always has). Because of this I often heat style... I think you just have to be really careful! I never style above 140 degrees C and use protection spray. I also oil often and deep condition every time I wash it. I don't think you should heat style daily but I think if you get the balance right there is no reason why you can't grow long hair heat styling.

[DweamGoiL]

OMG! You are SO lucky. Curly hair is soooo glorious when it's healthy and vibrant. My youngest daughter has the most beautiful curly hair, but hers is fine like mine. It does require a different mentality altogether. I have never chemically straightened her hair much to the chagrin of some relatives. I LOVE her natural hair and have taught her to embrace it. She's only 9 now and it's down to her hip when a curl is stretched, but about mid back when it curls up. I haven't use any shampoo on her hair for years and a lot of the time I keep it braided since she doesn't know how to deal with it herself. I figure when she gets older, she will learn to care for it and appreciate it.

This photo was taken when she was about 4, but it does show her curl pattern:

http://i987.photobucket.com/albums/ae360/dweamgoil/Curly%20Hair%20Journey/untitled3.jpg (http://s987.photobucket.com/user/dweamgoil/media/Curly%20Hair%20Journey/untitled3.jpg.html)

For you, you will eventually need to to accept that you don't have straight hair and that your own hair is beautiful just the way it is and care and pamper it and be patient. Heat damage takes a lot time to grow out, but in the meantime, you might want to try Shea Moisture products. They are wonderful for curly hair. Curly hair needs frequent gentle washing often, but not much other manipulation. Lightly oiling your hair at night will improve the texture of the new growth as you grow out all the damage. Good luck on your journey!

[niky45]

The hair that is damaged can't be healed, since hair is dead. BUT you can baby it a lot, so it doesn't look as bad...

I mean, IMHO, heat is not as much damaging as bleach. If your hair is bleach-damaged.... then there's really little you can do. If it's only heat-damaged, moisturizing it A LOT can show improvements. BUT, it will never be as if it hadn't been damaged.

Anyway, you can live with what you have and take good care of it (which means no more heat, or at least as little as possible), you can chop it and start from where it's healthy, or you can continue with your old habits, and see how it gets worse.

And a side note: please, moisturize it. A LOT. from my experience, heat is not the worst damage. It can be hid (not really repaired) by a good conditioner. I have never daily-heat-treated it, but i have about twice in a week for long periods. It's true that my hair resists almost everything (almost even bleach), but it didn't fell damaged with all that heat, even with almost no conditioner.

Yep, we all had bad habits once. Even now I'm not that afraid of heat (I bought a new flat iron today... lol. Just try not to abuse). Keep in mind that my hair doesn't get damaged easily, but... heat is not the worse you can do.

PS: if you have bleach damage... ugh. It's almost better to start from the beginning, my poor hair can tell you.

[CurlMonster]

My hair is both bleach and heat damaged and in some places it doesn't curl well and rather frizzes and puffs out. I have found that drying my hair in a loose braid with a long tassle is the best way for it to dry nicely. I think my damaged hair does better drying in one set position (as opposed to loose where it can move and expand outwards into a cloud of frizz and tangles) and then the ends which are less prone to frizz can keep my natural curl and prevent spaghetti ends.

This drying method may not be something that works for you, but what I'm saying is that you should keep trying different methods of air drying your hair. It takes a while to learn how to help your hair form curls, especially if you've straightened it for your entire life! Think of this as the learning curve for curly hair, not as a failure of yours or your hair's. Once you learn what works for your hair, you will be able to wear it down and feel beautiful without any heat! :)

[MeowScat]

My advice is to step away from the heat! I know it's very tempting, but you're "solving" a temporary problem with a permanent one. Your hair grows older and has been through thousands of times being washed, combed / detangled, etc. Adding extra damage for a short-term style could end up being a big regret. It all adds up.

Your goal is a longer length, so you should be wearing it up. When you do finally wear it down one day, it will amaze everyone, including yourself how much longer and healthier it is. It really is worth the wait.