Flat Iron Help

[LindsayNichole]

Yes, I know this place doesn't exactly have a love of flat irons. :P However, it's your discretionary use of hair products that makes me think you're the best people to ask advice on this. ;)

Until just recently, my hair had been practically free of heat styling for years. However, for those years, it was also a frizzy mess that rarely looked good. I've tried various products. I've tried conditioner only washes, water only washes, shampoo bars, etc. Those would work for a time, up to a few weeks, then my hair started looking limp and dirty and awful. I'd stick it out a while longer, all to no avail. So back to the shampoo it was. I tried multiple times, too.

I recently tried flat ironing my hair, and it looked so many times better. It was amazing. It's amazed me how much better I feel having my hair actually look nice. It's quite wonderful, really. But also, thanks to a new gel I'm trying, and the use of a comb, I can actually get it looking kinda nice with no flat iron sometimes too, on a good day. But on those not-so-good days, I'd like to use a flat iron. I'm thinking maybe I'll flat iron it once a week. So...

How bad would once a week be for my hair?
If I'm going to flat iron it, what are some good tips?
What products would be helpful to keep my hair in good condition?

Also, I have some products that are supposed to be for use with heat. But if I spray those on my hair and use as directed, my hair is then wet and I hear it sizzle as I touch it with the flat iron. It's not supposed to be good to flat iron wet hair. So how do you reconcile that with needing to use a protecting product?

[Nes]

I'm going to be completely blunt with you here.

I flat ironed my hair once a week for 3 years (going quickly over large sections and with a heat protective spray) and then stopped. The previously flat ironed sections of my hair are now at my hip and are crunchy, velcro-y, dry and horrible. I can feel a definite demarkation line from where I stopped straightening.

This damaged hair feels great and looks shiny when I iron it again, but it is a vicious circle as the flat iron damages so badly that the only thing you can do to cover it is.... flat iron again.

I wish I had never started, and i'm now in the long process of trying to grow out the damage i've caused. My hair just snaps off at the ends.

You haven't stated you goal length, but if it is above waist you might be able to get away with it (but it probably won't be very healthy), but anything longer than that and it is unlikely you will ever get there while straightening.

You've put your hair as being 2c which is about the same as mine. My hair looks frizzy if I don't manage it carefully.

If you want straight hair, then I would look into the hair wrapping method (you can find info by searching the site). When I want straight hair, I now blow dry (partly air dryed hair) on a barely warm temperature with a paddle brush to smooth it down.

What would (in my opinion) be better for you though would be to find a way to embrace your natural texture and minimise frizz.

I'm not the best person to give advice on this, as i'm still learning myself, hopefully a wavy hair expert can wade in here and give you some advice re: use of brushes vs. combs, plopping, aloe vera for frizz etc.


Good luck

Nes x

[LindsayNichole]

Okay, thanks for the advice. :)

No goal length stated because I haven't decided yet. ;) The last two years, I've had to cut my hair when it's gotten about this length due to headaches from the weight. I really want to grow it out longer this time, so I'm trying, and thankfully, no headaches from the weight yet!

If I can continue growing it however long I want, I'd probably want to keep it about waist length. I wouldn't really want to deal with it longer than that. However, I also want it to look nice and not always be messy, so if I have to sacrifice some of that length in the end to keep it looking good...well, I don't see much purpose in having long hair if it doesn't look pretty and I can't feel confident about it. :)

[Flynn]

(Because, y'know, a well-cared-for 2c is obviously not pretty.)

Never having done it myself, but having had several friends who used to straighten "once a week" at about BSL, I'm voting that once a week would be very bad for your hair. It'll end up dry and fluffy.

You might try a wrap method, like Nes suggested, as described here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=22459) by Rach, who got excellent results (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=514997&postcount=17), or you might hang out here a bit more and pick up some tips on handling your waves. Heck, they're fashionable at the moment, why not take advantage of them?

[helen2806]

I'm going to go against general wisdom and say that I straightened my hair with GHDs pretty much every day from the age of 15 and don't believe I have any lasting damage. I don't do it everyday any more (since I joined LHC) but probably once or twice a week

... I don't know if I've just got really resilient hair or something, but I've always used an Aussie heat protecting leave in conditioner and have been pretty much fine. I do have a few split ends but they aren't anything the occasional S&D can't manage, and the ends in general feel fine. This might be different if I were going for really long hair, but like Nes said I think above waist it's probably much easier to get away with.

Obviously some/most people do get a lot of damage, but I don't think it's impossible to use straighteners and still have healthy hair. I still prefer how I look with straight hair, but have grown much more fond of my waves in the past few months so maybe one day I'll be able to completely give them up!

[LindsayNichole]

I'll look into the wrap method. I hadn't heard of it before this.

It's not that a well-cared-for 2c isn't pretty, in general. But when it's as messy and frizzy as mine gets, it isn't. Everyone's hair is different, and what works for some doesn't work for others. I've lurked here enough to know people are very aware of that. I'm just trying to figure out what works for my hair to keep it looking nice, because the other stuff I've tried hasn't worked.

[LindsayNichole]

I'm going to go against general wisdom and say that I straightened my hair with GHDs pretty much every day from the age of 15 and don't believe I have any lasting damage. I don't do it everyday any more (since I joined LHC) but probably once or twice a week

... I don't know if I've just got really resilient hair or something, but I've always used an Aussie heat protecting leave in conditioner and have been pretty much fine. I do have a few split ends but they aren't anything the occasional S&D can't manage, and the ends in general feel fine. This might be different if I were going for really long hair, but like Nes said I think above waist it's probably much easier to get away with.

Obviously some/most people do get a lot of damage, but I don't think it's impossible to use straighteners and still have healthy hair. I still prefer how I look with straight hair, but have grown much more fond of my waves in the past few months so maybe one day I'll be able to completely give them up!

Okay, cool. I'll look for that leave in! I have an Aussie leave in as well as a heat protecting spray, but I don't think I have one that does both. I use mostly Aussie products, so I'll have to look for that one next time I go out. Thanks! :)

[helen2806]

Okay, cool. I'll look for that leave in! I have an Aussie leave in as well as a heat protecting spray, but I don't think I have one that does both. I use mostly Aussie products, so I'll have to look for that one next time I go out. Thanks! :)

happy to help! :flower: the one I have is from the Luscious Long range, and it says it detangles and protects from heat (can't remember the exact name though)

[Fethenwen]

How bad would once a week be for my hair?
If I'm going to flat iron it, what are some good tips?
What products would be helpful to keep my hair in good condition?

Also, I have some products that are supposed to be for use with heat. But if I spray those on my hair and use as directed, my hair is then wet and I hear it sizzle as I touch it with the flat iron. It's not supposed to be good to flat iron wet hair. So how do you reconcile that with needing to use a protecting product?
Ouch! Oh do be careful! Flat iron may destroy your hair, but of course everyones hair is different. I know from my own experience that it did destroy mine, I still have places around my hair that snaps easily and is dry because I did iron those places half a year ago. (like the front hair you can see in my siggy)

But here's some tips:
Once a week is a bit much, but than again it's your hair :bow:
I'm not really into any products so I can't give you tips on those. But you should definitely use heat protection. And MAKE SURE YOUR HAIR IS TOTALLY DRY BEFORE IRONING. The sizzle sound is not a good sign. It boils your hair. And when you iron it, brush it through your hair without leaving it on the same spot for too long.
I would recommend using coconut oil frequently to condition your hair.
Hope this helps!

[SimplyViki]

Speaking from *no* experience (I've always been far too lazy), but my brain can't help but try and find a solution to at least one part of your problem - If I were you, as far as the "sizzle", why not try spraying or otherwise applying the heat protecting product, letting it completely dry (I guess cool blow dry if you don't have time) and then doing the iron?

Otherwise, I second what others have said - it's still quite damaging... since your hair can't repair itself, and no product can truly "repair" the hair, any damage you inflict on the hair using the iron will still be there the next time you iron, whether it's tomorrow or next week. Meaning it'll still be damage accumulating over time, just maybe not as fast.

[helen2806]

*snip*

And MAKE SURE YOUR HAIR IS TOTALLY DRY BEFORE IRONING. The sizzle sound is not a good sign. It boils your hair. And when you iron it, brush it through your hair without leaving it on the same spot for too long.

*snip*

totally agree about the sizzle!

another tip I have is to make sure your hair is totally detangled before you start, as it makes the whole process much quicker so minimises the amount of time your hair is exposed to the heat

[Julesn]

Hello!

I am a hairdresser & we use an AWESOME product in the salon before blowdrying & flat iron-ing. It's called Moroccan Oil. It is the BOMB. I don't heat style my hair anymore, but I do use it every night to oil my ends. Look into it! It's great stuff & smells divine!! :)

Julie

[Nightshade]

I'm going to go against general wisdom and say that I straightened my hair with GHDs pretty much every day from the age of 15 and don't believe I have any lasting damage. I don't do it everyday any more (since I joined LHC) but probably once or twice a week

... I don't know if I've just got really resilient hair or something, but I've always used an Aussie heat protecting leave in conditioner and have been pretty much fine. I do have a few split ends but they aren't anything the occasional S&D can't manage, and the ends in general feel fine. This might be different if I were going for really long hair, but like Nes said I think above waist it's probably much easier to get away with.

Obviously some/most people do get a lot of damage, but I don't think it's impossible to use straighteners and still have healthy hair. I still prefer how I look with straight hair, but have grown much more fond of my waves in the past few months so maybe one day I'll be able to completely give them up!

Not to play Master of the Obvious here ;), but it'd seem to me that you're a rare exception to the "flat irons ruin hair" rule. Also, and I mean no offense in this at all, your hair is about BSL or so, which is quite long by normal-world standards, but less so by LHC standards.

Back in the day when I had trashed my hair from dye and other forms of abuse, it wasn't THAT bad at BSL, but once I started inching across the Midback Abyss it was just breaking off in a terrible way.

Were your goal, say, waist the hair that is not at BSL will be 1-2 years older than it is now. Even just ironing once a week you're looking at 104 sessions with the flat iron at the very least. That damage will add up, and even virgin hair tends to have lost cuticle scales and become fragile from age and general weathering at longer lengths.

The problem isn't so much one or the other, but both the general wear and tear/fragility of longer hair on top of the damage incurred by flat ironing.

To that end:

Pic #1 (http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_68/hair_twh_68_04.jpg)

Here you can see the scales of the hair as the overlap. The root of the hair is to the upper right of the photo, and the end to the lower left direction. Just from normal brushing, combing, washing and exposure to the elements, we can see that while the cuticle is still tight on the hair, there is some chipping and general wear and tear. Still, though, this is a pretty healthy hair.

Heat Damage
I know you love your flat iron and hair dryer. They make your damaged, frizzy, flyaway hair lay nice. But for damaged hair it's like putting a Band-Aid on a sucking chest wound. You're not helping the problem, and in fact, you're making it worse. Even healthy hair cannot stand the abuses of heat damage long without showing significant wear and tear.

The main problem with heat appliances is that warmth, in general, opens the cuticle of the hair, which is why on a hot and humid day hair will frizz out to no end. The second problem with heat appliances is that often they are way too hot. Hot enough to actually physically BOIL the moisture within the hair, and that water, now steam, will try to escape the cortex of the hair, rupturing the cortex and the cuticle on the way out. Now take that uplifted cuticle, add steam escaping and compound it with the mechanical damage of the round brush with the hair dryer, or the abrasive action of the flat iron scraping along the hair (no matter how much "protective gel" you put on there, it still happens). Big problems:

Pic #2 (http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_110/hair_03.jpg) Pic #3 (http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_74/hair_twh_74_03.jpg)

Here is a case where the hair has been overheated to the point where the moisture inside has started to boil, permanently damaging both the cortex and the cuticle. Eventually the hair will break down and split, sometimes into a "white dot" which is just a split in the center of the hair. The second picture shows
a case of trichorrhexis nodosa (white dot), where the cortex was disrupted by an overheated hair dryer.

The problem with all these types of damage is that your hair is often exposed to more than one of them, and the trick is to minimize it as much as possible. There's often the argument of, "But my hair is shoulder length and looks great!" At shoulder length I'm sure it does. But keep in mind that your hair currently at shoulder will be at your waist, at tailbone, at classic or longer, three, five, seven or ten years from now. What you do now to your hair is only compounded by time, and by weathering. Unlike skin, hair doesn't heal. You can minimize the damage already done, but there's no putting those cuticle scales back on once they're gone. Period.

----

The above is snipped from the article in my siggy on rehabilitating and preventing damaged hair :) LindsayNichole, perhaps you'd find some suggestions in there?

The shea butter conditioning cream that's linked in there may help with the frizz (which the flat ironing is only making worse), or perhaps something like plopping or bun waves to push you into official curly zone would help :flowers:

I'm not trying to be a downer, and if you still want to use the flat iron I won't admonish you for it, I just wanted you to know exactly what the long-term repercussions of that may well be :)

[soraya69]

I too am one of the "flat iron addicts", as my hair looks its best when it is flat ironed. I used to do it almost daily, and it did lead to lots of damage - actually I got a "mechanical hair cut" when my hair went from BSL to shoulder length just by breaking off. But I also was not taking care of my hair, always blew dry followed by the flat iron, and only used shampoo and conditioner (which I wasn't leaving on long enough to actually work).
My hair just doesn't look like hair without flat ironing, it's not just a preference, it's a reality. It has no weight or consistancy, and flat ironing makes it heavier and silky and shiny and nice. Even if I wanted to use that wrapping method, I might be able to get rid of the wave. but it won't change the consistency, it'll still by airy and frizzy and weightless.
So, now I only do the heat styling once/week, do hair treatments regularly, and use double heat protection: Kerastase Nectar Thermique on wet hair, then again Tigi S Factor Flat iron spray on dry hair, and this seems to work much better. Unfortunately I do see vapours when I flat iron, even if my hair is 100% dry - I guess it's the silicone evaporating, I just hope it doesn't mean too much damage.

[JessicaVonMaim]

I think it honestly depends on your hair whether or not the flat iron will do significant damage. No doubt it will damage it, but it may be only a little or a lot, I think it really depends on how much damage you are willing to put up with. I used to flat iron my hair every day with a really crappy revlon, metal flat iron. It just made my hair a frizzy broken mess. I would suggest if you are going to straighten it, invest in a good, ceramic flat iron (check Sally's, that's where I bought my last three from and they were way better than the ones you get at places like Target). You said you use a heat spray but it sizzles when you flat iron it, it sounds like you are not waiting long enough for it to dry, so I would just suggest applying it to your hair 10-15 minutes before you use heat so that it has time to dry.

I've heard Chi makes good products for heat protection, but I have never tried them.

Good luck :)

[Roseate]

I agree that it depends on your goal length. I have very sturdy, heat resisitant hair and successfully grew my hair to this length:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2331&pictureid=28658

with weekly flatironing. You can see in the picture the ends are getting dry, but this was before I found LHC and I didn't know about oiling or CWC or any other great tricks like that. I used various heat protectants, and just waited for them to dry before ironing. I remember I really liked a slightly more "natural" one from Aura Cacia. I think the big thing is moisture, though, something I wish I'd known more about at the time!

I've cut out the iron because I'm toying with the idea of going longer, and I've learned better ways to deal with my natural texture.

I understand that I am an exception to the rule, many people with fine hair find that even a few ironings seriously damages their hair! But since the OP has a similar hairtype to mine, and a shortish goal length, she may just get away with it.

[LindsayNichole]

Thanks for all the tips and advice! It's helpful in my trying to figure out the balance with my hair.

[renarok]

2C hair is a very hard hair type to just 'let be', I have had very good results smoothing out the frizzies from my 2B-2Cish hair by using steam rollers.

I bought Caruso molecular rollers, jumbo size. and I am able to remove frizz without damage. I don't hear many folks here talk about them, but they work well for me. They are also super fast. I put them in, do my makeup, iron my clothes, then take them out. (maybe 25 minutes total for all three)

How often are you washing your hair? I only use them a couple of times a week.

[Aisha25]

I have 2c hair and I have 0 problems no frizz nothing. I get curls and waves and sometimes they go straight. I never needed to do flat ironing as that would totally ruin my wurly waves

[Fractalsofhair]

Weekly flatironing/blowdrying ruined my hair along with one very mild bleaching. (Didn't even lighten the shade, just changed the color.) I strongly advise againist it if you're doing it only for the frizz. I have hair that gets frizzy, but an oil works wonders for that, with a nice boar bristle brush to distribute the oil. I have very very fine hair that is easily damaged, and my hair is breaking off at the line where I dyed it. It's up to you of course, but it's very damaging in my own personal experiance.

[Valorie]

I know I'll reap the consequences of this dearly. Nightshade knows what she is talking about!

I will go months without doing it, then I will start up again. I will say however, now for a while as it gets longer the only ironing I do is the fringe in the very front which gets cut regularly.

Somehow I justify that by the rationale that those hairs won't be there long enough to really get damaged. If I grow out the fringe, then I will stop entirely but I like my face framed with it.

But oh yes, there is always a difference in the hair that was processed, ironed, heated, colored, etc. I have a couple lines of demarcation I think:cool:
At the same time, I am going for something in between BSL and maybe waist. And I'm pretty short. And like stated before by nightshade what is "long" in the outside world is sort of different here. People refer to me as having long hair in the outside world and I feel like it's pretty short because I spend a lot of time on this forum.
So it is in my reality pretty short still :violin:

[Wind]

If you have decided to straighten, please make sure you get a good iron with ceramic plates. My current flat iron is a Cricket, with solid ceramic plates, about 1 1/2 inches wide. I bought it at my hairdressers, I don't think it's available at drugstores. Half the price of a Chi, and I've used both, it works just as well. The heat protecting spray I use is an aerosol, much like hairspray, so I just spray and let it set a min and it's dry.

Now, my hair is only shoulder length. I'm not looking to grow it down to my toes at the moment, and when my hair was shorter, my straightener was a God send, but I don't use it frequently now. In time I'm sure the damage will show, and it'll be trimmed off. I guess this is just a disclaimer. :p