How often do you flat iron?

curlypearl

I'm curious to know how often you do this and if you have noticed damage. I had it done in a salon and really liked it, to my surprise, so I'd like to flat iron my hair when I want that look, but I'm not sure how often I can do it without damage.

I dye my hair so damage is a real concern.

Thanks everyone! :flower:

rbb

cp - here's an article by tonya on heat/flat ironing that should be helpful.

Is Low Heat Styling Less Damaging?

BelleBohemienne

I'm a creature of variety and I love taking risks with my hair. It's been really long and really short over the years. I don't like the curls when it's too short, so I flat iron every day until it grows up. I never really have a problem with damage. I DT once a week and use a heat protection spray. On days when I have nowhere to be, I usually leave it alone. But I also don't color my hair, so I can't give any advice on that.

~Belle Bohemienne

curlypearl

Thanks, RBB. That article gives me "pause" as the saying goes. I have given up flat ironing since I think it fried my hair! Thanks for your input.

Belle, thanks for your input too! You are lucky that you can flat iron without damage. I know there are some people who do it daily, so it works well for them. I think between my dyeing my hair and the heat, damage will be inevitable, so I am not going to flat iron any more.

sixelamy

I go through spurts with my flat ironing. I'll go one month without, then the next I'll flat iron 4 or 5 days out of the month. I'll get damage after a couple times on my ends. Sometimes my hair is hard to straighten in the front due to the weather. If I go over it too many times it fries the ends a bit, but nothing too major where I'm freaking out about it. I've flat ironed a lot the past 4 months compared to what I had before that. I still have no split ends, just very dry ends in the front that aren't even noticeable.

My advice - do what you want with your hair. Don't be one of those that freak out at every little stray or dry hair and say your hair is ruined because of it. Chupie told me once that hair is supposed to be fun. So have fun with it

Johari

I flat iron once or twice every 2 months. Now I'm trying to go every 3 months to prevent heat damage

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CGSince2002

I'm sure you read what I said in your other thread but I'm going to say it here more briefly for any others reading this: few people really have hair that can stand a lot of abuse, and the flat iron is IMO one of the most hair "abusive" tools there are, heat protectant or not, the heat is too direct, period. There's some people who do both even with long hair but their hair usually looks lifeless and boring to me.

And one should only do one "bad" thing for the hair at a time, in other words, if you color don't use heat, and if you want to use heat do not color. When I was young I chemically straightened every 6-8 months and colored (retouched) every 5-6 weeks, but I was unable to grow my hair past a certain length before split ends started to show up. So, by having to get regular trims it always remained at pretty much the same length. Only when I went back dark for a while and stopped coloring it I was able to grow it a few inches longer.

CatitudeBoo

In the past eight months, I'd flat-ironed it twice. I love the look of my straight hair but the damage gives me much pause.

Flat-ironing in moderation is "OK" but it's still damaging I feel like I'm betraying my curls when I've straightened it since going CG.

Elsie87

About once a week and have been for years and thinking it's not doing it much good! : / Wondering about trying a mild relaxer. I know that won't make me popular with advocates of natural, sorry!

Trick

Once a week, occasionally twice...I went a full year without heat to see if it would improve anything, and honestly my hair didn't change one bit. I do use a heat protectant that had been discontinued so I may cut down when I run out (on my last bottle!). I have Teflon hair so I wouldn't ever tell anyone else that doing it that often would be fine, but it's ok for me.

Also, I firmly believe that TECHNIQUE is very important and greatly overlooked. Straightening with a paddle brush as much as possible while blow drying minimizes exposure to the straightening iron at least a little bit. Also, hair must be 110% totally dry before straightening, and you must keep the straightening iron moving fairly rapidly -- you don't need to cook the hair shaft!

curlicious13

I used to flatiron twice a week. My grandmother straightens her hair every 2 months.

CuriousAquarius

I do go through spurts when I straighten it more times than others. I would say I straighten it twice a month. i try to keep it straight for a week when I do. None in the summer months because it just reverts too fast. I make sure I deep condition once a week

Annamae

I used to flat iron my hair everyday when I was in middle and high school because I had no idea how to deal with my hair. I definitely had damage- split ends, breakage, and looser curls.

I haven't voluntarily straightened (or dyed) my hair in 4 months, a few weeks ago I went to a salon and the stylist straightened my bangs without asking... :thumbdown:

Raenbough

I used to flatiron every couple of months, but now I haven't straightened my hair in a year. I'm afraid if I do my damaged hair is just going to die on me haha.

BotticelliBrit

It's been two and a half years since I straightened mine! It's actually quite weird to think about, considering I used to straighten it every day for about a decade.

Some days, I'm tempted to rock straight hair, so I can see my hair at a nice long length, or just because I fancy a change, but I'm too afraid of damaging it and undoing all of my hardwork getting it so healthy. For me, it's just not worth it and it's not like I really adore myself with straight hair or anything, to risk it. It's mostly because I'm curious or bored, so that's why I'd never actually do it.

That's just me though – tbh, if you want to straighten your hair then do it. It's YOUR hair and you should be able to do what you like with it.

Frugalbeauty

Just twice a year for me, I love my hair straight as much as I love it curly, but I love healthier hair much better, so I stay away from that heat

sloka25

I am really worried about damaging my hair so I flat iron it every 2-3 months or so. Oddly enough my hair gets super greasy when straight by day two so I have to wash it anyway.