Is it ok? just once?

[bunnii]

I'm going out tomorrow :cheer: But I have a problem - my hair.
My scalp is very sensitive again and updos are out of the question, but I want my hair to look nice so I was thinking I might use the straighteners :scared: last time I used them was 18 months ago and they made a few of my ends break off so i'm worried about using them again. But then my hair might be stronger now, YARG I suck at decisions!! lol. What do people think? Is it ok to use them just this once?

[RavennaNight]

I blew out my hair the other day. It forgave me and lied beautifully smooth and straight. Once in a while is really okay. The hair is still not mad at me. Its still straight, soft, and happy.

[Tangles]

Sure, go ahead! Enjoy it!

[Curlsgirl]

I think so too. BUT fine hair is more easily damaged it seems and if it did that last time be very careful to use a protectant and the least hot you can still get it straigthish with. I do better blowing my hair as straight as I can get it and just barely using an iron when I do that.Wait, just saw your hair is type 1A, why do you need to straighten???

[Arctic_Mama]

You're better off blowdrying around a large, round brush than using a flat iron, if you can. The flat irons are much hotter and all you need to do is boil the hair once to get permanent bubble hair and breakage. But a heat protecting serum and some silicone serums to keep it sleek? You should be fine doing it just once, especially since it's stronger now.

My other question is why you'd need to do any straightening with your naturally straight hair?

Is it just that you want some sleekness? If so, styling products and MINIMAL blowdrying should go a long way if you just want it to look more uniform.

[bunnii]

I don't have a blowdryer I gave it away lol. I just wanted it to lay flatter and not be so flyaway, I havea million baby hair around my head (the halo effect) But I do still have a ton of salon product I kept for just in case I did lose my marbles and start killing my hair again :p

ETA: I have GHDs and they don't have a heat setting :? I think they go to 110 degrees and stay there

[RoseRedDead]

Yes. Unless you hold the section of hair in the straightener for 1+ minutes on high heat, your hair should be fine.... Don't freak out so much!

[freznow]

Personally, I'd never straighten. I'd be more tempted to go over to the neighbors and ask to borrow a hair dryer. :P

But if it'll make you happy, go right ahead. Once won't be too bad. But be sure to keep on the lookout for something else that'll make your hair happy so you don't get the urge again after this, just to be on the safe side.

[amiaow]

I think it's fine too- use a heat protectant and make sure your hair is 100% dry before you straighten!

If you're worried, give it a good moisturising treatment on your next wash :)

[SweetPea88]

I think that once in a while is completely fine. Maybe treat yourself to a nice treatment afterward if you still feel "bad". ;)

[thankyousir74]

You will eventually decide what to do, but I was just curious, where are you going that you want to straighten?

Oh and my vote is that once won't hurt, esp if you've been treating it well for 18 months.

[Steph0087]

well, i am a straightener who does it nearly every day - and i can say for sure that i really had no noticable damage for the first year or two that i did it.

Now.... well thats another story.

I think doing it once in every great while, once a month, or even once a week, is not terrible for you hair. Just don't become addicted, like me!

[bunnii]

I'm just going to a friends birthday dinner, so nothing really glamorous but I don't get out much and I want to look really nice :D I do have a ton of Bed Head product that i'm going to look at and see what they can do style wise, the After party smoothing cream would probably do it. oh oh oh!! and then some shine spray :D

[Shanarana]

I say go for it....what good is having long hair if you can't enjoy it. I will use a blow dryer on cool setting with a diffuser to enhance my curls if I wear it down. We all take very good care of our hair, and sometimes our hair needs to take care of us. :)

[rockkcor]

I think that we do more damage to hair trying to make it look straight, longer and so on... It is hard to resist - it is true, but less you do to it, better for hair it is...
As your hair grows longer you'll find that you need less straightening and other things...
Perhaps you should just oil it or apply some regenerator to it - something good for your hair and that gives nice look to it as well...
Most important - your hair is beautiful, face it and accept it!
:)

[GlassEyes]

One time isn't going to kill you. XD

Beyond that, it's your hair. If you want to do it, go right ahead. You're supposed to enjoy your hair, and if that means yo want to straighten it, go ahead. xD

Ignore my hypocrisy or I shall unleash the firey fury of vengeance upon you. XDDDDD:demon:

[tiny_teesha]

there are other methods of straightening. Useing HUGE rollers, or using the indian heap wrap method. Also you might want to continually handle your hair when damp to pull out the wave.
...wait, your a 1a? Why don't you just try a hair treatment? Or some oil to smooth your hair out, coconut is really good for that. Why don't you even try curling them to make them look nice. Dampen your hair and wrap them around rag curlers? Pin curls? Or something.... *shrugs*
You being an F i wouldn't go near heat appliances. But that is just me.

[basak]

Do you use cones? I find that cones make a big differece in frizz and shapeless kinks. My hair is wavier than yours and if I use cones and airdry with minimum manipulation and brush when it's fully dry(this gets rid of the piecey-ness), it's pretty straight with nearly no frizz. But I've never used a flat iron, so I don't know if that's better or not.

[winter_star]

My hair is damaged from hair straightener's but that's because I did it almost everyday. It never hurts to do it once in a while though. Enjoy your dinner!

[bunnii]

Thanks all :) I've finally figured out what i'm going to do, i'm sat now deep conditioning my hair with a shower cap and a wooly hat (oh the glamour haha) then i'm going to wash as normal and dry while smoothing add a bit of oil then see if it's smooth enough if not i'll use some smoothing proucts, sorry for worrying so much about it :o OOOOh! must go sort my eyebrows out hehe.

ETA: I can get away with cones sometimes, but I don't normally use them I have a hard time getting rid of cone build up.

[Magdalene]

Don't worry so much! Once is fine. It's the daily use that really kills your hair. I still use my hot rollers and wave iron for shows.

Interestingly, you might find that it doesn't improve your hair as much as you remember it. That happened to me the last time I blow-fried.

[freznow]

Thanks all :) I've finally figured out what i'm going to do, i'm sat now deep conditioning my hair with a shower cap and a wooly hat (oh the glamour haha) then i'm going to wash as normal and dry while smoothing add a bit of oil then see if it's smooth enough if not i'll use some smoothing proucts, sorry for worrying so much about it :o OOOOh! must go sort my eyebrows out hehe.

ETA: I can get away with cones sometimes, but I don't normally use them I have a hard time getting rid of cone build up.

There's different types of cones, have you looked into finding a condish with water soluble once in it?

[LadyLongLocks]

I use a hairdryer and a brush when I want my hair to be as straight and manageable as possible. I do it in several short sessions and let the hair rest in between. Its way safer than a straightener (which I never use) I blow dry my hair at least half the time. I am trying to air dry more these days. Maybe if you use the straightener, use the lowest setting or heat it and turn it off and let it reduce heat and then use it. I would go with the hairdryer if it were me. Maybe you could curl your hair by using foam rollers and no heat. Then your hair would be down,look nice and you would avoid the straightener all together.

[bunnii]

I didn't straighten it :D but I sat in front of the fan to dry it because of not having a hair dryerand kept smoothing it down with my hands then used some EVOO. my flyaways were tamed mostly and my hair still likes me :)

freznow - my hair doesn't like cones at all, oils just sit on my hair and it just gets really gross really quick lol