Ditching the flat iron

[2gaits]

I think I really need to ditch my flat iron but I am really struggling with how that is going to work out. I need my hair to look decently fixed for work. Any advice from those of you that used one daily and finally gave it up? Just at bsl and my grown out bangs are below chin length and I have layers. Ends of bangs are probably the most damaged and I tend to run the flat iron through them.

[milosmomma]

Hi there! I used to straighten my hair daily in the past and made the switch and ditched it as well. I think it will be great in the long run for the health or your hair. Do you know what you natural texture is? Are you going to be wearing your hair mostly down? Braid waves or bun waves are a way to give your hair a uniform texture while down. At bsl you can also probably manage some buns and braided styles while you're out and about as well, I think switching up styles might be a good idea for you just so you dont get bored whole transitioning away from the straightener.

[ExpectoPatronum]

I also used to flat iron my hair every day. I second milosmomma - what is your hair texture like? I think if you learn to work with your texture that it can be presentable for work. Half ups are nice on textured hair. I also agree that wearing buns and braids is a good option.

[0xalis]

I can promise you have co-workers that don't use flat irons!
Seconding everything said above!

[lapushka]

I think I really need to ditch my flat iron but I am really struggling with how that is going to work out. I need my hair to look decently fixed for work. Any advice from those of you that used one daily and finally gave it up? Just at bsl and my grown out bangs are below chin length and I have layers. Ends of bangs are probably the most damaged and I tend to run the flat iron through them.

It really depends on what your natural texture is.

If it's straight, it's quite straightforward and you can probably smooth it out with just a blowdryer (that's fine, on warm, not hot).

If it's wavy or curly, do look into the curly girl method, in the sense that you need to learn to tackle your hair a little differently (like brushing when wet and never dry).

Let us know!

[Laurab]

I've heard from a lot of former straightner users that the less they straightened their hair the less they needed to, since the damage makes it frizzy and dry. It's something that'll only get easier as time goes by.
Personally, I don't worry too much about how my hair look t work, as long as it's clean and detangled. There's always a lot of pressure to look perfect, especially when you're a woman, but as long as you're practicing hygiene you should be alright at work.
The only thing I do to my hair for work is I'll sometimes wear a headband to keep it out of my face.

[2gaits]

Thanks all for the ideas. I think my natural texture is wavy. At least it has bends to it when air dried. If I use a diffuser it will stay wavy but I'm not in love with it. I guess I will need to learn to love it. Styling it with just a diffuser is better for it. I might try to do more half ups or braids in the front.

[AmaryllisRed]

When I was in college, I washed, blow-dried, and ironed my hair every single day. And then I got a layered haircut, done by a person who knew what they were doing with my waves, and it looked awesome air-dried with a little bit of goop in it.
I think you just have to try some things and you'll find a way to wear it that you love without damaging it.

[Laurenhope29]

Ditching heat-tools was the best thing i ever did for my hair! And you don't even have to ditch them completely, i still use them for special occasions. Braid waves are my go-to hairstyle now, and it saves so much time getting ready in the morning.

[Proverbs31]

I used to use a flat iron 3 or so times a week because I hated my hair unless it was straight - then I decided to try and keep it in two braids at night, and I actually like the braidwave texture even more than it being pin-straight! I know that's really more a matter of preference from person to person, but I found that it kind of made my hair appear longer because it kept it all at one length, protected the ends, and let me keep an oil or leave-in conditioner in it overnight instead of sleeping on it flat =)

[lapushka]

I used to use a flat iron 3 or so times a week because I hated my hair unless it was straight - then I decided to try and keep it in two braids at night, and I actually like the braidwave texture even more than it being pin-straight! I know that's really more a matter of preference from person to person, but I found that it kind of made my hair appear longer because it kept it all at one length, protected the ends, and let me keep an oil or leave-in conditioner in it overnight instead of sleeping on it flat =)

I find that so odd coming from someone with as good as pin straight hair (1b/c), though. Maybe it's me, that I don't understand and that could very well be!!! :D

I mean it's easier for someone in the 1s to ditch a flat iron than for someone in the 2s (a lot of *poof* and fuzz/fluff/frizz).

[Proverbs31]

I find that so odd coming from someone with as good as pin straight hair (1b/c), though. Maybe it's me, that I don't understand and that could very well be!!! :D

I mean it's easier for someone in the 1s to ditch a flat iron than for someone in the 2s (a lot of *poof* and fuzz/fluff/frizz).

Oops, that was my mistake - I still need to update my profile. Originally I didn't really understand the hairtyping system, and, now that I *kind of* do, I need to go back and edit that =)

[lapushka]

Oops, that was my mistake - I still need to update my profile. Originally I didn't really understand the hairtyping system, and, now that I *kind of* do, I need to go back and edit that =)

Oh OK! Ignore my post then. What's your hairtype?

[spidermom]

I am another who used to think that my hair only looked good straightened. I was wrong! Braiding and bunning (one or the other or both) hide a multitude of wonky hairs. Also, once you learn how to work with your natural texture, you might learn to love it. I love mine. Not every day in every way, of course, but there's always braiding and/or bunning.

[CuteCrow]

I find that so odd coming from someone with as good as pin straight hair (1b/c), though. Maybe it's me, that I don't understand and that could very well be!!! :D

I hand a cousin with 1a/b hair who used to straighten it everyday. I never understood it. She said that it made her hair look better, shinier and less "frizzy" (I never saw any frizz tho) :confused:

[CuteCrow]

Double post :)

[tangocurl]

Hooray! You will be so much happier in the long run. When I want stick-straight hair, I wrap it like this video. It takes a little practice, but is worth it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CpG0LaYCMg

It does take some time to dry, but then it stays smooth like a blow dry for 2 or 3 days if I don't do a heavy indoor workout. Days 2 and 3, I wear my hair up.

If I have to go somewhere and my hair is still drying with all the bobby pins holding the wrap together, I just put a beret over it. The warmth of the hat speeds up the drying a bit.

Good luck! You will be so glad you ditched the heat styling. I never got much past APL until I did.

[Arciela]

I ditched mine back in 2012 and never looked back! At first it was hard...really hard. My hair was bleached, then dyed over..so it had that orangey look, was super dry and dead looking too.

What I did was lots and lots of updos, braids or just rocked the damaged hair. A year later I learned I had wurly hair, started the CG method and now my hair looks so much better! It's shiny and smooth, I don't need to iron anything at all anymore. It just takes time I guess for all the damage to go away.

[2gaits]

I think it is just hard to give up the habit or routine of it. I don't think my hair looks fabulous curled or flat ironed but it's just something I've always done. It's part of my getting ready to look presentable routine. Funny but as I get older I want to do less and less. I want long natural hair in a braid and minimal make up. I think a bit of thumbing my nose at society rules. I love that some women keep up the make up, hair styled, nails etc but I don't think it's for me. On vacation it was easy to ditch the flat iron.. I'll see how I do with work and giving up the routine of it.

[plonter]

I'm all for natural hair texture! I used to straighten every day in high school and into the first year of college, and then wound up chopping like 10 inches to chin length. It's hard to break the habit, working with my natural waves saved me SO much time and helped with both the smell of burning hair that seemed to linger around my room and hair all day, as well as the nagging feeling that i never quite looked perfect enough. The approach of getting a haircut to break your old styling habits may work for you if you're up for it, but it's not necessary.

It sounds like your hair isn't very curly. I recommend some styling cream and a silk pillowcase to prevent frizz, but YMMV. Some people swear by boar bristle brushes for taming frizz; some find the opposite to be true. Practice styling your hair on weekends if you don't want to feel disheveled at work, but I guarantee you'll get used to managing your hair without a straightening iron in no time. I won't share my hair routine because it is very lazy and not particularly neat, but for weddings I usually go for a low bun or half up and it looks good enough.

Cheering you on on your journey!

[Growingit]

I’m with you! Giving it up. I was washing and styling every single day. I have wavy hair that’s not cooperative. I’m going back to a modified cgm.

[2gaits]

I've looked at curly girl and it seems way to labor intense and just not easy to manage. I haven't used the flat iron much in the last two weeks. I think once to touch up my long grown out bangs on day two. Maybe I'll check out curly girl again. I have the diffuser but I sort of feel like it is more heat damage prone than regular blow drying. The hair is right on the diffuser instead of 6 to 8 inches away.