pookaloo83
New Member
I want to straighten tonight, but Idk if I should blowdry before I flatiron or just do it from it's kinky unstretched state. I have curlformers and was thinking of using those to stretch before I flatiron. what do you do?
Naturals: Are You Just Flat Ironing or Blowdrying Before Flatironing?
- Thread starter pookaloo83
- Start date
Missjae09
New Member
I have always blow dried before straightening, I'm a bit afraid of what it would turn out to be if I didn't blow dry first. I have also read that some ladies rollerset before flat ironing, so I think that hair needs some form of stretched drying to get a smooth flat ironed look.
cinnespice
Hello is me your looking for?
Blow dry first cause it's easier. I would like to try roller setting the next time though.
iri9109
New Member
what kind of flatiron do you have? if its a high quality one you might not need to blowdry first...my sister has mostly 4b hair and one time i put her hair in a few braids and she sat under the dryer, and one time i just flat ironed her air dried-non stretched hair, and it still came out swangin...i have a solia iron...actually her hair came out straighter both times than mine does and i blowdry mine first...i think blowdrying sucks out too much moisture... use the curl formers or just comb or brush each section before you do a pass with the flat iron so that its smoother...and you'll probably have to do 2 passes.
Melody.Monroe
New Member
I get better results when I airdry overnight and then flat iron the next day. But when I let it airdry I twist into 6 sections. Then flat iron in tiny sections. Be havin' mad SWANG chile!
pookaloo83
New Member
iri9109
New Member
I have a chi.
chi's are good right? i think you should try airdrying/curlforming 1st and then do a couple passes on a section with the iron, and if you like the results, finish your whole head, and if you dont like it, then blowdry your hair then straighten it...dont forget your heat protectant!
Ozma
New Member
[QUOTE=Melody.Monroe;14020241]I get better results when I airdry overnight and then flat iron the next day. But when I let it airdry I twist into 6 sections. Then flat iron in tiny sections. Be havin' mad SWANG chile![/QUOTE]
I second this. Oiling, then twisting to dry overnight, then flat ironing using the comb-chase method gives me great results.
I second this. Oiling, then twisting to dry overnight, then flat ironing using the comb-chase method gives me great results.
tiffjust2002
New Member
I airdry overnight and then flat iron the next day. I stretch my hair in a low bun and allow it air dry then I take the bun out and left the middle where the ponytail holder was air dry then I flat iron. It's a two day process LOL
mEmYSELFaNDj
Well-Known Member
I usually stretch my hair by putting it in plaits while its damp and air drying. I rarely blow dry before flat ironing because there is so much breakage when I blow dry, I can tell because there are lil hairs on the floor. It's much easier on my hair to just stretch it by plaits or banding.
Oh and Curformers does sound like a good pre-flat ironing stretching method. Thats the equivalent of rollersetting before flat ironing but minus the heat. So that sounds like a great option to me.
Oh and Curformers does sound like a good pre-flat ironing stretching method. Thats the equivalent of rollersetting before flat ironing but minus the heat. So that sounds like a great option to me.
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ryanshope
Well-Known Member
I don't wear my hair straight often but I have gotten the "best" results from blowdrying then flat ironing. I used to air dry over night with plaits--but my hair was never "straight" until I used a Conair Yellowbird with the comb attachment then flat iron. I also have 4a/b textured hair that I straighten like 3 times a year(if that).
iri9109
New Member
oh and if you must blowdry, try the tension method....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAB-XC4m4YA
i did this last time, and didnt have all the breakage and splits i usually get when i use a brush or the comb attachment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAB-XC4m4YA
i did this last time, and didnt have all the breakage and splits i usually get when i use a brush or the comb attachment.
Ebony Majesty
Well-Known Member
Blowdrying and flat ironing together makes my hair dry and lifeless 
I use a Remington Wet to Straight flat iron with the chase method
Saves time, and I love how my hair comes out!
I use a Remington Wet to Straight flat iron with the chase method
Saves time, and I love how my hair comes out!
Striving4perfection86
Active Member
I second this. Oiling, then twisting to dry overnight, then flat ironing using the comb-chase method gives me great results.[/QUOTE]
PREACH!!!!! That's exactly how i do it! perfect salon results every time!
fifi134
Well-Known Member
Cosigning on oil and airdrying. I oil my hair in sections with grapeseed oil. I have about 6-8 sections and I band the length of the hair. By the morning, my hair is completely dry & stretched. My hair comes out nicer when I do this as opposed to blow-drying first. I also find that blow-drying takes me forever and I end up getting lazy with the flat ironing, so my results are not as nice.
BraunSugar
New Member
Blowdrying and flat ironing together makes my hair dry and lifeless
I use a Remington Wet to Straight flat iron with the chase method
Saves time, and I love how my hair comes out!
I have this flat iron & unfortunately I got a little heat damage using it on damp hair.
I said that the next time I used it, it would be on dry hair.
BlaqBella
Well-Known Member
Either/or for me Pook. I used to think that one was better than the other, but my hair does pretty much the same either way (at least depending on the products used).
ETA: Well i airdried in plats differently this weekend and I won't go about this way again. I usually stretch it more by stretching the plats more and the way i apply product. By the time I finish I've undone and applied product to the plats a couple-few times and my hair is slightly damp when I apply my heat protectant last. This gives my hair more time to dry before tying the plats and leaving them to dry. Letting them be more damp/wet to start with (for airdry) gave me more tangles this time when I began to flat-iron.
ETA: Well i airdried in plats differently this weekend and I won't go about this way again. I usually stretch it more by stretching the plats more and the way i apply product. By the time I finish I've undone and applied product to the plats a couple-few times and my hair is slightly damp when I apply my heat protectant last. This gives my hair more time to dry before tying the plats and leaving them to dry. Letting them be more damp/wet to start with (for airdry) gave me more tangles this time when I began to flat-iron.
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ScorpioBeauty09
Well-Known Member
I always blow dry before flat ironing. My stylist says blow drying is an important step but often overlooked. When I've blow dried my hair really well my hair has more body after it's flat ironed.
Nonie
Well-Known Member
I do the Curlformers, without blowdrying. I just airdry. Then I do a Wet-to-Dry flatiron pass using a spray heat protectant. Then I finish with a final pass with serum protectant very meticulously applied.
By airdrying in Curlformers, not only do I stretch the hair, but it also makes it easier for me to assess thorough application of the spray protectant because I can tell my hair is well covered when the narrow section I'm about to work on is completely wet from the spray. Working on small sections ensures that the protectant is well applied and the iron is touching the hair properly.
This was my hair before right after the wash before Curlformers:
My hair after airdrying in Curlformers:
My hair after the wet-to-dry press (John Frieda Heat Defeat was the protectant I used before the pass):
My hair after the serum and finall pass (John Frieda Thermal Protection Serum):
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cherryhair123
Well-Known Member
sweetlaughter
Well-Known Member
I blowdry before flat ironing. I have tried airdrying with rollersetting and curlformers and both times me hair was a straight but tangled mess.
pookaloo83
New Member
lacreolegurl
New Member
I usually rollerset, then flat iron. I have more swang when I do and don't have to use as much product. When I blow dry I end up up with rough ends/knots.
Nonie
Well-Known Member
pookaloo83 Wet-to-dry is a crazy method of straightening natural hair where you apply heat to wet hair for the first pass. It's a way I learned to straighten hair as a teen and it always gave me the smoothest straightening results. For years, I'd just pass a hot comb or flat iron over wet bare hair first, before apply a serum and going over it for a final smoothing press.
Irresistible uses the method too.
Now that I know about heat protectants I do it though with a heat protectant as the wetting factor. The directions on JF Heat Defeat are to spray on hair immediately before using heat, which IMO tells me you are expected to use heat on hair that is wet with the product. So it makes me feel comfortable doing my wet-to-dry press--now that I actually care about hair health. So yes, after I dry my hair fully, I then take a small section and wet it well with the spray then flatiron.
Why wet it when it's already dry? Because wet-to-dry give me the best flatironing results and because if my hair is fully dry, then that it gets fully wet is my way of knowing it's well coated in protectant. I think people get damage on their hair because the protectant is not meticulously applied or some product already on their hair prevents the protectant from sealing their hair. And meticulous doesn't mean being heavy handed; just anal about not leaving any part of your hair uncoated.
Doing it this way, I'm assured full protection. And the proof that this way was thorough and fool-proof was the absence of the burning smell; and no reversion all week even after my shower (which fills the b/r with steam); and full reversion as soon as shampoo touched my hair. I was so excited I took a pic! Did I mention that even when I wet my hair there wasn't that very familiar smell one gets with straightened hair? So yes, this is the way I do it.
Now if wet-to-dry press is not your cup of tea, and you want to use a dryer, I would recommend airdrying first in braids or Curlformers, then applying the heat protectant spray to get your hair wet, small sections at a time which you wrap around rollers. (You will know the parts that are not well covered because they will still be dry!) and rollerset the protectant-wet hair. Then once dry and stretched, take each roller section and smooth a serum over a narrow section at a time and pass the flat iron over it. Again remember your aim is to use little but make sure you cover your hair well.
SN: Please look at westNDNbeauty post on getting perm-like results and see her advice on DCing well beforehand. If you do that, you can be sure you won't need anything but protectant during flat ironing. And by minimizing what you use, you'll get better results. I think moisturizer is why people get reversion or poor results--serum can't protect well when something is in the way or making it slide off when it should be staying put.
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