You may or may not be familiar with this term, heat training so I'll break it down for those who are not aware of this term. From my understanding, heat training one's hair means the deliberate use of consistent amounts of heat to "train" your hair texture to loosen and hold a press/flat iron longer; your hair stays straight for longer and you experience less reversion.
It's controversial among some in that natural hair community b/c some feel it promotes that you aren't accepting of your original hair texture. I don't get caught up in all that mess. Particially because I use heat sometimes and don't see anything wrong with it. I'm sure my texture has loosened a bit but nothing to write home about. I still have a lot of kink and at least 50% shrinkage going on.
I think we have to stop getting so caught up in what other people choose to do with their hair. If that makes that person happy, then leave them alone. What's it have to do with your hair? Ya dig?
Please be aware though that the deliberate use of heat with the intent to loosen your hair texture is essentially heat damage. So if you were to stop using heat, your original hair texture would not snap back. Be aware of that. Heat damage cannot be reversed and the only way to get rid of it is to cut it. If you are ok with that, then back to your regularly scheduled programming.
I'm sure most of us, back in the day, before we got a relaxer did have heat trained hair to some extent. My hair was washed, blown out and hot combed aka pressed once a month before I got my first relaxer at the age of 12. It's highly likely that my hair was unintentionally heat trained. Oh well. It was just a means to an end in our household. It wasn't done on purpose, it just was what it was.
Rather your hair is "heat trained' on purpose or not, does it even really matter? Let's try to live and let live.
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| {Chime of Hair Crush} |
You may or may not be familiar with this term, heat training so I'll break it down for those who are not aware of this term. From my understanding, heat training one's hair means the deliberate use of consistent amounts of heat to "train" your hair texture to loosen and hold a press/flat iron longer; your hair stays straight for longer and you experience less reversion.
It's controversial among some in that natural hair community b/c some feel it promotes that you aren't accepting of your original hair texture. I don't get caught up in all that mess. Particially because I use heat sometimes and don't see anything wrong with it. I'm sure my texture has loosened a bit but nothing to write home about. I still have a lot of kink and at least 50% shrinkage going on.
I think we have to stop getting so caught up in what other people choose to do with their hair. If that makes that person happy, then leave them alone. What's it have to do with your hair? Ya dig?
Please be aware though that the deliberate use of heat with the intent to loosen your hair texture is essentially heat damage. So if you were to stop using heat, your original hair texture would not snap back. Be aware of that. Heat damage cannot be reversed and the only way to get rid of it is to cut it. If you are ok with that, then back to your regularly scheduled programming.
I'm sure most of us, back in the day, before we got a relaxer did have heat trained hair to some extent. My hair was washed, blown out and hot combed aka pressed once a month before I got my first relaxer at the age of 12. It's highly likely that my hair was unintentionally heat trained. Oh well. It was just a means to an end in our household. It wasn't done on purpose, it just was what it was.
Rather your hair is "heat trained' on purpose or not, does it even really matter? Let's try to live and let live.
Comments
The texture is tighter, fuller, and more defined. It's vibrant intricate and no matter how tight a curl gets it still has a shape (when I'm caring for it and not letting dryness tear it apart). I love that so much...and, I love the tiny shiny coils that are created with simply tying new plaits together under a head wrap after a fresh shower
...Thanks to experimenting, I can now be as sleek as Halle Berry or as long as Rae Dawn Chong...I love the diversity and I feel it's enhanced by this untouched state of my hair.
Personally, I've had nightmares about hot irons. But, to those who want to do it- your history is different than mine.
If you feel more free doing things a certain way, just stay aware and identify your own comfort level/ discomfort level with the decisions instead of worrying about others- same as you did when going natural.