what can i do about heat damage? is it reversible?

many a natural have fallen victim to heat damage. usually it happens in a small section of your head where you unfortunately discover a section of non-reverting hair, usually right after a good press or blow out. but that’s what happens to us when we get, shall i say, lucky?

otise’s (pronounced o-teese) story is a bit different and one i’d say is probably the most common with naturals who like to press and wear their hair straight on a daily bases. having been natural since 03, she’s been pressing her hair for years. unfortunately all of that pressing left her with hair that wouldn’t revert and tons of contrasting textured new growth.

what is heat damage?:

heat damage is damage that occurs from the overuse of styling tools such as flat irons and curling irons, as well as blow dryers. when we apply very high levels to our hair without any protection (and sometimes even with protection), such as a heat protectant, overtime, the heat will damage the cuticle layers of your hair.

the cuticle layer of hair covers the shaft of the hair strand and protects your hair. once heat damage is done, it cannot be fixed, meaning, once this layer is removed or damaged, it will remain damaged hair.

heat damage also breaks down the chemical structure of your hair. naturally kinky, curly hair has a lot of “structure” and the more you break it down, the straighter and less elastic your hair will become. most women who experience heat damage also experience limp, lifeless hair.

one way to tell if you have heat damage is if you have “new growth” and straighter hair on your ends, like the photo above, and you don’t have a relaxer.

heat damage is NOT reversible, no matter what anyone / any stylist says. the only way to get rid of it is to cut it out.

when your healthy hair is wet, it can stretch up to 30% its length and still return to its original state. however, heat damaged hair causes structure breakdown as well as dryness, causing your hair to loose it’s elasticity as well as moisture and it will begin to snap and break easily, especially at the line of demarcation – the point where the heat damaged hair meets the “new growth.”

after getting what she thought were her “heat damaged ends” cut off at a natural salon and a application of uncle funky’s daughter’s curly magic (similar to kinky curly or miss jessies in its usage), which you can see in the photo below, she thought she’d gotten over the heat damage hump. but she was wrong. the heat damage had completely changed the texture of her hair – texturzing it – taking her natural 4a/b hair to 3a!

how long (years) have you been pressing? how often per week?

I pressed and heat styled from 2003 til December 2009. I pressed and heat styled approximately 4-7 times per week.

did you ever use heat protectants?

I purchased heat protectant by Matrix but I rarely used it. I didn’t like how it made my hair feel sticky and it sounded like I was baking the product into my hair when I used my iron.

what heating tools would you say you used on a regular bases?

Yellowbird blow dryer, Sedu 1′ ceramic and smaller ceramic from Sally’s Beauty.

when did you realize that you had really damaged your hair?

Because my journey to natural hair was accidental, I really didn’t understand the various textures of my hair, which products to use or the effect that heat styling had on my texture.  It wasn’t until late October 2009 when I decided to try a natural look that I realized my hair was heat damaged and at that time I still didn’t realize what was wrong with my hair.

I bought some products to enhance my natural curl pattern and decided to try a style. I went to work the next day and part of my hair was curly and a significant portion of my hair was straight. My hair would curl to a certain extent and then get straight.  At that point, I knew something was wrong so I decided to start the process, which for me was more mental than anything, and cut my hair to a point where all the straight ends were gone.

lots of naturals hold on to heat damage hair and call it “heat trained hair” – hair that has been texturized by heat,  and some are very successful at keeping up with their heat damaged/trained hair. what made you decide to bite the bullet and big chop again and how was that experience?

My natural journey started as a result of me not wanting to get perms so I started to press my hair. From 2003 to 2006, I went to a hair stylist and during that time I continued to press and I also colored my hair during that period. In August of 2006, I started law school, which meant no money for hair styling so I purchased a ceramic iron. HUGE MISTAKE. In the short term, I was able to press and straightening my hair but I didn’t realize that I was slowly but SURELY frying my hair and setting the stage for my big chop last January. Looking back, I can remember when I went to my stylist Dexter, who also had natural hair, he always deep conditioned, treated and protected my hair before he pressed. I didn’t do those essential things when I pressed my hair, thus I had to cut ALL my hair when I realized that I wanted more versatility and more healthy locks.

From the time I stopped perming in 2003 until I did the big chop in January, I have had countless trims and hair cuts so I can’t pinpoint a definitive time when I cut out all of the relaxed hair before my BIG CHOP. My first attempt to transition from pressing to natural styling was in November when I went to a “stylist” who cut about three or four inches off. At the time, I thought I did a BIG CHOP and was on my way to becoming a natural diva. Two months after my first chop, I went to get a trim and the trim revealed that I was a long way from where I wanted to be. I went to an actual natural hair care salon to purchase some products and after an examination of my hair texture by the owner of the salon, I was told that I needed another 5 or 6 inches cut off! I was devastated but when I went home and saw that my hair curled from the root then went straight and then curled again, I finally realized what heat damage was, the extent of my hair damage and what heat damage looks like.

what lessons have you learned from your heat damage and what things do you plan to do differently this go round?

Now that I know what hair damage is and what it looks like, I plan to use heat less often and rely on a professional who specializes in natural hair before I apply heat to my natural tresses.

your new hairstyle is beautiful and i’m happy to see you off to a healthy new start again! what’s your current hair care routine?

I wash and condition my hair at least two to three times a week. I don’t have any favorite products at this time and I don’t have a hair care regimen. I am just trying to figure out my hair textures and what works for my hair.

heat damage is REAL, and there is not enough apple cider vinegar, protein treatments or voodoo spells that can reverse it. if you experience heat damage, the DAMAGE is done and you will have to eventually cut off your damaged hair. there is nothing wrong with using heat, but you MUST use it safely and know what your hair can and cannot take.

have you ever experienced heat damage? if so, share your story and how you handled your hair’s damage.

Tagged as: big chop, HAIR LUST, hair texture, heat damage, heat protectants, starting over, straightening hair