Is straightening your hair really that bad?

[Chocowalnut]

I know girls who flat-iron their hair and it's still very healthy. Is it okay for your hair to straighten it once in awhile? Do heat protectors really make a difference? Is it mainly for those with really really long hair that have to be careful with this?

[Avenie]

Is it healthy? What does it look like when it's not flat-ironed? The ironing can hide all the broken bits and the silicone products make it look good, but take away the irons and products and I doubt it would look as good.

The women I know who flat-iron also are the ones most likely to complain their hair won't grow past APL. The higher rate of breakage means less overall growth and nothing makes it beyond APL but a few lucky stragglers.

I've blow dried (80% air dry first, low temp, always moving the dryer, far from hair) for years, with minimal damage, but you wouldn't get me near irons!

[browneyedsusan]

I straightened mine for the first time this Saturday. Now, I have a lot of little split ends. I had a few before, but it seems like they've exploded! Used heat protectant and everything. I don't think I'll be straightening very often. It might depend on your hair? (Mine is hennaed and babied, so you'd think it would be pretty strong? :shrug: ) Maybe others have hair that's more resilient? FWIW: DD (17 yrs) has WL hair and it is torn up. I assume it's from too much straightening. I S & D it for her while watching TV and find splits 4 or 6 inches up the strands!

[woodswanderer]

I think so. My cousin was just complaining that she wants to have healthier hair and when I mentioned giving up the straight iron, she said she has to keep using it because it looks horrible now if she quits.

[Verdandi]

My sister took good care of her hair (well, by non LHC-standards) but used a flat iron every day and recently had to cut her hair from almost BSL to SL due to damage from the flat iron. Her hair was literally fryed. And she used a saloon brand heat protectant.

I have been trimming off damage from my short haired flat iron days and now when I'm finally rid off the oldest ends, my hair splits a lot less. So yes, I think flat ironing is really that damaging. Although, I wouldn't have made it through my bob-days without it.

[Kherome]

Yes, its horrible. Once I was in line somewhere and I noticed the girl by me had really pin straight hair. She was even talking to her friends about ironing it I think. While I waiting I couldn't help but study her hair, which at first glance looked nice. But I looked at it with "LHC" eyes, and Oh my Paczki, (fat Tuesday reference!) it was SO bad! I could not find ONE HAIR that didn't end in a fork or tree. You have no idea how desperate I was to whip out my shears and S&D that head. My husband say me staring and said "Kherome, I know what you are thinking...do not say anything to her!" Haha

[spidermom]

My hair can't take flat ironing even occasionally, although I indulge my stylist about once per year. She loves to see my hair flat ironed, and I agree it's pretty that way, but I want length more than stick-straight hair.

But if you are going to flat iron, use heat protectant (it does help), and only pass the flat iron over each strand once.

[lapushka]

We used to use them for styling my shorter hair, then on top of that I got it permed. My hair was full of white dots, and it was more the straightening really than the perm, IMO. I had to cut my hair from hip+ all the way to BSL, because S&D had thinned it out too much. I lost a lot of length because a lot of those white dots where very high up!

[Wisé]

I'll just drop this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdVuSvZOqXM) here. I think it speaks for itself. It is about a curling iron, but the heat and thus the damage are the same.

[arr]

I used to flatiron 3 times a week and i used silicone protection sprays and heat serums. People used to always complement me. They said i had such beautiful, healthy looking shiny hair. What they didn't realize was that if i didn't use the flatiron my hair was a puffy frizzy mess and i felt forced to heat style to look presentable. They also apparently couldn't see all the split ends i had and they were not aware that every time i brushed, little chunks of hair would fall into the sink. Maybe it seems like these girls who straighten have healthy hair but have you seen their hair with no products in it and no heat styling?

[Kherome]

I'll just drop this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdVuSvZOqXM) here. I think it speaks for itself. It is about a curling iron, but the heat and thus the damage are the same.

That video is CLASSIC...love that one. I saw her on Ellen later, and she was in good humor about it.

[torrilin]

For me, it's a stupid use of heat. My hair does the naturally straight flat as a board no volume limp look very well already. My hair is *great* at that. Drowned rat? Sign me up. My hair does not need even 1 degree of heat to do those looks. Total wash and wear scene. Getting actual runway or hair model type straight hair takes more work, since those looks are based on starting out with hair that isn't naturally straight.

And well, I've got fine dry hair. It just can't take much heat to begin with. Even without heat, it will split pretty easily. Heat accelerates the splitting. Posters with coarser hair or folks who have hair and skin that are naturally more oily will have fewer problems.

[Lyv]

Obviously a lot of LHCers would disagree with me but I think it depends on your hair. I straightened mine daily until a year ago and never had a problem with splits, frizz or white dots, obviously it isn't healthy for hair but not everyone ends up frying their hair and needing to cut it all off. I think if you know your hair doesn't damage easily and you use a heat protectant it shouldn't cause too much harm if you do it once in a while and use a low heat setting.

[LauraLongLocks]

I'll just drop this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdVuSvZOqXM) here. I think it speaks for itself. It is about a curling iron, but the heat and thus the damage are the same.

Wow. That was awful!

There is a teenager in my church who flat irons every day. I sat behind her once at church, and had to stop looking at her hair, because EVERY strand ended in a split. And the nice shiny sheen that healthy hair has? No, hers was dull and lifeless.

[LadyCelestina]

I think those who don't get damage are the ones that use the flat iron on lower heat settings and their hair gets straight mostly by the act of squishing it between the ...tongs?

I have an older flat iron which just gets heated to some temperature -you can't control the setting- and I can get my bangs straight when it's around halwfay to the maximum heat it can get.
Not a single split in my bangs.But then again,my bangs are around chin length.
I straightened (full heat) some parts of my hair for an event this Autumn and got quite a lot of splits.They were definitely due to the flat iron.
(And it didn't even get it straight! Anyone know why this might be?)

[sakuraemily]

You have these ionic straighteners these days that my friends just seem to love and they do not have any splits problems. I did use it once on my already straight hair and it didn't really hurt my hair in any way.

I think deep-conditioning treatments are a must if heat is to even be considered.

[milque]

I think some people have more resilient hair and can take a lot more heat than other people. My sister uses the flat iron about once a week and she has no splits or breakage, just that sometimes her hair looks a bit dry at the ends. She does use a lot of coney heat protectant, and clarifies regularly and deep condition weekly. I think it also helps that she has super thick and super coarse Asian hair that is like wire.

So I guess it depends on your hair type whether flat irons are really bad for you. It also depends on the frequency of use, and what measures you take to minimize damage.

[maborosi]

It does eventually catch up with you. I had straightened SL hair that, when it started getting to BSL and WL, started splitting, even after I'd been heat-free for a while. I have no idea why I ever straightened- my hair is naturally very straight anyway! So even though you might not see splits now, you will probably see them eventually from overuse of heat.

Even people with resilient hair will start to see damage. A friend of mine (Who has E. Asian hair) trashed her hair by heat styling it too much. It didn't look so bad- until it hit about hip and everything below that was splits-city and incredibly dry. I think she ended up cutting it back. Hers took a long time to show the damage- but it still showed it. Had she not used cones and such, I don't know that her hair would have even looked as good as it did.

Another reason people who straighten might have "healthy, shiny"- looking hair, is because they could be using a LOT of cones (IE- heat protectants and products for people who heat style have lots of 'em). Plus, straightening it out lets it shine (at least for a little bit).

I just don't think it's worth it, personally, my hair is F/M so I know I have less resistant hair than some people- I just don't heat style, period. I guess it's something you gotta determine yourself- if you're aiming for the really long lengths, it'll be difficult because your hair will eventually start showing damage from regular styling.

~maborosi~

[Firefox7275]

I know girls who flat-iron their hair and it's still very healthy. Is it okay for your hair to straighten it once in awhile? Do heat protectors really make a difference? Is it mainly for those with really really long hair that have to be careful with this?

How long is a piece of string question.

You can fry your hair in just ONE session with a flat iron if it is overly hot (can 'melt' structural proteins), you move it too slowly or do too many passes, your hair is already damaged (eg dye), your hair is even slightly damp even if it feels dry to touch (Google 'bubble hair').

Some heat protectants give a very modest result, depends on the ingredients. Silicones do little more than give slip and shine, and I'm not aware of any evidence that natural oils are protective. There is a list of proven ingredients on the Facebook Wavy Hair Community, possibly also on the Sciencey Hairblog (same author).

Also define damage. Many seem to grade hair as healthy (looking shiny, feeling soft) or being visibly damaged or fried (splits/ breaks) with nothing in between. All damage affects the cuticle you can see and the inner cortex you cannot. Damage is a spectrum from virgin roots right through to fried: damage will be visible under a microscope or evident in behaviour (eg staticky, frizzed in humidity) way before hair loses all shine and falls to bits.

[ositarosita]

I straighten mine sporadically .... (I have flat ironed my hair 5 times already this year) I have no damage, no splits, no dryness but I also have a certain routine for when I plan to flat iron as well as aftercare for when I wash it. Make sure you keep the heat as low as possible, don't use small sections (I put my hair in 2" sections so my hair does not have such concentrated direct heat), and only go over a section ONCE...

1. I chelate, and do an ultra deep conditioning then allow it to air-dry.
2. I put my leave in, a coney serum and a heat protectant in WHEN it's wet then I allow it air-dry over night
3. I leave it straight for AS LONG AS POSSIBLE (normally around a 1 week)

For after
1. Deep condition first wash (leave conditioner in ALL DAY)
2. CO wash
3. Wash as little as possible

Again I have no visible damage, you can't feel any damage, and I have no splits .. my hair is healthy as a horse

***Just remember EVERYONE'S hair is different some can handle the heat some can't.. just like some can handle bleach and dye and other's can't .. some can wear their hair down everyday and grow it to classic where as others leave their hair down for an hour and it's filled with splits

***CERAMIC PLATES make a difference ... even heat distribution

[teela1978]

I think it depends on your definition of "occasionally". A few times a week is probably too much if you want your hair to get long. A few times a year for special occasions is probably okay.

[sarahthegemini]

I very much doubt that somebody who straightens their hair on a regular basis has actual healthy hair.

[LongHairLesbian]

I think it depends on the individual's hair, but it also depends on the length. If you are someone who keeps your hair at APL or shorter, your hair is never going to be more than 2-3 years old, therefore it will probably be a bit more resilient to heat than someone with waist length or longer, who has hair that is 5+ years old. Not everyone aspires to have really long, split free hair, and there's nothing wrong with that. But if your goal is longer than waist length hair, using a straightener frequently is probably a bad idea. There was a wonderful thread recently asking LHCers with TBL or longer hair to post their haircare routines. There was quite a bit of variation when it came to washing and conditioning methods, but there was practically no variation in their styling methods-if memory serves correctly, every single one of them said they use heat VERY sparingly, or not at all. Depending on your hair type, it's probably fine to use a straightener/curler for special occasions, but using them frequently will most likely fry hair as it get older and longer, and thus stop it from growing.

[Chocowalnut]

Thanks for all the replies. I don't use heat very often but it is a nice change once in awhile. Mainly I want to keep my hair healthy as it grows long.

[Jumper]

I know heat damages your hair.... But I have never been a regular hair straightener and my hair is crazy damaged just from being my hair.


So I could see how for some people, it could be less damaging on their hair to straighten it than it would be to others hair (like mine).

But on some level it will always be damaging.

[09robiha]

I think it really depends on your hair, I dont flat iron but I do curl my hair with heat twice a week and it holds up just fine. I always remember to use heat protector tho, and deep condition once a week with something that has protein in...

[swearnsue]

I'll just drop this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdVuSvZOqXM) here. I think it speaks for itself. It is about a curling iron, but the heat and thus the damage are the same.

OMG! Worse horror story than Saw! I need a valium, quick!

[&rea]

I straightened my hair almost everyday for seven years. It caused damaged that could only be concealed by more heat styling. For me, I would rather my hair look nice and healthy without having to burn it into submission. :flamed: I believe that applying heat to your hair will cause damage. I don't think there's anyway to get around that. The level of damage depends on many factors. In my opinion, if it's hot enough to damage your skin, it's hot enough to damage your hair (regardless of whether or not you use a heat styling spray).

[Ravenwind]

I think once in a while is ok, but constant and everyday use of a flat iron will ruin your hair. I've been there and my hair was literally fried. It was not pretty! I suggest using a heat protectant or an oil before using a flat iron if you decide to use one. I even think blow drying is less damaging since heat isn't being pressed onto your hair. Whenever I blow dry I use argan oil to protect my hair first.

[door72067]

years ago, I used a ceramic plate flat iron and did see some damage from that (but I also colored my hair and used a blow dryer nearly everyday, so it's a toss-up if it was the iron itself)


now, I use an InStyler (the one that has a brush and rolling barrel) sometimes and see no ill effect from that

as others have said, everyone's hair is different

my hair can't take daily blow drying, but seems fine with occasionally InStyler (I am also about 98% virgin, and SLS, 'cone, paraben free now)

[RancheroTheBee]

I used one constantly for about a year, and it took that plus bleach, backcombing and hairspray to see real, serious damage. I also have fairly coarse hair, and my hair was only SL. I am one of those people who can do it with some degree of frequency and see very little damage. On a related note, my husband used to literally rinse his mouth out with Coke and he's never gotten a cavity. What I am saying here is some people win the genetic lottery, and if you're not sure if you're one of those people then exercise caution.

[Wosie]

It will take a while before the damage has accumulated to the point of looking irreparable/fried. If you're not going for 'very' long hair, then using the flat iron occasionally shouldn't be too much of a problem. More care and precaution are needed if you want to pass ~BSL length (different for different hair types, naturally) while still keeping it healthy and without worrying how it will fare in the future.

[AmyBeth]

I believe that the more someone accepts and works with, not against, the natural texture of thei hair, the healthier it will be. No matter hiw resilient your hair is, heated tools will damage it and the damage is cumulative. Only you know how much your hair can take. One session with a heated appliance and I nitice a shsrp increase in splits snd white dots.

[Weewah]

Anything above 265 degrees damages the hair. And usually the iron needs to be hotter than that to actually do any straightening.

Some hair is more hardy than others, but it still causes damage yes even with a heat protectant.

[Winterkatze]

my best friend is straightening her hair that way every day for years and you can see it. her hair has always be thin but it is even more thin and it wont grow anymore and it does not look healthy if she does not straighten it to hide how damaged it really is... so I guess if you do this regularly it is very bad for your hair, yes.

[swearnsue]

Using heat just once will damage the hair. I never use heat but then I don't have nice hair styles either. With some time and practice I could learn some nice updos.

My hair is super thin but I'm trying to work with it and accept my hair-thinness and love it anyway.

[Ambystoma]

It's really not something I would ever suggest is a good idea to someone, no :laugh:. Everyone has such different hair it's hard to predict how much damage each session might do. I have magical unicorn hair that takes heat styling like a champ and even still, I only flatiron every 2 months max, on the lowest setting, with heat protector on pampered, non chemically treated hair that has already been pre-straightened using gentle heat free methods which is fine for me, but someone else might find even this too much.

[Priska]

I read from somewhere that straightening your hair well keeps your hair tangle free for a long time. Is this not true? I'm ready to do a lot to beat the power of tangles, but if this does not work, then I will not need to start to look for good heat protectants.

[Noctifer]

I read from somewhere that straightening your hair well keeps your hair tangle free for a long time. Is this not true? I'm ready to do a lot to beat the power of tangles, but if this does not work, then I will not need to start to look for good heat protectants.

In my experience it most definitely not keep your hair tangle free, or less tangled. Never have had as much tangles as on the rare occasions that I straightened it with a flat iron. But it was more damaged back then so

[eunioa]

I read from somewhere that straightening your hair well keeps your hair tangle free for a long time. Is this not true? I'm ready to do a lot to beat the power of tangles, but if this does not work, then I will not need to start to look for good heat protectants.

I honestly feel like no, my hair still gets tangly, mainly my ends. especially, if it's loose. Also, it's so easy to get heat damage & splits even if you do use heat protectant it's just not worth though. Though I will admit I do straighten my hair once a month or so because I enjoy the way it look's and seeing my real length

[cadaverinna]

Hot take: it isn't that bad.

I've had clients w thick virgin hair ruined by chlorine from pool time 2x/week and clients w processed heat-styled hair that was fine -- wouldn't grow long and thick down to knee length, but it was enough for what the person wanted.

Heat tools, heat protectants, and bond-repairing treatments evolved immensely, so much so that I feel safe to say that it really isn't that bad anymore -- if you have common sense. Wash > heat protectant spray/leave-in > silicone for another layer of protection > good heat tool in single passes and the right temperature for you > 1x/week tops > bond repairing treatments in between. It's not that hard.
Now, I'm sure people have such a bad image of that bc of the 2000s. Sure, technology was even worse in decades past the 00's, but straightening specially became almost a daily thing for a lot of the world and people were not only using those old bulky straighteners or curlers that weren't even ceramic-plated, but they were doing it themselves, which will usually result in multiple passes through the same section of hair. Combine that w products that couldn't keep up w the damage + an absolute lack of knowledge about it and your hair is now crispy.

Nowadays, every product involved in this is way evolved. Heat tools not only keep accurate temperatures but also have negative ion technology, which makes the hair look shinier and straighter/curled for longer, avoiding the need for more heat. You will not, however, be able to keep super long and thick hair down to floor length, as I've said. You will have good-looking hair that won't break by just looking at it, but it will never be as full or as healthy as if you went heat-free.

[Priska]

Thanks everyone! Here's something to study for me for some time :thumbsup:

[blackgothicdoll]

Hot take: it isn't that bad.

I've had clients w thick virgin hair ruined by chlorine from pool time 2x/week and clients w processed heat-styled hair that was fine -- wouldn't grow long and thick down to knee length, but it was enough for what the person wanted.

Heat tools, heat protectants, and bond-repairing treatments evolved immensely, so much so that I feel safe to say that it really isn't that bad anymore -- if you have common sense. Wash > heat protectant spray/leave-in > silicone for another layer of protection > good heat tool in single passes and the right temperature for you > 1x/week tops > bond repairing treatments in between. It's not that hard.
Now, I'm sure people have such a bad image of that bc of the 2000s. Sure, technology was even worse in decades past the 00's, but straightening specially became almost a daily thing for a lot of the world and people were not only using those old bulky straighteners or curlers that weren't even ceramic-plated, but they were doing it themselves, which will usually result in multiple passes through the same section of hair. Combine that w products that couldn't keep up w the damage + an absolute lack of knowledge about it and your hair is now crispy.

Nowadays, every product involved in this is way evolved. Heat tools not only keep accurate temperatures but also have negative ion technology, which makes the hair look shinier and straighter/curled for longer, avoiding the need for more heat. You will not, however, be able to keep super long and thick hair down to floor length, as I've said. You will have good-looking hair that won't break by just looking at it, but it will never be as full or as healthy as if you went heat-free.

Texture and strand thickness also plays a role. Straightening very curly hair 1x a week would be a lot more damaging than straightening slightly wavy hair - plus of course the amount of heat and manipulation required greatly differs.

[ETJ CURLS]

Texture and strand thickness also plays a role. Straightening very curly hair 1x a week would be a lot more damaging than straightening slightly wavy hair - plus of course the amount of heat and manipulation required greatly differs.

True but most people with very curly hair who straighten on a regular basis tend to keep their hair straight for 4-6 weeks at a time.

I also agree with cadaverinna. Technology both in tools and products has come SUCH a long way. We still have to be responsible with heat, but with enough education, anyone can do it safely at home and get salon results these days.

[cadaverinna]

Texture and strand thickness also plays a role. Straightening very curly hair 1x a week would be a lot more damaging than straightening slightly wavy hair - plus of course the amount of heat and manipulation required greatly differs.

True, but slight waves get damage to their pattern way easier, even when we're talking about coarse hair. Also, nowadays you can get curly and kinky hair straight w a single straightener pass. Might require stretching it first, but it can be done w little to no heat.

[patchoulilove]

Hot take: it isn't that bad.

Hot take ahahaha :bow: (I like puns)
:blossom:
patchoulilove

[Jovana]

I straighten my hair almost everyday. It is not healthy, but I take a lot of care with my hair to look the best even without heat (rare, but I do always I can).

[MissHair]

Every single time I have straightened my hair on low to medium heat (maximum 180°C) my hair has been absolutely fried. It's not visible to the eye whilst the hair is straight and looks silky but the following days and weeks pretty much each strand is split and all my efforts of previously microtrimming and S&D is just thrown away for nothing. I don't think it's worth it anymore because the about of split hair trimming I have to do after can take several weeks.