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Here are some of the questions I get asked the most, and what my answers have been.
This way you can get your answers immediately, without having to wait on me.
And you never know, you might find answers to a few questions you didn't even know you had yet.
*This is still a work in progress. I'm continuing to add many more questions, and we are still ironing out a few quirks.
But we wanted to make this available as soon as possible.
There are several ways to choose the question(s) you'd like answered:
... or you can ...
... or you can ...
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Question:
Are Heat and Chemicals Okay For Coarse Hair?
Answer:
I have to give you this disclaimer on any advice I give you: I am paranoid about the health of hair. When in doubt, I always err on the side of caution. It doesn't sound like you need to be as strict as I am with your hair. However, I do have to answer you with what I have found to be true...
There is no safe way, from the research I have done, to straighten your hair with heat or chemicals that won't damage it. I know the manufactures of the tools and hair products say they are totally safe (some even like to say they heal or repair), but legally, they don't have to tell you the truth. The high temperatures needed to straighten hair (and the caustic chemicals that are the same strength as drain cleaners, hair removers, and oven cleaners) damage your hair.
Some hair can handle damage better than others. Asian hair can take lots of damage, and because it is coarse (each strand of hair is thicker), it retains it's strength, so it can take lots of abuse and still look good. Your hair may be coarse enough (each strand of hair is thick enough) to take this damage.
If, for example, your hair is down your back with chemicals, then it's waaaay stronger than my hair. My hair fell apart with the chemicals alone. But I can not give you advice that I believe will hurt your hair.
And chemicals and flat irons hurt our hair. The temperatures needed to do the job can reach up to 425 F. This is enough to turn the water inside your hair to steam, and cause weak spots in the hair. If those protective sprays worked to protect your hair, then you should be able to spray them on your skin and not get burned if you touch the iron to your skin with them on there (please don't try this though. I have a feeling you'd get burned pretty badly, even with "protective" sprays and lotions on your skin.
So I hope I didn't upset you with what I said. I can not lie to you about what I have found to be true. It wouldn't be the right thing to do. However, your hair may be much stronger than mine, so you probably have more wiggle room to use heat and chemicals. I just have to tell you what I have found to be true. That being said, the better you take care of your hair in all other ways, the healthier it will be than if it were receiving daily damage.
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