When I reach my goal length can I start straightening again ?:)

[stephy190]

How often do you all straighten your hair now ? My goal length is about 4 or 5 inches away pretty much.. and not straightening is so hard! I've pretty much given it up.. :( When I get to the length I want can I start straightening like 2/3 times a week again? And just trim every couple of months when I get to that stage ? :) Or will my hair go into meltdown and get damaged again ? even if I keep up with trims?:/
Just wondering if this is all worth it, because if I can't straighten my hair and have it styled nice most of the week when its long, i'm gonna start styling it now lol I hate my natural unstyled hair.. Thanks everyone :D x

[evb]

I think straightening your hair or use of heat in any form can weaken your hair however when my hair was waist length I used to blow dry it strait with a paddle brush the time {this was over 20 yrs ago} and I kept it trimmed etc to maintain health.

I assume you have learned how to wash and condition it and otherwise baby your hair while here so hopefully you are not going to totally stress your hair. But if you are planning on no longer taking care of it those trims to remove damage can eventually start inching their way up your length.

I looked over your previous posts and you said you never used to condition before and used harsh shampoos before and are now oiling etc so I would think you can do some styling and just keep a close eye on condition. If it starts feeling thin and straw like well you know what it takes to get it healthy and long now.

[spidermom]

Straightening will be just as damaging at goal length as it would be now. Most of us have to choose a priority - length or styling. I sacrified heat-styling for length for 6 or 7 years, and now I'm willing to sacrifice the length so that I can enjoy more styling options. To me, a different bun is not a styling option; a bun is a bun is a bun no matter its shape. I want to staighten or curl or blow-dry, although naturally dried is nice, too.

Whatever you choose - enjoy!

[Sillage]

Stephy, what's the point of having hair if you don't enjoy it? There are lots of people on this board who do "bad" things to their hair, myself included. High heat straightening (do you flat iron?) damages hair-- there is no way around that. But who knows how long you can get your hair to grow before the damage gets bad? If you really can't stand to have unstraightened hair, my advice would be to experiment with low heat straightening techniques. If that doesn't pan out, try babying your hair as much as you can even if you decide to high heat straighten. The damage can't be reversed but there is no need to make it worse! And who knows you maybe one of those lucky people who can get away with high heat straightening.

[sarahthegemini]

I really don't get this. What's the point baby-ing your hair to get rid of damage, to then re-start damaging it once your hair gets long again, :-$

[jeanniet]

Straightening damages hair; there's no real way around that, although you can lessen the amount of damage somewhat if you're careful and limit how often you do it. But to be honest, I've seen very few people with straightened hair and a decent hemline past about APL--beyond that, the ends just get very thin. If you want to straighten, then you may just have to revise your goal. There's nothing wrong with wanting to heat style, if that's what's important to you, but you do have to be reasonable with your goals.

[melesine]

If you're going to do it, use a good heat protectant.

[bunnylake]

"Styled" hair will eventually lead to damaged hair no matter what. If you really want to straighten it, go ahead. Just be aware that no product can ever protect your hair from heat damage no matter what the packaging claims, and no product can ever repair damage. Damaged hair has to be cut off, otherwise you can mask it by using conditioners and leave-ins that contain a silicone ingredient. I used to straighten my hair years ago all the time... quitting and learning to like my natural hair took a long time. There was this period of many months where my hair just didn't feel/look right. I believe it had to sort of "calm down" from all the abuse it had previously taken. After a while it began to feel soft and normal again. Maybe you just need to leave your hair alone for a while and see if you can get used to that. Your hair is probably not be that healthy right now if you're straightening it a lot. Even if you quit straightening a while ago, the damage is done. You can trim the damage off and do a lot of deep treatments if you want.
When you reach your goal length, if you straighten it regularly again, you'll just have to chop it all off or deal with having split ends.
By all means, do whatever you want! It's your hair. Just don't be under the impression that it can be long and healthy if you continue to damage it on a weekly basis. It's like those girls that ask me why their hair doesn't grow past their shoulders, meanwhile they're bleaching and straightening and blow frying it all the time, and they don't want to hear that they have to stop abusing their hair. They want me to give them some magical answer, like "use this fancy shampoo!" or "rub this mystical oil into your scalp and you'll turn into Rapunzel!". No girl, just no.

[WilfredAllen]

I think it depends on how susceptible your hair is to damage, and how long you want to grow. If you're damaging your hair enough that it becomes weak and breaks off before it grows to your goal length, then you'll need to compromise either on the length or whatever you're doing to damage it.

If you increase the time in between washes, you'll be able to straighten less often even though you'll be able to wear your hair straight more often. Plus stretching washes is good for your hair.

[BeyondBright]

I also hate my natural texture so I soooo get this. I flat iron my hair 2-3 times a week and haven't experienced any excessive damage. Just reduce or eliminate any of the other damaging things you do to your hair like chemical dye, wet brushing, etc. I also find a protein treatment once a month helps loads. I am in the process of growing my hair out again right now but have had past BSL while flat ironing in the past.

[RedNymph]

Go for it I say. My sister grew her hair to waist length and straightens it. She's get better looking hair than me.

A lot of us aren't happy with our virgin hair. Don't be afraid to do what you want with your hair. People can be fussy about damage but all you probably need is a heat protector. Also I find it hard to spot damage unless someone has overly bleached hair.

I went a couple of months without straightening my hair. I just felt absolutely crap about my hair because I hate my natural texture. I went back to straightening and haven't looked back. Maybe do minor things things like lowering the temperature on your straightener and just keep straightening to a maximum of twice a week and only when you have to.

[Buddaphlyy]

I say do it now. There's no need to deny yourself having the hair you want. Not to mention, if you can grow your hair out while straightening, if you every chose to really stop, you know your hair will be healthy.

I do think 2/3 times a week straightening is excessive though. Maybe try once a week and then wrapping the other days. You will definitely need to increase how often you deep condition and use a quality product. And keep up with your trims as you have planned.

[NymphSpirit]

I agree with Spidermom and Sillage. I don't see why you couldn't reach your goal and then start straightening again, but in any case you're not happy with the way things are right now so it's pretty much pointless, the most important thing is that you can enjoy your hair. Personally I'd just go back to heat; if you trim the damage, take proper care of your hair and most importantly, heat style no more than 2 times a week and use the appropriate heat barriers, I don't see what the problem'd be, sure, it'll take longer to grow and you'll never have the smooth and healthy feeling of untreated hair, but it will grow and meanwhile you wont have to worry about feeling at odds with the way you look.

Oh, and when I was bleaching and straightening twice a week I could still grow my hair properly, sure, at the moment I didn't want to go longer than BSL, but it doesn't mean I couldn't have, and my hemline was the same thick beast it is now, thank you very much. I hated it, so I layered like a madwoman trying to thin it out, but that's a whole different matter :o

[chen bao jun]

Head on over to longhaircareforum for tips. A lot of ladies there flat iron their hair, in fact I think most do. It's a black hair care forum and they do things like using protein and so forth to make up for damage (I forget all the things they do) and they seem to be able to manage having waist length hair and straightening. Or at least a lot of them do.
Of course everything won't apply since you have a very different hairtype, but if they can get away with it, you should be able to because chances are very good that your hair is stronger and less fragile than most of theirs.

[JessicaAnn]

I had super thick hair a little past my waist before my big chop in October and I flat ironed it a couple times a week. My hemline was just as thick as the rest of it. It was in great shape and the only place I ever got splits was up in my bangs, but I ironed those pretty much every single day(didn't mind because that's the part I trimmed on a regular basis). If your hair is pretty good at putting up with abuse, and you take care of it otherwise, you should be able to style it how you want.

[stephy190]

Straightening will be just as damaging at goal length as it would be now. Most of us have to choose a priority - length or styling. I sacrified heat-styling for length for 6 or 7 years, and now I'm willing to sacrifice the length so that I can enjoy more styling options. To me, a different bun is not a styling option; a bun is a bun is a bun no matter its shape. I want to staighten or curl or blow-dry, although naturally dried is nice, too.

Whatever you choose - enjoy!

Totally agree with you! I want to choose styling over super long hair that's a mess that never gets styled to look pretty! I don't think there's much point having your hair really long if you have so many restrictions.. So i'm gonna grow it back to BSL and then style it again :) instead of going for waist and have it unstyled just to keep it longer.. I guess its a compromise

[stephy190]

I really don't get this. What's the point baby-ing your hair to get rid of damage, to then re-start damaging it once your hair gets long again, :-$

I want it a certain length.. but once I get there I want to maintain it and not grow it anymore, so I was wanting to start back into my normal straightening and styling again.. if I trim the damage often and use heat protectant. I just want straight hair at my goal length, because I don't like my natural waves really, I feel more confident with straight smooth hair :)

[Kherome]

Hair shouldn't affect confidence. And you can straighten it all you like, it's just hair, but it's not going to stay nice, even if you trim the damage. Especially at the excessive rate you plan to flat iron it. If you're dependent on straight hair to function confidently, why not just accept the shorter length and go nuts? It's just hair.

[Lyv]

If you want to straighten it go for it there's no rule against it just be sure to use a heat spray BUT it will be damaged if you straighten it that often, trims will only help the ends not the rest of the hair you're styling. I used to straighten mine all the time but it wasn't worth it to me, I'd rather have mine pretty and healthy than straight. We all have a preference so go with what you like.

[spidermom]

Agreed, the damage of heat styling isn't just to the ends. I used to flat-iron maybe once or twice a month before LHC, and the bottom 6 or 7 inches were trashed around BSL. Like you, I didn't like my natural texture and thought my hair only looked good when it was smooth and straight. I've come to appreciate my messy curly/wavy natural texture since then.

I didn't heat style but extremely rarely when my hair was around tailbone to classic length, but now it's cut back to a V shape, with the shortest pieces around BSL and the longest just below waist. That seems short to me. I feel perfectly free to blow-dry or use hot rollers (with heat protective spray), but I don't plan to flat iron anymore, though I will allow my stylist to do so when I go in for trims about every 8 weeks. She loves to straighten my hair, and it does look pretty that way.

[Rio040113]

Totally agree with you! I want to choose styling over super long hair that's a mess that never gets styled to look pretty! I don't think there's much point having your hair really long if you have so many restrictions.. So i'm gonna grow it back to BSL and then style it again :) instead of going for waist and have it unstyled just to keep it longer.. I guess its a compromise

It's all about your individual goals. I don't know about anyone else but I had waist length hair when I was a teenager, that I used to blowdry and flat iron daily (sometimes twice a day if I was going out at night) and although I had a few splits and it was a touch dry, I used to get a lot of compliments on it and at the time I was very happy with it. It was also dyed (and bleached), washed every day and I used a ton of hairspray in it after styling. It's all about what you want but if you want to try for waist length you should be able to get there, straightening or not, if it's too damaged when you get there you can always trim back to bsl. It's just hair at the end of the day, don't feel like you have to make a ton of compromises, if you'll be happy with the end result without them! For me now, I want Classic+ length hair in as close to perfect condition as I can get it, so I've been more than happy to sacrifice my regular heat styling (years ago now) but I can happily do heat free curls and my hair is naturally pin straight anyway (my pic is it after air drying), so I don't resent going heat free. My hair is so straight after air drying that once I've blow dried my bangs/fringe then it looks styled anyway, I'm not sure why I ever flat ironed it to be honest :lol:

TL;DR I have had waist length hair in the past that I flat ironed to all heck and back and still loved it :) Do what's right for you!

[KellieMai]

I don't think straightening your hair once or twice a week using a heat protectant would be too damaging especially with regular trims and otherwise good haircare. I know plenty of people with waist length hair that heat style pretty regularly and their hair looks fine, not amazingly Healthy but still pretty, they do dye their hair though so that affects the health of their hair also, I say heat style when you want to, unless it's daily, that just seems unnecessary.

[sarahthegemini]

Since when was wavy hair a mess that can't look pretty? Oh and fyi, wavy hair can be smooth too - I know mine is. Anyway, if you like flat ironed hair, then go for it, but even if you trim the ends regularly, your hair isn't going to be healthy. Heat styling doesn't just effect the tips of your hair. It's your hair so do what makes you happy, but it won't be as healthy as hair that doesn't get flat ironed on a (very) regular basis.

[NuclearApple]

i understand you so much,my hair has 2 waves on the front and it's poofy and frizzy on most of the length,and the roots are perfectly straight :p
if you miss straightening,buy a heat protectan and do it!but you have to choose!you can't have healthy long hair if you flat iron so often,but if you do it you can have the texture...the only choice is:length or texture?
heat has always damaged and what's the point of taking so much care of it when you'll start damaging it again?
I straighten only sometimes,once every two months for special events :)

[Agnieszka]

I blow dry my hair. If I don't do it I look and feel terrible, it affects my mood (I have straight hair, with wavy bits here and there and naturally thin, fine, slavic hair. I have no split ends but as soon as I start colour them (bleach) they are fried and split the same day.) I know couple of people who straighten often and have no visible damage. One of them is a hairdresser. She said she does it few times a week, has also highlighted hair, trims it regularly, medium-fine hair and she said she has no damage at all. She uses Kerastase shampoos and conditioner. I try not to use my iron, but there is no way I won't blow dry it.

[stephy190]

Since when was wavy hair a mess that can't look pretty? Oh and fyi, wavy hair can be smooth too - I know mine is. Anyway, if you like flat ironed hair, then go for it, but even if you trim the ends regularly, your hair isn't going to be healthy. Heat styling doesn't just effect the tips of your hair. It's your hair so do what makes you happy, but it won't be as healthy as hair that doesn't get flat ironed on a (very) regular basis.

My hair is smooth but its layered, so the layers flick out near the top when its not straightened.. so it doesnt look the best. I just don't like the wavy look, dont take offense or anything its just my opinion on wavy hair. I prefer the straight look on me.

[stephy190]

I blow dry my hair. If I don't do it I look and feel terrible, it affects my mood (I have straight hair, with wavy bits here and there and naturally thin, fine, slavic hair. I have no split ends but as soon as I start colour them (bleach) they are fried and split the same day.) I know couple of people who straighten often and have no visible damage. One of them is a hairdresser. She said she does it few times a week, has also highlighted hair, trims it regularly, medium-fine hair and she said she has no damage at all. She uses Kerastase shampoos and conditioner. I try not to use my iron, but there is no way I won't blow dry it.

Yeah I understand completely! I blow dry mine on cool air setting now, because if I don't then its just horrible and frizzy.. at least if its wavy it'll be smooth and straighter at the top :) I've not really straightened much in months and its really affecting my mood.. when I'm not happy with how my hair looks im just not happy lol

[HintOfMint]

Yeah I understand completely! I blow dry mine on cool air setting now, because if I don't then its just horrible and frizzy.. at least if its wavy it'll be smooth and straighter at the top :) I've not really straightened much in months and its really affecting my mood.. when I'm not happy with how my hair looks im just not happy lol

If you're not happy with how your hair looks and it's affecting your mood, then bust out the flat iron or blowdryer. Get down with your bad self. You should enjoy your hair your way.

However, based on my own experiences, and the experiences of many others, flat ironing is damaging. You may have to deal with a trade off between the length you want and the texture you like. There are some people who can color, flat iron and perm their hair into oblivion and their hair still doesn't break or split. It's possible, but this may not happen to you. It's not fair at all and it sucks, but some heads of hair can withstand a lot of damaging practices and others can't.

From my personal experience, heat destroyed my hair up to my collarbone and I had to hack it off and start fresh. And my hair is medium/coarse and quite thick. It's resilient in some ways, and I can heatstyle once every other month, but more often than that is asking for damage for me. If I went back to multiple times a week, I couldn't have the length of hair I want. I'm fortunate in that my texture is malleable and plays very well with damp-bunning, so I can have smoother, more uniform waves, and I like the look I get.

[Rio040113]

Just wondering, have you tried heat free straightening methods, such as wrapping? Could be an option.

[Sillage]

LHC Blow Drying Squad! Round UP! :laugh:

I used to blow dry on cool until LuxePiggy posted an article that showed there wasn't any damage to hair as long as the temperature was under a certain point. I can't remember what it was but I figure if it's ok for your skin (not just scalp which is insulated by hair, but your hand, being fully exposed to the heat of the dryer) it's ok for your hair. I now use my Sedu on low heat, high volume and it's fine. I keep the dryer moving and at least 18 inches away from my head... my hand never gets too hot. Much much faster than blow drying on cool.

[evb]

My hair is smooth but its layered, so the layers flick out near the top when its not straightened.. so it doesnt look the best. I just don't like the wavy look, dont take offense or anything its just my opinion on wavy hair. I prefer the straight look on me.


So you could have strait hair if you grew out your layers? It is your hair and I want you to enjoy it so am not being judgmental about the ironing or anything like that. I used to flatten my hair all the time by brushing it with a paddle brush while blow drying. yes! Brushing wet hair! And it was waist length and in really good shape. I am not judging. I am just trying to understand the issue. You want waist length straight hair but the layers flip out so you want to iron your hair. Is that right? Why not just grow out the layers and not risk your hair being damaged?

I also agree regarding the stretching out washes. If you don't wash your hair daily then you won't need to straighten it as often... that is the straightening should last until next wash {or rainy humid day o.0} My hair has what I call body surfing waves.... it is basically flat except for around shoulder or wherever that it shapes itself to my body. Looking at your avatar your hair does the same. Added weight from length can pull those flat. And if the only flips you are getting that annoy you are layers.... well I would just go for a blunt cut or undercut so they flip under not up {which makes it look like more volume generally speaking}. If it were me I would stay at bra length or whatever and grow out my layers then work on additional length.

[alishaxmarie]

I'd say once a week would be the max you could do but if you don't wash every day then it should staystraight until the next wash day. Try blow drying on a cool setting and see if your hair is straight enough for your standards. Heat-free curling methods are abundant on YouTube too!

[sourgrl]

Everyone's hair is different so heat will affect yours in it's own special way. If you choose to use heat protect it with cones. Yes, some people have success using oil as a protectant but I've found that oil as a heat protectant is more successful with hair that's super resilient.

I went heat free because I wanted to find an easier way to style my hair, but I won't throw out my curling iron. If an occassion should come up that I want that sleek look heat styling gives me I will enjoy it.

It's your hair, enjoy it!

[sarahthegemini]

My hair is smooth but its layered, so the layers flick out near the top when its not straightened.. so it doesnt look the best. I just don't like the wavy look, dont take offense or anything its just my opinion on wavy hair. I prefer the straight look on me.

I'm confused, is your hair straight with flicky out layers or is it actually wavy? If it's already straight apart from the layers then just wait for them to grow out and wear your hair up in the mean time. If your hair is actually wavy, try heat free methods of straightening. You don't necessarily need a flat iron .....

[Almendra]

Just wondering, have you tried heat free straightening methods, such as wrapping? Could be an option.

Came here to say this. I think it's a good idea.

[Rio040113]

I think it would help people give you more tailored advice if you could post a picture of your natural hair, air-dried, without brushing* :)

*detangle in the shower with plenty of conditioner then comb as little as possible to put your parting in.

[Salmonberry]

You might be surprised, with all of the other things you're doing to take better care of you hair, you may be able to get to waist while you straighten it a few times a week. Now, the people that want to grow their hair down to tailbone or thigh or knee length may not be able to get away with any heat at all, but that doesn't mean you can't. It also depends on your hair type. If your hair is really fine, then yes it's more susceptible to damage. I would say, just do what you want to do with regards to straightening, keep up with your trims and see what your hair feels like when you do get to waist.

It's funny, I have a few natural waves. (1c/2a). I wish my hair was wavier. I do all sorts of stuff to try to get the waves more pronounced. I feel like Marcia Brady with long straight blonde hair. (Not that her hair is bad, just not the look I'm going for). Waves make me feel more attractive. I guess the grass is always greener... :)

[bunnylake]

Everyone's hair is different so heat will affect yours in it's own special way. If you choose to use heat protect it with cones. Yes, some people have success using oil as a protectant but I've found that oil as a heat protectant is more successful with hair that's super resilient.


Cones will not protect the hair from damage, they will just mask the damage that's being done and make the hair feel smooth. I'd think a lot of us longtime LHC members would know that there's no such thing as protection against heat damage... no sprays or serums will do that. Maaaaybe coconut oil, and that's a huge maybe. :)

[arr]

I second what EVB said. When i had layers i absolutely had to curl or flatiron or the layers looked terrible, sticking out everywhere. Now that most of the layers have grown out my hair is so much smoother and it doesnt take much for it to look good.

[Tini'sNewHair]

My hair behaves better and better the longer it gets. When i had it at bellow shoulders, my hair was a huge PUFF of a mess with odd waves in and out so i kept it up at all times to avoid pulling my straightener out again... fast forward to my current length at BSL, my hair is long and pretty straight with only a tinny bit of wave in so i know that by waist my hair will just be dead straight. Its so easy now to just let my hair down and its perfection everytime (minus having to tame some regrowth at the very top which is annoying). All of my friends comments on how perfect my hair is... so my advice, is to think about how your hair behaves at different lengths and see if you can wait to get further down before making this decision. CHeers.

[Flor]

Problem is... it's not just the ends that suffer from iron straightening (which would be solved with regular trimming). There will be a lot of damage to top layers of hair, where it already gets a good beating from environmental factors (sun, wind, air, pillow friction, etc). The the more extra damage is added, the frizzier and dryer it'll get, and the more you'll be tempted to iron it, to make it lay better. It's a vicious cycle.

The other issue is - damage from heat styling (and bleaching, but not the point here) doesn't happen in one day. Well, unless you really burn a lock off, like that girl on Youtube :D It'll be gradual and accumulative and because it'll be pilling up slowly, it'll be hard to notice, until it gets really bad.

[CurlMonster]

Well I guess it depends what you want from your hair. If you like it straight most of all, then I'd say keep it short and deal with the damage. If having it long and healthy is more important to you, then cut the heat. I think wanting to have your hair long and healthy but straighten in multiple times a week (and also, presumably, wash it and wear it down, which causes additional damage) is wanting to have your cake and eat it too. Maybe some people with extraordinary hair can get away with it, but for most frequent heat styling, washing, and wearing down will lead to damage that will prevent us from reaching the lengths we'd like in the condition we'd like.

I reckon healthy hair in any colour or texture is much more beautiful than damaged hair, but not everyone agrees. My recommendation would be to try heat-free curling and straightening methods, see if you can find something you like. I would also recommend you give it a bit more time - Your hair is probably a little damaged from the heat styling and the texture may not be as nice now as it will be in a number of months when the condition has improved. I know a lot of people hate their natural texture because they think it looks 'poofy' when really that's the damage from heat styling, rather than the natural state of their hair. As Flor said, it is a vicious cycle.

Or, if you really want to heat style, you could try reducing the damage in a number of ways. Firstly, you could stretch your washes so that you could wear your hair straight for more days. Also, you could try a heat-free straightening method and then use the flat iron to just touch up in places, rather than straightening your whole head. Or, since you said the layers are the problem, maybe you could just straighten them and leave the length alone?

[Ambystoma]

Or, if you really want to heat style, you could try reducing the damage in a number of ways. Firstly, you could stretch your washes so that you could wear your hair straight for more days. Also, you could try a heat-free straightening method and then use the flat iron to just touch up in places, rather than straightening your whole head. Or, since you said the layers are the problem, maybe you could just straighten them and leave the length alone?

This is some really great advice right here! I'm a former flatiron addict (2 times a week) and even though now I save it for only a few times a year, when I do use one I doobie wrap first to "pre straighten", then use a heat protectant (even though there's a lot of doubt that these actually do anything, I still use the same brand I used when I did my dyed MBL hair regularly on high heat for years with no visible damage just because I feel like I'm not sure why it didn't get damaged,so I'd rather stick to the exact same routine that let me get away with it!) have my iron turned onto the coolest setting and work with one quick pass over each section. I think that's probably the most you can do to cut down on damage from a practice that - let's face it - isn't going to be good for your hair no matter what (even if you have a very resilient hair type like I've been blessed with).

If it's just layer floof and general untidiness driving you to the straightners, then there is loads of great advice on this site for heat free styling ideas that can get that under control. I don't love my natural texture, but it's amazing how easy it is to relax it into something much tidier and more uniform looking without having to resort to product or appliances.

[anitacs9101]

I would say go for it. You're growing your hair out for aesthetic reasons, so what's the point if you don't like how it looks? You could achieve waist no problem--you just have to be realistic about whether your hair can handle it. Does your hair show much damage now? Just remember it will be multiplied with length. However there is no rule that states you can't be such and such a length and do such and such a naughty thing at the same time.

My advice for you is:
1. Be smart when straightening! ONLY straighten the parts that need it. Don't pass the iron over everything for no reason. Use a (salon quality so it doesn't catch in your hair) fine-toothed comb in front the iron so the section is detangled and you don't iron dents into your hair that will require more straightening. There are a lot of different opinions on heat settings--some say use the lowest you can stand and others say use the highest because the real damage comes from multiple passes from the iron. I'd say just use he lowest heat you can while still being able to straighten in one pass.
2. Start stretching washes, with the ultimate goal of being able to wear the straightened hair multiple days in a row. (if I ever straighten, and want to preserve the style overnight,
I just wear my hair in a low pony with a scrunchie. If you are concerned about tangles, you could wrap something satin around the pony tail. Or you could get something like this (http://www.amazon.com/Satin-Pocket-Bonnet-Assorted-Color/dp/B003I5ZMDY/ref=sr_1_2?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1385699339&sr=1-2&keywords=stay+on+satin). I have one of these but it is too short to keep long hair straight, because the hair just curls from being coiled at the bottom of the cap. I know you can find longer ones online but I think they are more steeply priced.)
3. Take every other chance to baby your hair. Practice gentle washing and detangling and wear it up when you can. Don't break rules you don't have to :)

[Eniratak]

Honestly, it really just depends on your hair type.
I know some people who straighten their hair a lot and there isn't any noticeable damage. However, when I straightened my hair every day, it became a complete wreck.
You know your hair better than anyone.
Interestingly enough, my soon-to-be mother-in-law bleaches her hair every few months and blow dries it on high heat every day; she also gets it trimmed every couple of months. It's some of the softest and prettiest hair I've ever felt/seen.

It's your hair. You don't necessarily have to straighten it every day - perhaps once a week. Or twice a month? Stretching it out will help.
While it is damaging, you can do things that help protect it. You don't have to use the highest setting when you straighten - you could just straighten certain parts that are bothering you.

Do what you want. You aren't going to be happy with your hair if you can't enjoy it the way you like it.