Straightening already straight hair?

[LongHairLesbian]

I was watching this video today (can you tell I'm addicted to beauty guru videos? :P) and it made me wonder about this. The girl in the video straightens her already straight hair, basically so it will be super super straight and all hang the same way. She says that she tries to do it for only five minutes, so it isn't as damaging, but if your hair is already straight, why do it at all? I thought about the general "hair trends" I've noticed where I live: a lot of people my age are embracing their natural hair and growing it long. Pretty much all my friends have some kind of wave or curl to their hair (1c/2a, 2c, 2b, 2a, 3c, and 4c are the ones that come to mind), and they only alter their natural texture for special occasions, if that. Stick straight, flat ironed hair is not the beauty ideal by a long shot. Heat styled hair does have a certain "sleekness" to it; even though my natural texture is very straight, I still get some pieces that lie differently, or little hairs that stick up a bit near my part or around my face. But no one sees this as a big deal, definitely not a reason to use heat tools. Is super straight hair popular or "ideal" where you live? What about hair that looks super "sleek" and in place, in a way that is basically impossible without heat? If you are a non/low heat user, what kind of feedback do you get? If I tell people I don't use heat, their response is usually pretty tame or unsurprised, and I have friends that use very little or no heat as well.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRFYocyjM8U

[Larki]

I've straightened my hair probably 6-7 times. I would do it on days I had presentations. I'm too lazy to do it on a daily basis, but because I have trich my hair is frizzier than most straght-haired people, and straightening helped calm it down - in college, you have to look nice on presentation days. It took me less than a minute, usually.

[meteor]

I'm in the same part of the world and yeah, stick-straight hair is definitely passé here, but heat-styled waves are still in. I do see lots of messy textures where it could be natural or could be styled. I do like the long hair trend here.

I remember I wanted to flat-iron my hair only once, many, many years ago, when I was sitting in hairdresser's chair and saw people around me getting their hair flat-ironed while mine was only getting blow-dried. I asked if I could get my hair straightened too, and thank god, the hairdresser said that I don't need it as my hair gets the same sleek results from just blow-drying and brushing. Now that I know so much about the damage that heat causes, I'm really happy that flat iron and curling iron never touched my hair! :)

[Nadine <3]

I remember when I stayed at a friends house in high school. She was my best friend and we went swimming together, then hiked around in the woods. Her hair dried perfectly straight and I was really baffled the next morning when we where at her house and she straightened her hair. I was so confused... My hair on the other hand, dried flippy. I looked like an angry cockatoo and I didn't even try fixing it LOL

Or the time, right before homecoming this same girl gets out of the shower, blow dries, straightens AND THEN CURLS IT...

[LoveAngelBeauty]

ha, who cares

[woodswanderer]

Hrmmm....no one ever mentions my waves and my lack of heat styling is apparent from the way I go to work with my hair still wet. I don't get compliments on my texture, but also no snide remarks. I never get any comments about that stuff unless it is cold out and my hair is wet. Flat iron hair is popular in my area. Recently I have been seeing a couple of people who use texture irons. I don't know which type is more damaging, but the texture iron looks more damaging somehow.

[liadegrecia]

Where I live, sleek straight hair is still a big thing. And I've personally been there. My hair is 1b, so it comes out perfectly straight when just blow dried and brushed. Despite that fact, I'm ashamed to admit that I've used a hair streighterer plenty of times over the past few years, to achieve the super sleek look. No more though, I'm on a personal challenge to avoid using heat tools when it's not for a really special occasion. One of my best friends, who her natural hair is 1 or 2c (I judge from seeing old pictures of hers, I'm not really sure, I have never seen her natural hair unstyled in the past 5 years that I've known her) is straightening her hair daily (!). It always looks shiny and healthy, but it really isn't. It's really brittle and thin. Her natural texture is totally destroyed, even wet her hair remains straight. As she's told me, she'll keep straightening it till she finds the courage to go and chop it to chin length and grow it out in a healthy way this time.

[Simone_Fatale]

Unfortunately, every second girl or woman I see on the street has the same flat-ironed, APL-ish hair with layers and a V hemline. I mean, it looks fine, but where is the originality? Why do they all wanna look the same? I don't get it. I like how straight hair frames the faces of some people, but prefer the esthetics of wavy/curly hair in general. Much more romantic/feminine to my eye. Sometimes I see a girl proudly flauting her curles and it makes me smile. I'm all about diversity and originality.
People don't really react when I say I use heat very sparingly. It's like... "You don't need it, your hair looks good without it."

[Lucky_Lucy]

Yeah it still is a thing here. Many girls with 2-/3- hair straighten it. I've had a friend/some friends with 1c/2a hair who straightened it, though that was a while ago..apparently being a metalhead/rocker meant your hair had to be sleek straight(and preferably, dyed black), idk, inspired by Amy Lee or maybe Tarja Turunen.. I've never done that kind of thing though. I did use to blow dry it but most people do i guess, especially in climates with harsh winters. That's why people react weirdly when I explain I don't use any kind of heat on my hair, they're very shocked : "NOT EVEN IN WINTER???".

[MINAKO]

i love straight curtains <3. Just has to be long enough to look impressive and most people fail to keep up with taking care of damage.

[Scarlet Rose]

Yeah, it's still a thing here too. I used to be guilty of it. My hair is naturally straight but because of damage I caused to it, the ends used to really frizz and sometimes flip to the side, and it drove me crazy so I would straighten it...even though heat damage (although from a blow dryer) is what caused it in the first place!! Eventually I just cut the damaged wonky ends off and it wasn't an issue any more. But yeah...it's silly!! :P

[Youngjae]

I live in Australia and super straight flat ironed hair is very much a trend. I remember on school camp somebody who I didn't know woke me up (literally I was sleeping and this person nudged my shoulder!!) at 5:30 and asked if they could use my hair straightner because they forgot to pack theirs. I was a bit shocked and told them that my hair was naturally straight and that I didnt own one. A couple of girls with curly hair I know embrace it but for most it's flat ironed apl or bsl hair, not that it's bad, it's just what most have. for me though, I really love curls, I think they look gorgeous! I would love to have even just a little wave to my hair!!! 。・°°・(＞_＜)・°°・。

[tigereye]

It's still a trend here. Less so than it was back when I was in high school, but old habits die hard I guess. A lot of the people I see with straight hair worn down have it because they straighten it. The running to get out of the rain before it bounces back into curls or waves is a dead giveaway. My hair will blow-dry almost completely straight, but I only ever get it done at the salon. They used to straighten it too, but it made absolutely no difference.
Most people I know with naturally straight hair either spend half their time making it wavy or don't do anything to it.

[Bagginslover]

Confession. I used to straighten my hair after every wash :doh:

If I wanted to curl it, I'd straighten first, the curls would be sleeker and shinier that way.

[lapushka]

I for a fact don't get how 1a-1b textured haired girls would still want to straighten their hair. They'll be talking about frizz (?) and how wavy it is and bothersome and - I don't get it. It's virtually straight anyway.

[tigereye]

I for a fact don't get how 1a-1b textured haired girls would still want to straighten their hair. They'll be talking about frizz (?) and how wavy it is and bothersome and - I don't get it. It's virtually straight anyway.

I don't get it either. I know from the couple of times the hairdresser straightened mine as a teen that straighteners did nothing more than a smooth blow dry. Except for maybe giving me tons of flyways, which I'm not particularly keen on.

I think one of the things is that for people with damaged hair, it probably smooths the damage and makes it look shinier, tress tangle-prone and smoother. Vicious circle of damaging to hide the damage, I think.


EDIT: Then again, their hair may not naturally be totally straight, so they do get frizz. I know back when I just joined the LHC I used shampoo and conditioner with cones and SLS once a week, brushing out every morning, and my hair was dry but seemed like 1a/1b because that's just how it hang. My hair looked like the girl in the OP if I blow-dried (which admittedly was like once every couple of years). I got frizz. Now I know my hair is actually edging into wavy territory since I changed routine. My hair hasn't changed, it was always like this, but it was the way I treated it that made it seem a lot straighter than it was.

[Bagginslover]

I for a fact don't get how 1a-1b textured haired girls would still want to straighten their hair. They'll be talking about frizz (?) and how wavy it is and bothersome and - I don't get it. It's virtually straight anyway.

As a 1b, I found it made my hair glass-smooth, with a shine to match, rather than the slightly fuzzy, not as shiny mane I have naturally ;) I definitely have no waves, the fuzz is just from the ends of the new growth poking out, straightening tamed that. I quit the regular straightning long before coming here, but would still strighten before curling, now my hot tools are gathering dust ;)

[YvetteVarie]

steaight hair is a thing here. So much that women overprocess their hair with relaxers to get the really straight look. And I get a side eye, just because my hair is not straight. But its changing slowly though. Women are going back to their natural texture

[threadOfGold]

Some people just like it. They might wonder why we like natural textured hair haha

[MINAKO]

Don't worry guys, i'm the biggest sucker for straight hair and would probably sell my grandma for it, but sometimes even i don't really get it, lol. Reminds me of this informercial...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQpRMN4oySE

Uhm, what!?! http://smiley.nowdararpour.ir/greens/14.gif http://smiley.nowdararpour.ir/happy/4.gif

[~Abi~]

Where I was in college last year, I swear every girl must have had a straightener and used it every day. My roommate straightened every day; I borrowed her straightener only two or three times when I had a presentation in speech class or had an interview with an airline hiring manager, and that was only because my hair dries kinda flippy and frizzy (Both are problems I don't have now that I changed my hair care routine...CO washing takes care of the frizzies, and damp bunning gives me nice waves/curls).

[queenovnight]

Don't worry guys, i'm the biggest sucker for straight hair and would probably sell my grandma for it, but sometimes even i don't really get it, lol. Reminds me of this informercial...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQpRMN4oySE

Uhm, what!?! http://smiley.nowdararpour.ir/greens/14.gif http://smiley.nowdararpour.ir/happy/4.gif


"i'm the biggest sucker for straight hair and would probably sell my grandma for it"
LMAO!

But at the end of that video, I was thinking "Wait.. didn't she wake up with hair like that?"

[MINAKO]

Yeah, she might habe just used a brush and a few drops of oil instead of pulling through with all that "professional" stuff, lol.
It's so amazing tho that many of the best products to get hair straight and glossy come from asia. Like the flatirons made in korea i swear by. Life is unfair, most people would have my dream hair to begin with and no need to do anything at all, but then again im thankful for that kind of perfectionism and the possibility to jump on the train. :)

[MINAKO]

Yeah, she might have just used a brush and a couple drops of oil instead of pulling through with all that "professional" stuff, lol.
It's so amazing tho that many of the best products to get hair straight and glossy come from asia. Like the flatirons made in korea i swear by. Life is unfair, most people would have my dream hair to begin with and no need to do anything at all, but then again im thankful for that kind of perfectionism and the possibility to jump on the train. :)
Japan has a rather new straightening system, nly available in salons across the country, but i live in germany, so if i could get my hands on that or just fly over to get it done once in a while, my grandma sure would be worth it, lolol! http://smiley.nowdararpour.ir/greens/14.gif

[meteor]

OMG, MINAKO, that video! :lol:
It reminds me of all those teenagers who use anti-aging skincare for mature women "just in case"! I think some people just like to do something (the more the better) and to have a long, complicated ritual to feel that they are treating their bodies well, where leaving it alone would sometimes work better! :)

[stachelbeere]

I for a fact don't get how 1a-1b textured haired girls would still want to straighten their hair. They'll be talking about frizz (?) and how wavy it is and bothersome and - I don't get it. It's virtually straight anyway.

yeah, I don't get it either. My hair is already straight, so I never felt like owning a hair straightener, I saw that as pointless.
A few years ago I wanted to buy a curling iron (by impulse). So I went to an electronics store and they only had, maybe max. 5 different curling irons to choose from and 20+ straighteners. So, judging by that, straight hair is very much "in" here, although I don't really recognise it when someone has their hair straightened and when it's straight naturally.

I'm happy when I manage to get a bit of curl and wave to my hair, btw ;)

MINAKO that's the most ridiculous infomercial ever :P

[MINAKO]

OMG, MINAKO, that video! :lol:
It reminds me of all those teenagers who use anti-aging skincare for mature women "just in case"! I think some people just like to do something (the more the better) and to have a long, complicated ritual to feel that they are treating their bodies well, where leaving it alone would sometimes work better! :)

Yepp i agree, tht might be a big part of it. I had my learning period as well in my teen days and since i was 10 years old to pick my first own shampoo it took me more than another ten years to figure out that actually NOT doing certain things contributes to better results. I'm glad i actually managed to reduce my skincare massively as well and learned what works for me. But i have quiet a few friends messing with botox in their mid twenties, i don't think that all these additional things do a great deal in aging well if people can't stay away from the "real" bad stuff on the other hand. Very true!

[PrincessPhoebe]

Exactly this:


As a 1b, I found it made my hair glass-smooth, with a shine to match, rather than the slightly fuzzy, not as shiny mane I have naturally ;) I definitely have no waves, the fuzz is just from the ends of the new growth poking out, straightening tamed that. I quit the regular straightning long before coming here, but would still strighten before curling, now my hot tools are gathering dust ;)

My hair was much straighter when I was younger, but using straighteners would still give it a noticeably different look - much sleeker and I suppose flatter. I wouldn't say the pin straight look is as popular around here as it once was, but you do still see it quite a bit.

I also used straighteners to compensate for my lack of blow drying skills - it was quicker for me to rough dry with the hairdryer then run the straighteners over it, than to learn how to do a proper blow dry.

[Nedertane]

Don't worry guys, i'm the biggest sucker for straight hair and would probably sell my grandma for it, but sometimes even i don't really get it, lol. Reminds me of this informercial...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQpRMN4oySE

Uhm, what!?! http://smiley.nowdararpour.ir/greens/14.gif http://smiley.nowdararpour.ir/happy/4.gif


Agh! I would KILL to have the hair she has when she wakes up! Which okay, some people would probably tell me that I already do, but still. ;)

[pixldust]

Although I do feel quite envious of others who have straight hair, I rarely straightened my own hair. Partly because my hair is fine to begin with, and straightening seemed to emphasise its lack of thickness. Waves give the illusion of my hair being fuller. Also, unless I absolutely fried it on high heat it would begin to revert to natural texture as soon as there was the merest hint of moisture in the air.
The trend where I live seems to tend more towards natural textures, though there is a fair amount of teasing and floofing going on. Though I have a friend on FB who nearly had a melt down a while ago because her GHDs gave up the ghost. It seemed like it was a catastrophic occurence for her. Though considering the cost of GHDs, I can kind of understand...

[soothsayer]

I think some people just like really smooth hair. Wasn't it really big in the early 2000s to have super-sleek long hair? I have pretty straight hair; it used to dry pin straight with a slight turn under with the right cut. Since high school it's gotten a tiny bit wavy, so I have bought a flat iron to "fix" little flippy/not-laying-right bits despite my already-straight hair. If I flat iron at all, I'll just run it through to make large sections smoother, my hair turn under on both sides of my head, or to stop my bangs/fringe/front layers section from hanging right over my eyes as it would usually.

[Amorice]

I mean, as a 1b I could maaaaaybe see using a straightening iron, but probably only if I woke up with a weird cowlick.

I know that the people in those mall kiosks try to sell their straighteners to everyone, even people with strait hair, because it "seals in the moisture" and makes your hair (appear) healthier.

I have one, because its the only way I can stand to heat curl my hair. Which I probably only do once a year, and then occasionally also for a random touch-up if I used night curlers.

[ladylowtide]

1b here! I rarely used a straightener, but when I did it is because my hair is EXTREMELY heat resistant. My hair will not hold any sort of blow-dried style, nor curling iron style. I had to use a straightener to curl my hair, and if wanted to banish a cowlick, or get the bends out of the ends of my hair I would have to straighten it on a medium to high heat.

[tigerlily.]

My hair is 1a, with or without silicones. It's straight no matter what I do, I've accepted myself as I am. While I'm well aware that a lot of people who consider straight hair flat and boring, I'm really happy with it, and I'm glad my hair is how it is. All I have to do is shampoo and condition and I'm good to do, what more could I ask for?

Before I joined LHC, I straightened my hair around 4 times a year for special occasions. I did it because it made my hair so shiny. My hair is golden-honey blonde, and even though it's healthy and naturally shiny, lighter hair never looks as shiny as darker hair. Pre LHC, I used my straighteners to curl or wave my hair usually.

[MINAKO]

My hair is 1a, with or without silicones. It's straight no matter what I do, I've accepted myself as I am. While I'm well aware that a lot of people who consider straight hair flat and boring, I'm really happy with it, and I'm glad my hair is how it is.

I would not even call it flat and boring, but sleek and minimalistic, it allows the rest of ones beauty to shine bright enough, without taking up too much space. It flies and whips around and then returns to its shape. OMG i would love to accept myself with a texture like yours :p

[SleepyTangles]

Addicted to beauty gurus, too, but I'm happy I've discovered LHC before them!
I am always baffled when someone says out loud how bad they "need" to flat iron their already straight and sleek hair. At first I used to wonder if their sight had something wrong, but I've realized our hair dysmorphias are modelled after different ideas on beauty.
However, the before/after look identical to me, I'm not able to understand whenever a girls has flat ironed hair by the way her hair looks. But I can totally tell by how thin or damaged her hair is, usually. Definitively a "bad habit" if you want to grow hair long and healthy.

This kind of hair was all the rage when I was a teen, and still is. I don't like how it looks, I think it looks boring and a bit stringy; and thin, that is a major let-down.
Ok, I have a major envy/crush for curls, the curlier the better, so probably I'm biased, but I have a friend with naturally straigh hair that she never flat-irons... and it hair looks nothing like that: is thick, soft, silky.

[LadyCelestina]

Same reason people wash daily even if they don't need to - it's fashionable,and then it just becomes a habit.

[blue_eyes]

I have perfectly straight hair naturally...but I do straighten it occasionally. BUT, I have a good reason :P I'm growing out dye damage and the dyed ends of my hair get weird kinks in it quite easily. The top part of my hair is much healthier and I couldn't get it to kink/curl/hold-a-style if I tried. So to make the bottom straight as the top I have to straighten it. However if my hair was completely healthy, like it was before I started dyeing it, I would never have to straighten it.

I always got annoyed with my straight hair because it is literally impossible to get it to do anything (and I think wavy & curly hair is gorgeous) but after years of watching my friends with curly/wavy thick hair battle with their flatirons everyday, trying to get hair like mine, I've come to love it. Yes it would be nice if I could get it to hold a curl, just for a change, but on a daily basis it's so easy to take care of & for that I'm grateful.

[Thinthondiel]

My gf is adopted from Thailand, so she has very straight hair... yet she owns a straightening iron. I'm not sure why (I'm not curious enough that I've bothered to ask her :p). It's not like she's very concerned with making her hair appear as straight as possible - I've never seen her use her straightening iron or even a blowdrier, so I'm guessing she either used to use it before and then quit, or she just uses it for special occasions (although I haven't seen her use it for any so far).

[chen bao jun]

Philips wants to sell their blow dryers and flat irons to however many women there are among the 1 billion Chinese. What a market,even though its nothing like half a billion (due to one child policy, surplus of males).

They pick this girl with the ideal hair according to Chinese standards, not because she needs their help but because she already has the ideal hair according to Chinese standards. It's like with the ads for black hair care. They never use models who need a whole lot of work to meet the ideal. Its pushing a fantasy for all the ones who don't measure up. Our product will make you look like this!
I speak chinese and was laughing my head off at them describing her hair at the beginning as 'luanqibazao' or 'a total mess' and also at her posing around at the end, didn't that look absurd? Also, they were somehow pushing doing all this as being a timesaver?
But I definitely recognized the hairtype. Few Chinese actually have this naturally, though it surprises a lot of Westerners to realize this. Hair like this is about as common there as natural very light blond hair is over the age of twelve here for white people, or as common as giant shiny spiral curls are for blacks.
My good friend (she's white) has 1b hair and I gave my flat iron to curl her hair with. She flips it up at the ends. She says yes, she's damaging the heck out of it but she doesn't care as she way prefers the look and she cuts it off when it gets past her ears anyway. I think the use of hairdye, now that she's covering grey has made her hair seem coarse to her and the heat makes it seem silky again, even if it really is actually damage. It does look nice.

[MINAKO]

Good thing you could understand what they were saying. A total mess... like what?! Would have taken three strokes with a comb to make it look photo shoot ready.
I was even thinking they might as well have filmed this in reverse, hahaha.
Yes, considering the number of people in china there are seemly a lot of women with that hair, but percentage wise it's not so much, as those exceptions are always being picked out. The model is seen in several hair related commercials tho and they are taking the strategy quiet far.

To be honest, if i was a 1b i wouldn't bother to do the straightening thing at all and just have some bunwaves and that's it. But as i now have to do it anyways to be satisfied, i totally have the ambitions to meet up as well. I do plan plan an entire day around the straightening thing ahead as i have to dry it overnight and the process itself takes more than an hour to look as good as it gets. Time saver, hah, certaily not, unless Philips comes along with some magical straightening fork. Pop it in the messy bun and take it out a bit later for perfectly sleek curtains. If there was such a product they would certainly deserve all of my money, hahaha.

[LauraLongLocks]

If I blowdry my 1c hair on cool, it is very straight and glassy. Here are three examples of it.

November 2013:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/Bestbirth/Hair%20Gallery/Hair%20length%20shots/b5394539-9011-4b94-8e4a-bb667831b87c.jpg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/Bestbirth/media/Hair%20Gallery/Hair%20length%20shots/b5394539-9011-4b94-8e4a-bb667831b87c.jpg.html)

March 2014:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/Bestbirth/Hair%20Gallery/Hair%20length%20shots/march2014henna002-1.jpg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/Bestbirth/media/Hair%20Gallery/Hair%20length%20shots/march2014henna002-1.jpg.html)

May 2014:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/Bestbirth/Hair%20Gallery/Henna%20fun/010-1.jpg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/Bestbirth/media/Hair%20Gallery/Henna%20fun/010-1.jpg.html)

I don't own a straightener, and don't think I ever will, seeing as how my hair can be quite glassy and straight without it.

[lapushka]

LLL, you said in another post that it doesn't grow, or that it's too slow, but that's a good amount of growth I see there! For sure! :)

[Toffeemonster]

There is a mix here, a lot of teenage girls now seem to be growing their hair very naturally, which is lovely to see. I do know straight haired people who will not leave the house without ironing their hair, the reason, frizz, it's not to do with looking sleek, just taming frizz. Actually for all of the people I know with straight hair who iron it, that is the reason. Frizz is a big no no!

[thiamine]

My hair is sorta wavy/sorta straight - it depends on the day. But I like straightening it because when I run my fingers through my hair, it won't snag. For some reason, my natural hair tangles really easy - using heat helps. Out of sheer laziness (I am NOT a morning person), I would usually just haphazardly run my straightener through a few pieces and call it good.

[LauraLongLocks]

Lapushka I guess it's just hard for me to see it myself. I did say in that other post that the pictures and measurements say it is growing, but for some reason I didn't feel like it was growing. Crazy, right? It doesn't seem phenomenal, but maybe I have a misperception of my growth. In 6 months, I would expect to grow 3" and at my May 1st measurement, I gained 1.5" since that November pic. I did have a half inch trim on December 5th, and I remember only seeing dust on the floor after the stylist was finished, but maybe she took off more than I realized.

[ErinLeigh]

Laura your hair looks loong to me :) That henna ombre is beyond stunning.

I think straighties flat iron their straight hair to smooth out any parts that kink. There is always that one piece that looks wonky or flips funny. It also smooths all the fly away hairs down and gives a good amount of sheen. Straightened hair also seems not to tangle near as much.

I do not straighten with iron but I do use a blowdryer. My hair looks dull, tangly and shapeless when left to air dry. It looks unkempt if left airdried so I can see why people would flat iron straight hair. It just gives it a "finished" look. Personally I don't iron but that is because my hair is dry and fine so it would damage too quickly. If my hair could handle it I would probably flat iron occasionally to prevent additional frizz in humid weather though.

[ErinLeigh]

Laura your hair looks loong to me :) That henna ombre is beyond stunning.

I think straighties flat iron their straight hair to smooth out any parts that kink. There is always that one piece that looks wonky or flips funny. It also smooths all the fly away hairs down and gives a good amount of sheen. Straightened hair also seems not to tangle near as much.

I do not straighten with iron but I do use a blowdryer. My hair looks dull, tangly and shapeless when left to air dry. It looks unkempt if left airdried so I can see why people would flat iron straight hair. It just gives it a "finished" look. Personally I don't iron but that is because my hair is dry and fine so it would damage too quickly. If my hair could handle it I would probably flat iron occasionally to prevent additional frizz in humid weather though.

[divinedobbie]

It's still a pretty popular trend around here. More so when I was in highschool. And yes, I was guilty of straightening my already straight hair. Now it's about 1c when hair typed, but if I do my usual routine and towel dry it and comb it, it's very close to 1b. When I was using cones it was dead 1a. And I straightened it! :couch: I do like how it makes my hair look though, it appears to make it glossy as others have already said. I could never get the same effect with a blow dryer, but I don't blow dry either.

[LauraLongLocks]

"Laura your hair looks loong to me :) That henna ombre is beyond stunning."

For some reason, the quote function isn't working for me today. Thanks, Erin.

[yahirwaO.o]

LOL This thread is everything I thought was wrong with flat iron junkies having already straight hair before my cousin straightned my hair last weekend.

My natural hair is very straight, a solid 1a on hot days-oiled and brushed 2nd day but more towards 1b when humid-freshly washed.

Even my hair is fine I have some bits that are bit more coarse and thus a bit more frizzy, but overall very pleased with my texture and tamed in frizz terms.

My cousing convinced me and did an excellent straightning job last saturday and I couldnt believe how smooth, frizz free and uber mirror glass shiny was my hair. :bull:
So far I had tried several good and healthy things, but anything comes close to how my hair look flat ironed.

However, this doesnt mean Im going to start messing with my happy healthy hair. I love the way it is, but once in a while im whilling to play a bit with the straightner. Still im pretty neutral between dumb addiction when a good old brush with nice oil can do, and the way a hot titanium iron makes shiny and complete frizz free straight.

[Mimha]

Concerning straight hair in countries where hair is majorly super straight already doesn't sound so crazy to me : when you are surrounded with people whose hair look all very similar in color and texture, your ability to distinguish subtle differences becomes acute. For us, that girl wakes up with super straight hair. But over there, her hair is not so super straight. They would clearly notice the difference.

I remember one of my Korean friends, many years ago. She always told me about her natural dark mahogany shine. I didn't want to upset her, but most of our college friends (me included^^) would not have noticed anything else than super black hair. But in Asia, she would definitely appear like she has that dark red undertone. Just like Inuit people are able to distinguish dozens of different shades of white just because they live in a mostly white ice-and-snow environment !...

Sure, heat is damaging. But it's a matter of personal preferences, once you are fully aware of it. And super-straighties may like to get that "absolute sleekness" and the special gloss it gives to the hair. ^^

[cat11]

why is it about what the "ideal" is or what other people think? Maybe *she* just likes straight hair and that style sticks with her. Like how some people still wear huge 80's hair- clearly not the trend anymore or good for hair but they just identify with the look too much to change it. Alot of us at LHC definately go against the "ideal" too

who cares if she "overstraigtens" her hair -_- It does make it look neat

also, LLL those pics look really good. I wish I h ad that texture. I agree with Lapushka- the hair is growing! I notice a lot of people on LHC think their hair isnt growing around the stage you're at- I think it can be hard to notice. But it IS growing. I remember your hair being a lot shorter when I joined- in fact looking at your hair (and a couple others) makes me wonder why mine is so slow so nothing to be worried about

[Illryeth]

Here where I live, every girl my age looks almost the same :D same makeup, same straight hair... not really any hair styles, updos or curly... just plain straight hair.
There are sometimes girls with gorgeous natural hair and it looks beautiful and refreshing!

I personally love beautiful long and shiny straight hair, it adds a bit of mystery but at the same time the curliness adds a bit of romance! I could never choose :D... but because I am afraid of using heat on my hair I am just leaving it be, sometimes it has better days sometimes worse xD.

[Mimha]

If I blowdry my 1c hair on cool, it is very straight and glassy. Here are three examples of it.
(...)
May 2014:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/Bestbirth/Hair%20Gallery/Henna%20fun/010-1.jpg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/Bestbirth/media/Hair%20Gallery/Henna%20fun/010-1.jpg.html)

I don't own a straightener, and don't think I ever will, seeing as how my hair can be quite glassy and straight without it.

Laura, I just wanted to tell you how much your hair is just to die for on this pic !!! :bigeyes: it seems that all has improved to it : thickness, texture, length, shine, ends (perfect hemline !!), everything !... I don't even mention the color : I absolutely love your dark brown with that rich red undertone. Good job ! :) :) :)

[Lauraes]

I have stick straight hair, and yes, I used to straighten it every day anyways. It was pretty silly of me. I don't do that anymore, in fact I don't straighten it at all anymore, and people still ask me if I have to straighten my hair everyday to get it as straight as it is. Now I get to say no. ;) I can't say I know anyone else who straightens their straight hair, because I don't even know anyone else with straight hair. :p

(Now, if only I could master curls, that'd be great.)

[PalomaSincera]

I remember when I stayed at a friends house in high school. She was my best friend and we went swimming together, then hiked around in the woods. Her hair dried perfectly straight and I was really baffled the next morning when we where at her house and she straightened her hair. I was so confused... My hair on the other hand, dried flippy. I looked like an angry cockatoo and I didn't even try fixing it LOL

Or the time, right before homecoming this same girl gets out of the shower, blow dries, straightens AND THEN CURLS IT...

Lol. This. My best friend always straightened her hair when we were in junior high and high school. And probably still does today. Her hair isn't perfectly straight but it has a slight beautiful wave. It's perfect in that way. It looks GOOD. but she likes it to be perfectly straight. Some people like that.

[Khristopher]

Been there, done that :agree: I loved straightened hair, it looked so shiny and it reduced tangles almost to 0%. But the damage... :run: no thanks, not anymore!
Even having virtually straight hair (1b~c), my canopy hair is full of kinks, and tends to frizz and look untidy and the iron made it look like nice hair, which was an amazing improvement for me. I was looking at old pics and noticed I had straightened my hair and how nice it looked and kinda missed it... but if you want long hair you must cut all that heat, simple as that.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3203&d=1363150170
I think this was one of the last times I had used my iron, and my hair was dyed the night before. Pretty huh? It's a shame my ends are suffering from mad breakage and weakness for things like that. I hope I knew better.

[radiofreejenn]

I'm guilty of straightening my straight hair. It's really to cut down on the bushiness when it's super humid. At least in my mind it's bushy. I haven't done it in forever and once my hair is back to long I doubt I'll do it except for special occasions.

[yahirwaO.o]

Been there, done that :agree: I loved straightened hair, it looked so shiny and it reduced tangles almost to 0%. But the damage... :run: no thanks, not anymore!
Even having virtually straight hair (1b~c), my canopy hair is full of kinks, and tends to frizz and look untidy and the iron made it look like nice hair, which was an amazing improvement for me. I was looking at old pics and noticed I had straightened my hair and how nice it looked and kinda missed it... but if you want long hair you must cut all that heat, simple as that.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3203&d=1363150170
I think this was one of the last times I had used my iron, and my hair was dyed the night before. Pretty huh? It's a shame my ends are suffering from mad breakage and weakness for things like that. I hope I knew better.

Che, que bonito cabello. Really I now totally get how nice straightned hair can feel, but on the long term its not that much of a good idea. And yes I feel my natural straight hair can look a bit untidy sometimes (humidity and shorter lenght poofy more) but still if u want long healthy hair, you have cut heat out life.

---- and out of topic, but I kinda like the victorian slight gothic feel of your oufit, it fits your really well!!! :cool:

[Khristopher]

Che, que bonito cabello. Really I now totally get how nice straightned hair can feel, but on the long term its not that much of a good idea. And yes I feel my natural straight hair can look a bit untidy sometimes (humidity and shorter lenght poofy more) but still if u want long healthy hair, you have cut heat out life.

---- and out of topic, but I kinda like the victorian slight gothic feel of your oufit, it fits your really well!!! :cool:

Muchas gracias!! :o Oily bunning really helps with the texture for me, but sometimes you just want the curtain look, like Minako said, haha. (Speaking of that, I wear wair wraps with good results) And the pooffiness at shorter lengths... I can totally relate, triangle hair! :rolling:
About the outfit, thank you <3 It's lolita, a japanese fashion.

[RainbowBowser]

When I was in highschool EVERY girl straightened their hair, if not most. So I used to do it out of conformity, these days I mainly see highschoolers doing this too.
My hair of course took the toll from my damage, I've changed all that since and use a straightener once a month MAYBE. its more like 6-8 times a year, from someone who used to do it everyday. I do it to feel good occasionally.
Honestly no one cares that I refrain from heat most of the time, especially in post-secondary. Straightening hair kinda feels like a cultural practice or a rite of passage or something along those lines looking at my highschool times and how most girls, and a few guys, had used flat irons on a daily basis.

[Larki]

I have straightened my hair a handful of times - it kills the frizz and makes it look nicer. But I find I can get a similar effect by combing with a wide tooth comb while it dries.