Heat Training: the ugly stepsister?

[genesislocks]

This is just something I have to get off my chest...

I am a natural, but I blow dry (and usually flat iron) every time I wash. I'm guessing that counts as "heat trained" BUT

I've noticed that there is a lot of controversy surrounding "heat training" (although I think "heat usage" is a better term). It seems that the general opinion is that "heat TRAINING" is code for "heat DAMAGE".

I've been seeing the pitchforks come out on this method more so than for any other method, including low manipulation (which for some causes tangles), texlaxing, relaxing, infrequent washing etc.

IMO I really don't see a problem with any type of hair care method. If it works for you then "whatever is clever"

But I just can't get over the fact that heat training seems to be the ugly stepsister of all haircare methods. What are your thought ladies?

 

[Qualitee]

IMO if your hair is heat trained you are no longer natural because your hair can no longer form back to its natural state. Heat training is not really different from texlaxing, the only thing that is different is the use of chemicals when you texlax, not heat. What about naturals who dye? Dye and changing your curl pattern are two different things IMO.

 

[Charla]

Ignore others opinions on methods of hair care.

 

[newgrowth15]

Heat training, heat damage, the end result is the same--lack of a defined curl pattern. Do to your hair whatever works for your hair.

I have very straight heat damaged ends that I am slowly trimming away. I use the word damaged because I would like to see my curl pattern from root to tip, but my abuse of heat over the years came at a heavy price for me. I rarely use heat now, but that is my choice. I do to my hair whatever I please with my hair.

 

[Fhrizzball]

It's your hair so you should do what you feel comfortable with as you'll be the one dealing with it and not any naysayers nor supporters. I feel heat training is a form of controlled damage and if that is something positive or negative is up to the user.

 

[30something]

There are too many arbitrary rules regarding hair care and texture and processing.. so many that in the end none of it really matters. Just do what ever that makes you happy and forget all the jibber jabber.

 

[Trini_Chutney]

I don't care what anyone else does to their hair. I have enough to worry about with my own.

 

[reeko43]

If you are getting the results that you wanted, should it matter what others think?

 

[yuhlovevybz]

If your heat trained hair lacks texture, you are doing it wrong. You should be able to use heat to keep your hair trained, but if anything it shouldn't alter the texture. This is why heat training and heat damage are not synonymous.

ETA: Why do people say 'if you do this, you're not natural'. Well f--- if you use hair products you're not natural cuz they have chemicals in them. H2O is a chemical. If you wanna be natural you gotta walk around with a dirty nappy fro and never comb, wash, color, straighten, touch, look, walk through a cloud of smoke, pump gas without a scarf on... nothin...or you're not natural anymore.

 

[Victorian]

If you use the word natural to mean (only) not using chemicals, then heat trained hair is natural.
If you use natural to refer to natural texture, or to both natural texture and no chemical usage, then heat trained hair would not be natural.

Difference in texture is not easy to quantify, and so many things can change your texture slightly but not totally--that's why basing the definition on texture is usually what starts messiness.

I straighten my hair all the time too but my curl pattern is still the same size and my ends aren't straight. Some people might try my regimen and have hair that ends up looking texlaxed. They'd be "heat trained" or possibly have "heat damage", but I wouldn't. The difference for them would be whether they were intending to straighten their hair or if they're sad now

That kind of ambiguity and variation is what makes this whole controversy stupid, IMO. Both the words "natural" and "damage" have this same issue because you can define it a bunch of different ways, and no matter how precise and exact people try to get with it, you'll always end up with some reductio ad absurdum. Like the "natural" examples like yuhlovevybz listed--you can do something similar when it comes to "damage". Practically everything causes damage to your hair and no one's hair is in perfect condition. Whether you consider it damaged or not depends on how it looks, feels, and behaves relative to how you'd like it to be.

There's really just no point to all this Girl, just do you and carry on

 

[DDTexlaxed]

Please don't worry about what others say about heat training. If it works for you, more power to you. Honestly, that method had been around a long time. It's time to just embrace what works for you and not view ugly stepsisters.

 

[Seamonster]

The reason why so many of us throw up a red flag when someone uses heat often, is because we have been burned. If you knew how we internalize finding heat damage, and our hair not being as heathy as it was the day before. People really are having flashbacks when they speak of heat damage so don't take it personally.

Every styling choice comes with consequences.

 

[venusfly]

Let me preface this by saying I truly mean no disrespect. I'm relaxed, but if I ever went natural it would be because I intend to wear my hair in it's natural state.

I just never understood how all that heat, all the time could be any better than a chemical relaxer. I really don't get that.

That being said, my opinion doesn't matter, nor should anyone else's. It's YOUR hair and you only have to please yourself. Do what makes you happy.

 

[LightEyedMami]

I tred to heat train and my ends were extremely brittle, my hair is unbelievable resiliant so the tedxture never changed...i decided to stop trying to train. IIF Heat training doesn't dry your hair out or prevent you from attaining your goals...DO IT!!!...Our hair is supposed to be fun, not a chore.

 

[dicapr]

It's an individual thing. All I know is you have to do what's best for your hair. I have been trying to be heat free for years and all I got was a jacked up head of hair that had SSK and mid shaft splits. Since I have added heat back my hair is thriving. There is no one size fit all solution. If that we're the case this forum wouldn't be needed

 

[SimJam]

I agree with the OPs sentiment.

I think the real contention is with the whole "natural Nazi" thing when it comes to heat training. which is why it can become a touchy topic.

 

[LongLeggedLife]

I almost always blow dry, flat iron occasionally when the mood strikes.. been doing so for years.
I don't consider my hair heat trained as I cant tell any difference to the texture and it will revert in a hot second.

 

[EnExitStageLeft]

Your hair, Your Money, Your Time, Your Business. People will forever have an opinion on something you do or say. I mean don't get me wrong it's an given right to have one. BUT, ultimately its your opinion that matters. If heat training is best for you, then throw some heat protectant on that *BLEEP*...and call it a day.

OAN: OP your hair is GAWJUS!

 

[dicapr]

Let me preface this by saying I truly mean no disrespect. I'm relaxed, but if I ever went natural it would be because I intend to wear my hair in it's natural state.

I just never understood how all that heat, all the time could be any better than a chemical relaxer. I really don't get that.

That being said, my opinion doesn't matter, nor should anyone else's. It's YOUR hair and you only have to please yourself. Do what makes you happy.

Not everyone goes natural to enjoy their natural texture. If you have scalp issues relaxing may not be an option. Some women regularly have scalp burns. Those individuals are natural for the health of their scalp. As we know a damaged scalp will end your hair journey more than straight ends.

 

[ms.blue]

Ladies back in the day did a press & curl- weren't they still considered natural? Do what makes you happy because in the end of the day...it is still your hair.

 

[MilkChocolateOne]

If you use the word natural to mean (only) not using chemicals, then heat trained hair is natural.
If you use natural to refer to natural texture, or to both natural texture and no chemical usage, then heat trained hair would not be natural.

Difference in texture is not easy to quantify, and so many things can change your texture slightly but not totally--that's why basing the definition on texture is usually what starts messiness.

I straighten my hair all the time too but my curl pattern is still the same size and my ends aren't straight. Some people might try my regimen and have hair that ends up looking texlaxed. They'd be "heat trained" or possibly have "heat damage", but I wouldn't. The difference for them would be whether they were intending to straighten their hair or if they're sad now

That kind of ambiguity and variation is what makes this whole controversy stupid, IMO. Both the words "natural" and "damage" have this same issue because you can define it a bunch of different ways, and no matter how precise and exact people try to get with it, you'll always end up with some reductio ad absurdum. Like the "natural" examples like yuhlovevybz listed--you can do something similar when it comes to "damage". Practically everything causes damage to your hair and no one's hair is in perfect condition. Whether you consider it damaged or not depends on how it looks, feels, and behaves relative to how you'd like it to be.

There's really just no point to all this Girl, just do you and carry on

This is my experience too. I wear my hair straight 90% of the time. My hair reverts, my curl pattern is intact and my ends are not straight. My hair is soft and it is not brittle. My strands maintain the same relative thickness from the roots to ends. Some people act like that every natural that uses heat has thin raggedy ends with a burned straight curl pattern and that is not the case for everyone.

 

[Napp]

Just do what you feel works! I was a heat "trained" natural for a while and my hair was as curly and coily as ever. I relaxed to go heat free but i find that the relaxed hair just isnt as resilient as my natural hair and i keep having to cut it to keep my hair even looking. So ive decided to go back to heat straightgned hair. I also would like the option to wear my curls if i want to, when i want to.

 

[genesislocks]

If your heat trained hair lacks texture, you are doing it wrong. You should be able to use heat to keep your hair trained, but if anything it shouldn't alter the texture. This is why heat training and heat damage are not synonymous.

ETA: Why do people say 'if you do this, you're not natural'. Well f--- if you use hair products you're not natural cuz they have chemicals in them. H2O is a chemical. If you wanna be natural you gotta walk around with a dirty nappy fro and never comb, wash, color, straighten, touch, look, walk through a cloud of smoke, pump gas without a scarf on... nothin...or you're not natural anymore.

My sentiments exactly! To me they're worlds apart, like the difference between doing surgery with a scalple or doing surgery with a butter knife. The job can be done, but you gotta have the right tools and the right method.
I've seen plenty of heat-trainers who have have reached unicorn length and yet, there was still an abundance of comments criticizing heat-training, claiming that their hair was "damaged". ayeayeaye

 

[genesislocks]

Your hair, Your Money, Your Time, Your Business. People will forever have an opinion on something you do or say. I mean don't get me wrong it's an given right to have one. BUT, ultimately its your opinion that matters. If heat training is best for you, then throw some heat protectant on that *BLEEP*...and call it a day.

OAN: OP your hair is GAWJUS!

Aww thank u dahlin! So is yours!

 

[coolsista-paris]

Let me preface this by saying I truly mean no disrespect. I'm relaxed, but if I ever went natural it would be because I intend to wear my hair in it's natural state.

I just never understood how all that heat, all the time could be any better than a chemical relaxer. I really don't get that.

That being said, my opinion doesn't matter, nor should anyone else's. It's YOUR hair and you only have to please yourself. Do what makes you happy.

I think its because like me,i went natural and i found out that wearing my fro gives me knots... I just realized this year its better stretched or straightened.

I have fine hair and i dont know if its à good idea to relax again

 

[coolsista-paris]

It's an individual thing. All I know is you have to do what's best for your hair. I have been trying to be heat free for years and all I got was a jacked up head of hair that had SSK and mid shaft splits. Since I have added heat back my hair is thriving. There is no one size fit all solution. If that we're the case this forum wouldn't be needed

I went natural...with à no heat reggie for 4 years....ssk ...loosing hair...breakage.
Since this year with heat my hair is.doing way better.

 

[coolsista-paris]

I also wanted to say that as à child my hair was surely heat trained. They used to hot comb my hair. It was the best ever and long!!! Natural heat trained.

 

[havilland]

Ignore others opinions on methods of hair care.

^^^^ this

 

[Fine 4s]

Everybody has their own opinion.

I use the term heat damage to define MY hair because of "the loss of something..." That loss is the natural elasticity that should exist. Also I have breakage because of the maximum stretch. For years I used heat before coming here and my hair never grew close to its current length.

It is possible to use heat without causing damage IMO. A temporary alteration of the natural hair texture. I'm still working on this.

If you can get the look YOU want and the hair YOU desire (within the genetic norm of course) then DO YOU guuuurl

 

[Lylddlebit]

When I wear my hair how I want, then I am not one of the women complaining about my style options. It doesn't matter if I use heat or not, when I like my hair every day and it doesn't fall out or break off then how I got comes second to how much I love it these days. Consider the source of heat damage comments then do what you decide to do.