new thread
Hi
My hair is about 4.5 to 5 inches long (been growing for 7 months) and it is a real pain because it is curly/wavy. As of now at this length i think having it straight would be easiest as far as fixing it and looking nice. (maybe when its longer i'll leave it curly) so my friend styles hair and she mentioned chemically straightening it so I have some questions. First my hair is very dry and thin and i do not want to do anything to damage it. So if u know if this would be bad for my type of hair let me know. she says it wont really damage it but some other friends of mine say it might even start falling out from the chemicals. I have tried many methods to straighten it on daily basis, but after a few hours the curls return so i am looking for the best and safest way for a more permanent straightening method. Well thanks in advance to any of those who read this and can lend some advice =].
MH
Many years ago I straightened my hair twice with at-home kits.
Both times my hair was left dryer and weaker than before. When wet, especially when the treatment was fresh, my hair felt like very weak rubber bands. It would strech and break easily.
One time, the stuff I used was caustic and required coating the scalp with a grease to protect the skin from the straightening chemical. It burned anyway.
There may be new processes that are less damaging. I've seen a poster in a salon advertising a kind of reverse perm done with flat plastic things (un-rollers?) but have never seen any comments about them.
don't do it! i tried it many times, some times done at home, other times done in a professional salon. while the effects were sometimes nice, it NEVER gave me the appearance that people with naturally straight hair have. yes, it dried it out. yes, it made it weak. yes, it damaged it. and what was worse, when the new growth at the base of the scalp came in, it was not relaxed, so that made my hair look rather odd.
if your hair is frizzy, then perhaps try some of the waxes and heavy polmades that are used. but right now, since your hair is 4-5 inches in length, wait and don;t do anything! just let it grow, use gels to control it, and wait for some real length.
Check out the site at the link below. It has a discussion board for people with curly hair and an article on straightening products.
My hair gets frizzy and curls especially at the ends, and I've had some success using Redken's "straight" hair straightening balm. It coats the hair to make it smoother and straighter, and also protects it from heat when you're styling it. It also seems to make the hair thicker.
Doug