A question for those who previously used straightening irons?

[peachy.pudding]

Hello:D

I am wanting to grow my hair longer, but for the last month i have been using straightening irons:rolleyes:. I have not seen any damage in my hair yet;).

How often could i use them without daminging my hair to straw?:confused: ( e.g per month)

How long could i grow my hair if i used them twice per week?

If i gave them up now could i have healthy hair that would grow to extreams like the rest of you?

For those who have given them up is it possible to go natural and have healthy hair?

[Feisty Redhead]

I have a straightening iron, but I rarely use it. I've never made it a habit to heat style regularly; only a handful of times a year.

How often could i use them without daminging my hair to straw? ( e.g per month)
- That really depends. Finer hair tends to be more susceptible to damage than coarser hair, but no matter what when you heat style you are going to get damage. Other things you do to your hair and how you care for it are also going to play a role, so it's really hard to say.

How long could i grow my hair if i used them twice per week?
- There is no way to know the answer to this question.

If i gave them up now could i have healthy hair that would grow to extreams like the rest of you?
- Generally speaking hair that is not subjected to frequent heat styling is much healthier. However, growing to "extreme lengths" seems to be dependent on a "long hair gene" so if you don't have that gene extremely long hair may not be possible. I am not sure of the truth in this, I have not done any research on the matter but that is what I have heard. Most people should be able to get at least to waist length with proper care though.

For those who have given them up is it possible to go natural and have healthy hair?
- Of course. :)

[Curlsgirl]

I used to use a straight iron and it took a while before I noticed damage. I have resiliant hair though and I am curly so sometimes it takes a while. I found that I got sort of addicted to it if that makes any sense. I would straighten and at first it looked great and then after a while it started looking worse when I DIDN'T straighten and I had to straighten to make it lay down well and smooth down the frizzy parts. It just got worse fo me until I found this place and decided to let my hair be what it wanted to be in the first place. In my opinion the flat iron is one of the most damaging things you can do to your hair. Occasionally with a flat-iron protective spray is one thing but 2 times a week is another. That is MHO. You may be able to grow long hair but I doubt it will look very healthy using such intense heat. I haven't seen anyone yet that could.

Oh and I ended up cutting quite a bit of really bad damage from where I had done it too.

[prosperina]

Today I was in class and I was walking around looking over my students' shoulders as they worked, and I couldn't help but notice the crazy horrible flat iron damage on a couple of the girls. I'm talking about hair just below the shoulder that was split up to the crown. :shudder: I don't imagine they care, and I'm not trying to criticize them, but if they had wanted to grow their hair out longer, I don't know that it would be possible. (Also, I'm pretty sure they flat iron because sometimes I see them with less than perfectly straight hair, and they don't dye). Yes, from a distance their hair looks sleek and straight, but from up close it was bad. I feel silly noticing it, but it was SO obvious. And they are pretty, nice girls--they just won't be growing really long hair (to waist or longer) anytime soon. Just my :twocents:

Now, sooner or later someone will post the scary photos.

[Curlsgirl]

Today I was in class and I was walking around looking over my students' shoulders as they worked, and I couldn't help but notice the crazy horrible flat iron damage on a couple of the girls. I'm talking about hair just below the shoulder that was split up to the crown. :shudder: I don't imagine they care, and I'm not trying to criticize them, but if they had wanted to grow their hair out longer, I don't know that it would be possible. (Also, I'm pretty sure they flat iron because sometimes I see them with less than perfectly straight hair, and they don't dye). Yes, from a distance their hair looks sleek and straight, but from up close it was bad. I feel silly noticing it, but it was SO obvious. And they are pretty, nice girls--they just won't be growing really long hair (to waist or longer) anytime soon. Just my :twocents:

Now, sooner or later someone will post the scary photos.Yeah I noticed this on the girls at church too just because I used to sit behind them.

Where's Nightshade? She has the scary pictures and is not afraid to use them:)!

[jojo]

I think if you want very long hair, like waist and beyond then you need to banish the straighteners, if you are after shorter then the occasional usage wont hurt, as long as you use heat protection but even then you are causing damage, i know when i use mine which is very rarely these days i notice damage.

heres a link all about hair, which was on the old LHC, its a good read!
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_67/hair_twh_67_03.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_67.htm&h=87&w=118&sz=10&tbnid=EJ0ARopyBDgJ:&tbnh=87&tbnw=118&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsplit%2Bends&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=1&ct=image&cd=2

[sweetlidlred]

I have been growing my hair for over a year and just foundLHC about 3 months ago. I stopped using the blow dryer and straight iron and I have had more growth (or probably just less breakage) in these last three months than the entire previous year. It is not always easy because I am so ust to straightening it, but well worth healthy hair.

[spidermom]

My hair stylist, who is very good and loves long hair, tells me that if you use the flat iron with a protective spray, move the iron down your hair very fast and only once per strand, and save it for special occasions, you will not notice damage. She straightened my hair only a couple of days ago. I've washed my hair since then, and the ends still look and feel fabulous.

[Mahars]

I had pretty much the same experience as you Curlsgirl. I used a flat iron for a couple of years and the more I used it, the more I felt like I had to use it to look presentable. When I would try to wear my hair curly, it would look horribly frizzy and dry and the curls wouldn't form properly for some reason. My hair got so damaged that my ends started feeling like straw and I had to get a hair cut every couple of months

I stopped using it when I decided to grow my hair longer because I wasn't getting anywhere by cutting so much hair off. My hair is a lot softer now but it's still damaged. It gets dry in a jiffy if I don't baby it constantly. If I use a flat iron even once now, my hair takes two weeks to recover. My hair has highlights though, so it's damaged from that as well.

Anyway, like everyone has said, everyone's hair is different. It's hard to say how much stress your hair can take. If you hair feels soft and moisturized with the amount of ironing you're doing, you might be ok. Just keep in mind that damage can accumulate over time. HTH!

[Nat242]

How often could i use them without daminging my hair to straw?:confused: ( e.g per month)

This depends on so much - the condition of your hair currently, how sturdy your hair is, how long you wish to grow it, etc. I would say only a few times a year, and with great care.

How long could i grow my hair if i used them twice per week?

Again, this depends on your own hair, but in my experience, you'd be lucky to make BSL. And it wouldn't be a healthy, lovely BSL, it would be a dry, breaking, crackly BSL. I didn't even straighten my hair once a week (maybe once every two weeks), and the ends kept snapping off, and my overall hair condition was not nice to touch.

If i gave them up now could i have healthy hair that would grow to extreams like the rest of you?

Again, this depends on your own hair and genes, but you will be able to find your hair's true length and condition potential if you give up hair straightening, or cut way back on usage. It may take you a while to grow out old damage, as you can't really repair heat damage, but if you take very good care of your hair, and trim the ends when and if they need it, you could of course have long, healthy hair.

For those who have given them up is it possible to go natural and have healthy hair?

My hair is growing much faster than it did back when I was using hair straighteners - not because it's coming out of my scalp faster but because the ends don't snap off, so I get to keep the growth I gain.

My hair is in increasingly good condition, I am learning to work with my natural hair texture (not quite curly, not quite straight) and I am enjoying it! I snip off split ends when I see them with a good pair of hair scissors, and although my hair has a long way to go, I could not have gotten my hair this long if I kept straightening as often as I was.

Keep heat styling to special occasions, and do it carefully and quickly.

-- Natalie

[kimki]

I used to used straightners 2-3 times a week and have highlights. That was last year, I still seeing damage in the ends. But my hair is really fine.

My hair looks so much better now, lots of people tell me it looks healther. I havent had a major trim I just go through and seek out the splits!

[harley mama]

I gave up heat styling when I found out the damage it causes to my hair. I have only ironed my hair once in over a year. Some people can use an iron and it doesn't seem to hurt thier hair. My hair is dry and it doesn't take much to end up with straw on my head!

[Nightshade]

Yeah I noticed this on the girls at church too just because I used to sit behind them.

Where's Nightshade? She has the scary pictures and is not afraid to use them:)!

Hey, I think this is the first time for the new board :twisted:

http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_73/hair_twh_73_01.jpg

http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_73/hair_twh_73_02.jpg

http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_73/hair_twh_73_03.jpg

Bubbles inside the hair cortex from a too-hot heating appliance, and the resulting spli (http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_73.htm)ts.

http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_74/hair_twh_74_03.jpg
A case of trichorrhexis nodosa, where the cortex was disrupted by an overheated hair dryer (http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_74.htm)

[GlassEyes]

o-o

Nightshade, that's something like out of a horror movie. e-e

It also depends on what kind of straightener you use. You use metal and your hair is gone. Ceramic seals in moisture to cause less damage, and it looks better.

Notice I said LESS. LESS. It won't prevent all damage; any heat styling will damage the hair. It'll just be on a lesser scale.

[peachy.pudding]

Ah thank you all so much for all your detailed comments, i agree i do think that they can be used on specail occassions but not every week, and yes i think i was addicted to them. I have given them up completly, i am just so thankful i dont see damage when i air dry my hair now.

Thank you for all your support and encouragement.

[Neon Gloss]

Those pictures are actually pretty terrifying, I'm not gonna lie.

[Carina]

I'm very close to bsl.But I wanted to see how close so I used heat protectant and flat ironed it.I only use it twice maybe three times a year.
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg2/Elin-Carina/Bild092-1.jpg

[anna1850]

Have you tried to any of these ways to straighten without heat?

1. Dampen you hair and separate into pigtails, wind a long ribbon around the length of each pigtail and tie at the end. This keeps the hair straight whilst it dries (this one gets the best results for me and is easiest and is comfortable to sleep on)
2. Make your hair damp. Tie your hair either into a ponytail or pigtails and continue to tie lots of hair ties at 1-2 inch gaps down the hair. For this to work the hair must become "stiff" - ie when you lift it at the top of the ponytail the rest must move without being floppy. (This sometimes works for me and sometimes doesn't)
3. "The Doobie" - Wrapping your hair around your head, effectively using your head as a giant roller (see video www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5BzYBME06Q for wrapping technique)
4. If you can get hold of some really big rollers (Over 3" diameter) these should leave your hair straight, although I've never been able to find any this big. To minimise damage try not to use the ones with velcro as these aren't good for your hair.
5. Some people have success just putting their hair into a non-twisting bun whilst damp and leaving to dry (this doesn't work for me though)

I do these overnight and start with damp hair but not wet enought that it won't be dry by morning. You'll probably get better results than me because your hair is straightish to begin with but I can take my hair from a 2c/3a to about 1c so maybe you could be able to get yours down to a 1a.

[Curlsgirl]

Thanks Nightshade for christening the new site properly! Carry on long hair lovers!!! :D


Peachy puddin' I am so glad you stopped. That worked for me better too rather than doing it now and then. If I had a stylist like Spidermom has I might get it done when I went to the salon but I have pretty much quit going there too. Actually the salon I used to go to could straighten my hair really nicely with a blow dryer and round brush without even using a straightening iron which is pretty remarkable. Of course she had to rest 10 times during it and it took like 45 minutes just to dry it!! I felt so sorry for her! I bet she is glad I haven't been back LOL!

[pinkprincess]

i had been straightening mine for years. but then i havent blow dried or straightened it since christmas and its grown like 4inches or so