Should I stop using heat?

[GreenFairy]

I have almost BSL hair that I trim 1/2” every month. I am finally giving up an almost lifelong addiction to bleach. Because of this addiction my hair is moderately damaged. The only way it looks good down is curled under with a curling iron. I only place the iron on the bottom 2-3 inches of hair. I’m curious if curling my hair under will cause damage that will travel up the strand of hair. I’ve tried so many heatless curl options but have never been happy with the results because the hair may be too damaged.

Should I keep using heat or give it up?

[gustavonut]

I think you should decide what makes you most comfortable with your hair.
If you see significant damage from using your iron often then try to limit it to only a few times a week instead of every day.
I don’t think anyone should tell you what to do with your hair, if you want to use heat then I say go for it. You can use some protein treatments + moisture treatments if you need them and just keep trimming the damage.

[Alex Lou]

Since you're growing out bleach damage and will continue to trim, you might as well curl your ends under so you can have presentable hair on a daily basis. You are only damaging the hair where the heat touches it.

[*Wednesday*]

Heat damages hair. Especially already damaged hair. Ends are very vulnerable even if virgin the longer it becomes.. Have you considered updos? The less manipulation the better.

[Joules]

You're trimming off existing damage, and simultaneously continuing to create more damage with a curling iron. Hair ends are fragile on their own, they're even more fragile when they're bleached, and if you curl them on a regular basis they will force you to stop it by simply breaking off. Are you ready to lose the bottom 3 inches? The faster you transition to healthy hair care routine, the faster you'll get healthy hair, plain and simple.

The thing here is that heat styling is just as much of an addiction as bleach. Think about it, do you really need to look red carpet ready every day? Not even Hollywood actresses have to. So I would look into updos to hide damaged ends and use heat tools only for special occasions.

That's my opinion, anyway. Only you can decide what to do with your hair. I'm just saying that regular use of heat tools never helped anyone get rid of damage.

[nycelle]

If you want long hair, then yes, for now I'd lay off the heat tools. But if you're happy with your length, and trim regularly which you do, then I don't see a problem.

[spidermom]

As long as you realize that the heat is creating more damage and may make it much harder to reach your goal length, carry on.

[littlestarface]

Honestly its up to you and how you want your hair to look and what will make you happiest. I never use heat and I would never recommend it but I also don't expect you or anyone else to copy my form of hair care. But you have to realize heat damages hair and if your fine with that then keep using, if you want a more natural hair look no matter what then stop heat.

[Dark40]

I would keep continuing to curl the hair under so that you can have presentable hair on a daily basis too. But don't apply heat to your hair every single day if you want to have long hair. I would apply heat to my hair once or twice a week, and like you've said, 'You trim your hair regularly." So, you shouldn't have an issues with damage.

[lapushka]

If you can guarantee that you're only "targeting" the bleached ends with the heat, and not the virgin length, then I think you're fine. I wouldn't put heat on virgin hair, though.

[Deborah]

I would give up the heat or the bottom three inches will always be damaged. If you can put your hair up in a nice French twist or simple bun it would go a long way towards protecting your hair from damage. Alternatively, you could use rollers or rods or rags to curl the ends of your hair. Either way, you could continue gradually trimming out the damage, and end up with beautiful, healthy hair, as long as you want it.

Best of luck with whatever you decide to do!:flower:

[Glitch]

If you can guarantee that you're only "targeting" the bleached ends with the heat, and not the virgin length, then I think you're fine. I wouldn't put heat on virgin hair, though.

I agree :) When I was growing out my bleached hair, I started using heat on only the colored part and left my roots alone, which helped me stop heat straightening in the long run. It was a very long process for me, but straightening out at least some of my hair is what was comfy for me at the time. Take your time, and eventually you'll reach your healthy hair goal :D

[nycelle]

I agree :) When I was growing out my bleached hair, I started using heat on only the colored part and left my roots alone, which helped me stop heat straightening in the long run. It was a very long process for me, but straightening out at least some of my hair is what was comfy for me at the time. Take your time, and eventually you'll reach your healthy hair goal :D

hey Glitch, nice to see you back :)

[Glitch]

hey Glitch, nice to see you back :)

Aww, thank you nycelle! Missed you all! :heartbeat Such a hectic year for me :headache:

[Xu]

Since you mentioned a curling iron specifically i'd just try using rollers instead and maybe sit under a dryer for about 30 min.. othust completly let it air dry. The results should be pretty similar if done correctly.

[lillii]

Doing sock curls on wet hair only to the lower part of your hair may give you favorable results. There are tutorials on Youtube and they turn out really pretty!

[Arciela]

If you are going to keep trimming the ends then go for it :) but I wouldn't touch the virgin ends or if you want to grow longer I'd try to find some alternatives instead of the heat.

[Doreen]

Don't worry, the heat itself won't travel up the strand or cause immediate damage. The worst that could happen is that it creates split ends, and then the split ends travel up the strand if left unattended. As long as you continue to trim, this shouldn't be a big problem. I curled my bangs under for years and then grew them out and it was easy to trim off the heat damage once they were long enough to blend in with the rest of my hair.