How often do you straighten your hair?

[Namarie]

I'm just wondering how often you straighten your hair.

When I'm wearing my hair up or with a hat, I can go months without straightening.

If I want to wear my hair down, sometimes I don't have to straighten it (it's straight anyway). But if I have bedhead, the ends flick up because it's shoulder length right now. So sometimes I straighten it about three times a week.

How often do you straighten?

[spidermom]

Do you mean with a flat iron? Once a year or less now. I used to do it about once a month, and it trashed my hair. My length goal is long, so I don't want trashed hair.

I can get it reasonably straight with a blow-dryer on warm and cool, mostly cool. But it takes an hour so I don't do it more than about once every month or two.

[Newniepg]

I tend to straighten mine only for special occasions- like weddings and Christmas etc. I do like the way my hair looks when it has been straightened, but I am beginning to appreciate its natural look more and more.

I used to straighten nearly everytime I washed it, at first leaving it natural looked odd to me but I soon got used to it.

[Gulbahar]

I've never even touched a flatiron in my life. It just never occured to me and my hair is straight anyway - I'd rather have some waves.

[SimplyViki]

I don't. :shrug: I had mostly pin-straight hair as a kid, so when I finally sprouted a few waves, I was thrilled. Plus I'm too lazy for a blow dryer/flatiron/large rollers/whatever have you. I do occasionally carefully comb out my hair while it's drying, though, and that makes it straighter than usual. Does that count? That's maybe once a month or so.

[Copasetic]

I don't straighten with flatiron, but I will loosen my curls up with rollers maybe once every two months.

[Cherry_Sprinkle]

I never straighten anymore and I even ask my stylist not to when I go in for trims. :) I've learned to love my waves and curls.. but i used to do it everyday

[Heidi_234]

Still breaking my own record of not straightening my hair for over 2 years or more (yey!). :p

[Loreley]

Once or twice a year. For special occasions. If I do it, I don't like it because it's so dry then.

[Fractalsofhair]

In the past, maybe once a month or so when my aunt came to visit. XD Never on my own.

In regards to a curling iron, I used to do it probably once a week, but I've reduced that a lot, and now really only use pin curls.

[kdaniels8811]

Not at all since I learned how much it damages my hair. Let it wave if it wants to! I am more interested in length.

[NurseMama]

Once a year or less. I used to straighten once a month or so, and even that created lots of damage.

[halo_tightens]

Pre-LHC: every single day!

Now: Well, I haven't done it once yet since coming here. :)

I'm not saying I'll never do it ever again, maybe for a special occasion or something... I do love how it looks straightened, all sleek and shiny, but I'm tired of the damage it was causing.

[Margeaux]

Same as halo_tightens above me - I used to heatstyle (straighten) practically every day before I came here, and haven't done it once since I arrived here in November 2008.

Sometimes it itches, though. When I'm out of the shower and my hair is pulled straight it's full BSL these days, and I'd love to see the sight of that clear and airdry to fully appreciate how much it's growing. So I'm contemplating straightening it for my grad school graduation ceremony in October - only for the rarest occasion.

[Unofficial_Rose]

Only on occasions when it absolutely has to look perfect and even then only if a blowdry hasn't made it look good enough.

I once trashed my hair when I newly discovered straighteners, you see.

[Aisha25]

Never times a year I dont want my hair looking like melted plastic!

[Rohele]

Before I came here I blow dried my hair with high heat around an round brush and flat ironed it every day or every other day. I haven't done this since I became a member here - I'm actually starting to enjoy my waves, something I didn't believe would happen.

[Medievalmaniac]

I've never been a straightener. I comb it straight and let it air-dry, or I'll brush it straight and use a cold air diffuser dryer, but never ever used a flatiron...bought one, but never used it.

I should probably sell it and the hot curlers I never used, too...! lol

[pink.sara]

To control my frizzy damaged ends... about once a fortnight. But I view the last 3inch ends of my hair as "future trims" anyways! :D

[claram89]

When my hair actually had some length, I would straighten it once at the begining of the week, then touch it up with the flat iron when it started to get wavy until it was wash day again.

But now I dont do anything at all. My hair isn't long enough now, and since joining here, I realized how bad everything is.

[Kiraela]

You know, I don't think I've ever even seen a flat iron in real life, that wasn't in a box in a store. I was always too lazy to iron, blowdry, or curl my hair - I guess that's a good thing since I did enough damage dyeing it, that my hair would probably have disintegrated.

[zen_oven]

Not at all, at least not anymore. I fought my curls for quite a while there and used a flatiron for a while there. Since then I've learned to work with my curls instead. I think the last time I had any heat styling was when I had my hair done for a friend's wedding last October. Man, that was traumatic! LOL.

[RancheroTheBee]

I still do it about once a month. I'm also at three months of no trimming, so I think I'm doing okay.

[paintedmuse]

I have never straightened it in my life, but I've used the curling iron a lot... which isn't better at all^^
Now it's been more than 8 months since I've used any kind of heat on my hair :)

[Ruvie]

Haven't had a real trim in years, and I don't think I've used a flatiron in years either...don't much really use hairspray or curl it. Before finding LHC I was a bit wary about said products :P Although I was guilty of rough brushing and elastics with metal on them.

[Deborah]

Never. Never a curling iron either. My theory is: You iron blouses, not hair.

Doing it even once causes at least some permanent damage. Hair is simply not strong enough to be handled so harshly without damage.

Of course the 'beauty industry' makes it seem necessary, through endless advertising and phony hair advice in magazine articles. How else could they sell us all of their 'protective' and 'restorative' products? Human hair doesn't need chemical 'protectants' if no one can brain-wash us into cooking/burning it, and by numerous chemical agents (dye, bleach, etc.) otherwise damaging our hair.

[tinybabys]

i never really straitened my hair when it was long because i always had it up than i tried to leave it down for a while so i thought i should straiten it but never really liked the look. so i don't do it any more.

[going gray]

Huge jumbo rollers when it was 23" & lots of careful brushing....it was the only thing that worked...I'm all thumbs with a blow dryer.

[Periwinkle]

I don't - can't be bothered. If I want my hair straight, then I sleep with elastics down the length - it'll be pin-straight in the morning.

[lovebug]

I´ve never owned a flat iron or tried one.

[neon-dream]

I did it every day for 4 years. My hair isn't too ruined actually.
Now, I only do it once every now and then :). Every few months or so.

[heatherdazy]

I have managed to go from ironing 3x/week to only twice a month, so I'm pretty proud of that.

My sl hair also flicks up at the ends if I air dry it naturally, so I've been wearing it in braid waves pretty much constantly since I've joined LHC and have gotten tons of complements! I especially like the braid waves better than straight for updos because it's a softer more unique look.

[halo_tightens]

I especially like the braid waves better than straight for updos because it's a softer more unique look.

I so agree with you, heatherdazy! I absolutely love how it looks when I create some hardcore waves, then put it all up. It's definitely a softer look for me, and I always get compliments when I do it.

[Bianca]

Never... :D

[Gumball]

I never straighten my hair. I don't really have a need to do it. The fact that I almost never wear it loose is another reason why I wouldn't need to straighten it.

[Eboshi]

Never .......

[Mrs.X]

I straightened my hair every day for about 5 years, and only now that i haven't done it in 2 years do i realise just how awful my hair was - breaking off at the ends to the point where my hair was shrinking faster than it was growing and it felt like straw.

[Anje]

Never used a flat iron.

Stylist did attack it with a curling iron for my brother's wedding on Saturday, but I don't think any of the existing hair had ever seen one. Probably never will again -- I think I'm swearing off salon updos for such occasions. I looked like Medusa this last time!

[cuddledumplin]

I may have tried it a few times in my life. My hair won't stay straight for more than an hour anyway. Maybe if I lived in a less humid place it might, but even if a hairdresser does it with a dryer a brush, it only lasts a couple of hours, so why bother.

[Akiko]

I used to flat iron hair occasionally. But I have not used it since I joined LHC. My hair looks so much better now. For me, heat styling is really damaging.

[nowxisxforever]

I don't straighten my hair. ;)

[klcqtee]

Only once every 8 or 9 months. If I am using myself as a model for a photo-shoot, or if I feel the urge to have longer hair (no shrinkage when it's straightened!).

[GlassEyes]

I can honestly laugh at how judgemental some of these posts are. Yes, flat irons cause damage--and yes, the results can sometimes be awful (i.e., my own hair--yeesh), but there's nothing wrong with using one every once in a while. Yes, damage, but it's freaking hair.

That said, I hate the buggers. One burn too ******n many--and the heat from the iron made me sweat, which in turn defeated the purpose of using the iron. I don't flatiron my hair--if it's straight, someone else did it.

Also, this is extremely hypocritical as per a post I made a year ago--a topic, actually, but whatever. :eek:

[Komodia]

i'm a model so basically every time i have a photoshoot and my hair won't behave... hahahahaha

my hair is funny, the curls look great but when i untangle it ohhh.. here comes the hair cloud u.u

[missfortune9335]

I'm trying very hard to ignore the call of my flat iron, lol. I used to straighten every day, I haven't done it in about three weeks now.

[InTheCity]

Pre LHC - once a week or so. But not with an iron, with a large curling iron.

Since January 2009 - zero times! Like others have said, I'm learning to embrace my waves.

I may have to whip the hot tools out in October for a wedding I'm in. But we'll see. Maybe LHC will give me some cool updo ideas that are updo-challenged friendly :)

[Quixii]

I never straighten, and never have. I've never had even the slightest desire to.
I'm thinking of trying the "head wrap" method of straightening, but only because I want to see what it looks like or if it works. I definitely don't want straight hair.

[Heavenly Locks]

I would say I straighten my hair with a flat iron maybe once a year? I can get a better effect with a blow dryer and brush if I want a straight look. That I do every few months or so...

:)

However, I flat iron my bangs all the time to get them to lay right.

[RoseRedDead]

Never... Too much time, effort, all wasted in my opinion. If I want straight(ish) hair I'll just comb it out after the shower and wait till the wave falls out. Then it has some body and is not stick-straight (which I dislike on myself).

[ecologystudent]

Never. When I was a kid mom always thought that for special events, one should curl one's hair. Nevermind that the curls always fell out of my stick straight hair in under an hour.:rolleyes:

Since I became master of my mane, neither flat iron nor curler have touched it.

[Reptilia]

One or twice a month, if that. I haven't at all for nearly 2 months now.

[Sissy]

for me, I never use a flat iron anymore (used to use one daily). I occasionally use a blow dryer but I'm trying to avoid it and if I do use it I try to use cool or warm setting only. I am trying to be happy with my hair air dried naturally although it is sometimes frizzy or slightly wavy (some of this is due to damage I've done to it for sure).

[Buddaphlyy]

Once every few months.

But I'm going to up it to once a week as soon as I get my blow dryer and flat iron. Which hopefully will be by the end of next week.

[janiejones]

I don't straighten/blowdry even in the winter, when it would be nice to not have freezing wet hair, but I really just can't stand the way the dryer makes my hair feel....all unusual and pouffy and extremely static-prone. So I'd say maybe once every two years or so I'll have a "hmm lets see what I could try with my hair" moment.

[Namarie]

I don't blowdry my hair - I always let it dry naturally. But then it goes frizzy on top and flicks out at the ends (because of the length) so I have to fix it with the straightener.

I always use a heat protection spray, though :)

[Katrina]

Hmmm... never, because I want very long and healthy hair. I straighten my bangs though but nothing else.

[freckles]

I haven't straightened my hair in years, because, well, my hair is straight.
I have been known to occasionally (less than once a year) borrow my sister's curlers and heat-curl my hair, but I don't do that any more. Damaging, and the curls fall right out anyway.

[Little_Bird]

I never straightened my hair (with a flat iron or with a blowdrier+brush). And I don't intend to!

But, if I blowdry my hair, it will be very straight... and big! I really don't blowdry my hair now, haven't done it for about 2 years.

[wintersun99]

............

[verene]

I've straightened my hair a handful of times. Never again though, last time I did it, as pretty as it looked that day it thrashed my hair so bad I had to chop of 3 inches of split ends. Not worth it.

[Elphie]

I've never flatironed my hair. Wonder what it would look like...

[Islandgrrl]

Never. I don't bother.

[HoneyDrop]

I used to flat iron all the time. Now i only do it for special occasions (a few times a year)

[Kelsey89]

I used to do it once (or twice) a week. Now I'm down to once a month.

[Ruvie]

I think the last time I straightened my hair..well, I think I was in high school and that was more than 3 years ago! I dont own a flat iron, since my hair is a 1a I dont really need it :P

[Jinx2234]

I've never used a flat iron, but I used to use a blowdryer and brush to straighten my hair. I stopped doing that when my hair got long enough that it annoyed me to be wearing it down since it was all over the place.

[pepperminttea]

Never, really. I'm not quite sure I'd know how. :o

[Speckla]

Never. I haven't straighted since april 08.

[Wind Dragon]

I've never used a flat iron. I reserve the right to blow it straight(ish) at some point, but I um -- haven't actually laid hands on a blow dryer in maybe fifteen years or so.

[camirra555]

This year I straightened it two times between January and February but since I learned just how bad it really is I've only had it done twice. Once in April and then today!

[Rose J.]

I have curly hair, and I've straightened it once or twice in my whole life. I wasn't very happy with the results, and it took too long. :P

[liseling]

I allowed some friends to flat iron it once, in 2004. It took two people (each with a flat-iron) 2 hours to straighten all my hair. It was an interesting feeling to have straight hair instead of curls, but I dont think it's worth the time or damage to ever do it again.

Normal:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1504&pictureid=17873

Flat-ironed:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1504&pictureid=49092

[Laylah]

I've only straightened once in my life, and I much prefer my own straightish-wavey-curlyish texture. It just didn't look natural, I suppose. The flat-ironed results slightly resembled straw. I didn't notice any damage after one use, but I don't intend to test my luck and try again.

btw liseling your curls are beautiful!

[rogue_psyche]

I've only straightened twice. I've used curling irons occasionally but not since joining LHC. I've never seen the need to straighten; it seems like too much work and damage for a casual look. :shrug:

[Toadstool]

I tried it a few times but didn't really like it, plus I don'tunderstand this ongoing trend for straightened hair. It makes it looke quite flat and lifeless in my opinion.

[Sarahmoon]

Never! My hair is straight anyway, so...

I've used one of those wave irons once or twice when I was a kid but I never really liked the effect. It looks so fake.

[Charlotte]

I've never even touched a flatiron in my life. It just never occured to me and my hair is straight anyway - I'd rather have some waves.


I also have never used a flat-iron. Instead I used to use curling tongs to get waves!! My hair is pretty straight, although since I joined LHC I have realised that I do have a slight wave which I always encourage nowadays by gently scrunching my damp hair, heh heh. I guess we always want what we haven't got. :p

[Melisande]

My hair is pretty straight, and I don't like the artifical look of flat-ironed hair anyway. So I can say: never. I don't own a flat iron, and it makes me queazy (if there is such a word) to think what damage every day thousands of young women do to their hair, only because of a silly fashion introduced by an industry that is not interested in people who are happy with themselves.

I know what I'm talking about because in the Eighties, I was an incontent young woman and spent a fortune on stuff to make my hair WAVY. We'd puff up our hair with everything we could. Straight hair was the bane of our existence. We all wanted wavy BIG hair...

Don't say: but straight hair IS prettier, this not a fashion, it's an universal truth! It is not. In ten or fifteen years from, the perm will make its comeback... but no more on my poor head. And then you'll look at your pictures with the flat ironed hair and say: what was I thinking???

[LaFlor]

I didn't ever have a reason to flat iron my hair, because it was super straight naturally.

Now that I got a perm I am growing out, it is a whole different story. I use a flat iron 1-2 times a week, but only on the already damaged sections of my hair. I leave my roots alone, since they are my future! Like a previos poster, I count the permed parts of my hair as future trims anyway.

[irishcurls]

liseling- I like your hair curly better. Its very pretty straight but I like it better in its orriginal state.

I am so proud to say this.....I havnt touched heat since march. Considering I used to do it every day and I always had straight hair. I have learned to embrace my curls.

[Bellona]

I have to use a flat iron now if I'm going anywhere where I want to look half decent. My hair is collarbone length with the shortest layers being above my ears :( It would probably look ok if I had straighter hair, but the waves and my cowlicks make them stick straight up! I do try use it sparingly (about once every two weeks). It's weird though -- blowdrying seems to do more damage to my hair than the flat iron. When I had APL hair a few years back, I'd just let it air dry and then straighten some of the ends with a flat iron, and my hair seemed perfectly healthy. When I used the blowdryer it seemed really crunchy and gross. When my hair gets to a decent enough length I'm going to swear it off completely :)

[thankyousir74]

I iron for special occasions (but not really by choice).

I curled my hair with an iron for prom and then immediately regretted. Since I'm a wavy borderline curly, I thought it was unnecessary damage so I vowed off of them.

The last time I straightened was when my friend begged me to for a ceremony where I was going up on the stage. Since I'm going away to college and I didn't know when I'll see her again, I obliged.

I don't have issues with my wavy hair so I don't see why straightening it makes it "prettier".
But oh well. :shrug:
I don't think I'll ever straighten it again.

[Nicoliee]

Not often because I don't really go anywhere.

[Lianna]

If you don't count bangs, non of my current hair has seen a flat iron. Now that I'm growing my bangs, I think I haven't used heat on it for 3 months. I used to straighten in high school everyday.

[Nusia82]

when i had long hair (bsl) i used flat iron only for special occasions, but now that my hair are shoulder length i ude it once in a week (even more if i have to look decent).

My hair are curly and they hate blow dryer, but i have to use it in winter. when they are dry they look so messy and fuzzy so next step is flat iron!

[LissaJane]

almost never ever. I occasionally used to let my friends straighten it on a night out (I think it looks really bad on me, anyways- But they think otherwise), however since trying to seriously care for my hair, I haven't straightened it in at least 2 years, probably more.

[jujube]

About once a month, but then again my hair is short, meaning it a) can look extremely awkward and flippy, and b) is almost entirely "future trim" material.

[rosieex3]

I used to flat iron quite frequently when I was in Cosmetology school. Now I only do it on special occassions where I absolutely need my hair to look fabulous, lol. These occassions are very rare. Maybe once or twice a year? Or maybe zero times a year. Depends.

[NotInPortland]

Very rarely these days. In my early teen years I got into the bad habit of straightening it almost every time after I washed it which was every day or every second day because it tended to go a bit frizzy and straight hair was the big thing at my school. It was more out of laziness than anything else that I stopped straightening it as much around 3 years ago, and gradually I just stopped straightening it altogether because I got so used to it not being straightened that when I did my hair looked very flat and dull and I didn't like it. I also knew the heat was damaging to my hair which also motivated me to stop using it. These days sometimes when I wear my hair down for a night out I may straighten the very front part of my hair because I'm growing out bangs so it tends to stick out at weird angles. But even now I'm gone so lazy I usually just pin it back rather than straighten it :p

[bluesnowflake]

My hair is naturally almost straight, and the length pulls out any curl that would be there, so I've never straightened my hair. If I really want it straight, I lightly blow dry it on cool and that takes care of it.

[Anywhere]

I straightened 3 times last year. I plan on 0-1 times this year.

[HintOfMint]

This past year, I had it straightened with a flat iron about 3 times. Before that, I had gone about 2 years without it. For that two year time period I was really into embracing my wavy hair, and the New Orleans humidity really brought out some serious curls and volume. It was also a kind of "resistance is futile" type thing.

I'm getting back into having straight hair, but my hair HATES heat and my hair is a bit too unwieldy to wrap, so I'm stuck fantasizing. Ah well. My waves are nice, especially after I bun them.

I should add though, that two of the three times were in a salon chair when I was having my hair cut. Doesn't make a difference in terms of damage, but it shows how often I'll take it upon myself to actually straighten it on a regular day or even for a nice evening out.

[Khiwanean]

I've never straightened my hair in my life. I don't own and have never touched - much less used - a flat iron. One of my cousins has been curious about what my hair would look like straightened in the past. I might have let her do it at the time, but it never ended up happening. Now, I don't think I would. I'm kind of curious myself how it would look, but with the split ends I get even though I have never colored or done any chemical treatment to my hair, I definitely wouldn't risk it.

[MissManda]

I don't ever straighten my hair because there really isn't any point. All I have to do is brush it while it's damp and then it goes even straighter. I don't even think I've ever had a flat iron touch my hair. I do have a curling iron, though, but I haven't touched it in 1.5 years or so. I like braid and bun waves way better and it takes me much less effort.

[prosperina]

I flat iron my bangs nearly every morning. But the rest of my hair... no. I haven't used a straightener in a year and a half and that was a one time deal. Before that it was a good two years or so. Like others have mentioned, I don't see the point. It's damaging and would take forever. Next time I get a trim though I might get my hair flat ironed just so I can see the length.

[ecologystudent]

Never. I've never even had a straightener.

[IcarusBride]

I have naturally strait hair. I tried using a flat iron once to see what makes people want to do it, but it had no effect except making my hair steel-wool-ish.

[fairystar32]

well I am the opposite of everyone on here I think :)
I find my hair was MUCH nicer when I used to blow dry and occasionally flat iron. My hair has gone through a spell off breaking and feeling dry and awful and I havent used heat in years.
I have since bought another flat iron and dryer recently and whilst only using them very occasionally if I am going out, my hair looks so so much better.

When I am not going anywhere though I dont bother, but it looks so awful when it hasnt been blow dryed.

[Cirafly24]

I straighten maybe 2-3 times a year. I used to straighten every day, and I still feel bad about that. My hair was breaking off all over the place and my ends were like straw. My hair feels and looks so much better since I stopped using heat on a regular basis.

[ArienEllariel]

I tried straightening my hair a few times with a cheap straightener a few years back but I found that unless I used a really high heat setting, my hair wouldn't actually go straight. The same thing happened when I bought a cheap curling iron. My hair wouldn't curl with it (I guess it didn't heat up enough). Haven't bothered to use either one in years and I don't plan on using heat appliances at all from now on.

[Lianna]

I find it funny that most responses "I don't, I never.." are from straighties or barely wavies (2a). Most that said "used to/sometimes" is border curly, I think that's an important fact to notice before you start feeling bad about using a flat iron/blow dry.

I'm sorry but I just don't take the already straight hair responses into account. Seeing tons of I don't would make someone feel bad...I know I would, but most of these are already straight hair! And this forum is biased anyway...most won't use heat/dyes/bleach or are trying to quit. If you just wanna know about LHC members, that's fine, but it doesn't reflect how the world is.

[Quixii]

I have never and don't plan on ever.

[MrsGuther]

Flat irons are the from the devil!!! ;) I stopped that bad habit a long time ago. I just let my hair air dry and I deal with the waves and natural texture.

[Dars]

Never :) 16 months next week since I've last used heat.

[GuardGirl]

Well.... I don't flat iron, have cut off all the hair on my head that ever has been flat-ironed (hence the 9+ inch chop in October) but I still blowdry with a round brush once or twice a week. I wrap my hair up in a towel after washing/conditinoing to soak up excess water, then clip up the top half and dry the underneath. Unclip the top, blowdry. All in all it takes only 5-10 minutes and I hold the blowdryer almost a foot away from my head, and my hair doesn't look any worse for wear. :)

I'm sure the condition would be much better at longer lengths if heat never touched my hair, but 5 months out of the year I work outside in the blazing south Georgia sun anyway, I don't think 5 minutes of blowdrying is my biggest obstacle!

[silverleaf79]

I used to do it occasionally, for going out and such. Maybe once a month. But recently, never. It looks kind of pretty but much thinner when it's straight, but the problem is unless my hair's newly trimmed the ends don't look nice straight. My waves/curls suit me better, and I'm trying to fix all the damage I've done with chemical dyes over the years anyway so no more heat styling.

[silverleaf79]

Oh yeah, and living in England isn't conducive to keeping naturally not-straight hair straight anyway. The slightest hint of moisture made my straightened hair wave or curl up at the ends, and it does rain quite often here... ;)

[Flossy]

I do sometimes, and will use it around my hair line once or twice a week. I'm gentle, and do it lightly, but I would rather have some damage than a psychotic hairline. I guess I'm just vain that way! Eh, what are you going to do?

[madeline_]

Just before joining LHC I'd bought a really expensive flat iron and I considered selling it when I read how bad it was. I mean, I knew it's bad but I guess I just had to be reminded. But I just changed the way I use it. It has adjustable temperature settings, and I use it on the coolest one. Actually, it goes by hairtypes and I use mine on the lowest setting of Fine. It actually made me buy into all that crap about "ionic" straightening with the negative ions and such, because the blade is so cool I can touch it with my bare hands, but it still flattens great. I use it only on the ends, about everything shoulder-down. Higher up it just messes with my volume too much.

I use it about once every three, four weeks. I'm trying to quit. I'm just happy I could quit my curling iron because of the henna. Curling irons are far far worse. A flat iron you can slide through quickly, but for my hair to take any curl an iron had to be in there for at least five seconds.

[LaceyNg]

only when i leave the house w/ the intent of being seen by a lot of ppl. so, maybe twice a month or so? my hair is naturally soooo frizzy on the underside that i just dont feel pretty unless its been straightened/de-frizzed.

i'm still trying to find a way to de-frizz without using heat :/

[soapstone]

Once a week. Looks smooth, shiney and clean all week. :D

[walterSCAN]

Well, my hair is seriously 1a anyway, so I never really had a reason to. A flat iron has touched my hair ONCE, about 6 years ago because a friend of mine was just dying to see what it would look like if she straightened my already straight hair. ... there was absolutely no difference (to me, she said she saw a difference, but no one else did either)-- go figure! :rolleyes: I think most of that hair has been trimmed away by now, or it's included in my next planned trim.

As regards other heat-styling tools though, I used curling irons periodically when I was younger, maybe 2-3 times a year. It was pointless too-- the curls lasted all of a minute and a half, no matter how much icky hairspray my mother dumped on them. So I haven't used those in years and years either. The only way I can get my hair to hold any kind of curl or wave longer than 5 minutes is to braid it or rag curl it. I used to use a blowdryer on cool setting periodically if I just couldn't wait to see what color my hair came out after dying or henna-ing it, but not really any more.

I don't think I've even considered heat styling/ blowdrying in 4-5 years now-- there's really no point, whatever I'm trying to do is gone within a half hour anyway. :shrug: Besides, my hair is really fine ( slightly less so now thanks to henna!) and I don't want to even chance that kind of damage anymore.

[Mutinous]

About once or twice a week or so. I do it for my job, and my goal length isn't too long, and I am in no hurry to get there so I'm not too fussed about damage.

[BrightEyes7]

Only on special occasions or if I just want it super straight.

I can get my hair mostly straight if I let it air dry right. It still has a little wave but I like it, kinda adds body. But if I'm going out or just want to look a little special I'll run a flat iron over it, but real quick and in large sections. Not like I used to, small sections and running the iron over it slowly and more than once! I think all the damage I did with heat tools actually made my hair wavier, the more I stay away from heat all together the straighter my hair is getting.