Naturals: Do you get paranoid when you straighten your hair?

SEMO

Well-Known Member
I straighten my hair very rarely but I find that each time I do I get paranoid and want my curls back after a day or two. My hair has been straight about 4 days now and I already desperately want to wash and deep condition it to get my curls back. I'm always afraid that they won't come back.

The only thing that's stopping me is the fact that I know I probably won't straighten my hair again for another 6 months to a year so I figure I may as well enjoy it being straight. And if I do have any damage it's already been done. I drenched my hair in heat protectant while straightening, but admit that my flat iron was on high. I hate feeling nervous like this. :sad:
 

E. Princess

New Member
::singing incredibly off key:: YYYYoooouuuu are not alone!

The first time I completely straighten my hair, without heat protectant *gasp*, I was super nervous and washed my hair hours after the straightening.
 

so1913

Well-Known Member
I'm ALWAYS paranoid when I do because I've experienced the potential heat damaging effects of heat styling. Now I only do it when I go for trims and say a prayer that all goes well lol. I am pretty comfortable with the stylists that I let touch my hair, so for the past few years after experiencing heat damage, I have not experienced any from the professional heat straightening I've gotten. The past 4 years I can say I've only straightened my hair as once or twice in one year...
 
Last edited:

SEMO

Well-Known Member
It's good to know I'm not the only one who get nervous about their hair reverting. I especially get nervous because the hair at my crown is already more wavy than curly and I feel like it wouldn't take much for it to go straight if it were heat damaged.

I really don't even know why I bother straightening my hair because I pretty much suck at it. My ends are so tangly. :(
 

BrandNew

Loc'd up and loving it!
I just posted about this in the random hair thoughts thread. I haven't straightened my hair since my BC. I want to do a length check but I'm scared. I had a lot of heat damage from transitioning that I lost some of my new growth when I did my BC.
 

The Savvy Sistah

New Member
I get nervous now when someone else (salon) straightens it. I'm so disappointed that I have heat damage after I got it done in November. Now I'm growing it and cutting it. The front of my hair looks like I have a relaxer especially now that more new growth is coming in.
Next time I will just do it myself and probably roller set and then flat iron. She used those hot! hot! Marcel irons (with the oven). Never! Never again!!!
 

SEMO

Well-Known Member
I get nervous now when someone else (salon) straightens it. I'm so disappointed that I have heat damage after I got it done in November. Now I'm growing it and cutting it. The front of my hair looks like I have a relaxer especially now that more new growth is coming in.
Next time I will just do it myself and probably roller set and then flat iron. She used those hot! hot! Marcel irons (with the oven). Never! Never again!!!
I understand. As paranoid as I am to straighten it myself (and considering my results are just okay) I am even more paranoid to let someone else do it. Plus I figure that if my hair did somehow get messed up I would rather have been the one to do it, rather than it be because of something someone else did.
 

Southernbella.

Well-Known Member
Yes, which is why I don't think I'll ever let a professional straighten it. My hair is pretty resistant, but I still get the biggest sense of relief when I wash. I actually open my shower and stick my head out to see my hair in the mirror, just to make sure my napps are back.:lol:

I do a lot to make sure my hair is protected, and so far, I've had no problems.
 

TaraDyan

Natural again ... this time for good!
You are definitely not alone, SEMO ... I'm paranoid too. I just cut 4" off my bangs a couple of weeks ago due to heat damage I suffered during my transition last year. My bangs are the loosest curl pattern on my head, so I definitely had no business using as much heat as I did (probably 2 times a week on my bangs only).

I'm just glad I didn't damage the rest of my head. I figure if I had to get damage somewhere, my bangs are not as big of a deal as the back or sides.
 
Last edited:

cocoberry10

New Member
Yes, which is why I don't think I'll ever let a professional straighten it. My hair is pretty resistant, but I still get the biggest sense of relief when I wash. I actually open my shower and stick my head out to see my hair in the mirror, just to make sure my napps are back.:lol:

I do a lot to make sure my hair is protected, and so far, I've had no problems.

What are some of the things you do to protect your hair from heat (i.e. products you use, styling, heat tools, or heat strategies).

Your hair looks so good and healthy in your fotki. You've been natural about 7-8 months longer than me, so I kind of use you as my measuring stick for where I should be at a certain time (i.e. if you are somewhere in June, I see how my hair progresses. I know all our hair grows at different speeds, but I think you get my drift). But your hair seems to bounce back after heat styling, so I know you must be doing something right.
 

JustKiya

Well-Known Member
This is why I refuse to straighten my hair. I'm waaaay too paranoid for that :nono:

Yup. So far, I haven't "gotten over" my concern about potential heat damage enough to buy the supplies - much less try it out. :nono: One of these years, I'll do it, though.
 

PinkSkates

New Member
Nope, not at all. I have my regimen and technique down to a science.
I can nearly press my hair straight with my eyes closed without causing any heat damage to my natural hair.:yep:
 

danigurl18

Active Member
I do all the time.. now that I can do it myself, I worry that I'll burn my own hair and heat protectant and sabino are my best friends!
 

JustKiya

Well-Known Member
Nope, not at all. I have my regimen and technique down to a science.
I can nearly press my hair straight with my eyes closed without causing any heat damage to my natural hair.:yep:

What was your learning curve like, how long did it take, and what, if any damage did you experience in the process of getting it down to a science? Were you able to start out perfectly? Or did you start with a light press, and go more and more straight as you learned/refined your technique?

I'm certain that if I practiced, repeatedly, I could get it down to a science, too - but I'm also certain that I'll damage the crap out of my hair at least once or twice in the process :lachen: and that's what I'm not down with.
 

Nonie

Well-Known Member
I thought I would be, but I've used heat before w/o protectants and this time I went all out and used enough of them. But still on wash day, I got a bit nervous as I wondered whether my hair would all revert. I cannot stress enough my excitement as I saw my hair shrink when I got it wet. I was so excited that I actually took a photo of my shampooed hair beautifully shrunken. So now, I'm so confortable with using heat. It's like finding out that if you jumped in a pool you could float and so no need to panic. :yep:
 

Libra08

Well-Known Member
Yep that's why I only rollerset and blow dry the roots. I'm still struggling with my heat damaged ends :ohwell:
 

chosen07

New Member
i've been curiously wanting to straighten my hair for a length check and just to *see*..but its been fear that I haven't yet tried.
 

Crown

New Member
Just the idea to straighten makes me nervous. I have very fine hair and I am scared about heat damage and I don't trust anyone to do it on my hair.
I need a very good reason to do it!
IF I have to do this, I will do it myself after getting a good flat iron.
Maybe it is better to begin by a blow dry 1 or 2 weeks before.
So no flat iron, no straightening, no paranoid.

Your hair is beautiful, OP.
 

Leeda.the.Paladin

Well-Known Member
I do get nervous, which is why I never get it really straight. I know I probably could get it a lot straighter than I do, but I just dont' want to take that chance.
 

SEMO

Well-Known Member
Nope, not at all. I have my regimen and technique down to a science.
I can nearly press my hair straight with my eyes closed without causing any heat damage to my natural hair.:yep:
I wish I could straighten my hair as well as you do.
 

SEMO

Well-Known Member
I do get nervous, which is why I never get it really straight. I know I probably could get it a lot straighter than I do, but I just dont' want to take that chance.
My hair didn't really get that straight the last time I did it (a friend had to re-flat iron it for me) so this time I took that chance and turned the heat all the way up. I think that's why I'm so much more nervous this time around.
 

LynnieB

Well-Known Member
I was paranoid immediately after I bc'd. I saw the photos and read all the horror stories but I know what I'm doing and the fear has "left the building" for the most part.

I know one thing though, I'll never EVER set foot in a salon to have it done. I know my hair better than anybody.

I don't over straighten or straighten frequently, always use the lowest amount heat necessary to straighten, am liberal with the heat protection and deep condition before and after a straightening session. I'm good to go.
 

PinkSkates

New Member
What was your learning curve like, how long did it take, and what, if any damage did you experience in the process of getting it down to a science? Were you able to start out perfectly? Or did you start with a light press, and go more and more straight as you learned/refined your technique?

I'm certain that if I practiced, repeatedly, I could get it down to a science, too - but I'm also certain that I'll damage the crap out of my hair at least once or twice in the process :lachen: and that's what I'm not down with.

Hmmmmm...let's see. I spent a good year of burning my hair and ears to a crisp!:lachen: I can laugh now, but I cried many tears over lost, burnt-out hair!
About 1.5 years into being a natural head, I met a guy who is a pro, licensed hair stylist on a movie set and we became best friends.
He took the time and cared for my hair and showed my how to have healthy, heat-straightened natural hair. A year later after meeting and learning from him, I began to do my own hair.


It's been nearly 10 years now and when we see each other, he always inspects my hair and says "I feel like a proud papa every time I see how your hair has grown and flourished...cause it was a holy mess when we met...":lachen:
 

discodumpling

Well-Known Member
It took about a year into my journey and lots of knowledge before I became confident with my flat ironing skills. Now that I have my products & techniques down (less is more) I no longer fear the flat iron!
 
Top