We discuss the dangers of heat on our hair and often we even use the term "direct heat" but what exactly is direct heat? Is it different from indirect heat? Yes, it is and despite the massive products on the market for straightening hair, if a natural wants bone straight hair without using chemicals then heat will need to be used.

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Many of us want those laid tresses. Yes, we may love our coils, curls and kinks, but a sexy, sleek straight look is still coveted and can look amazing! While, many steer clear due to fear of heat damage, others try and find newer ways to get that sexy look without damaging the hair. Well, the newest thing out here that is getting much love is Thermal Relaxing.

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As if split ends were not trouble enough, curly girls also have to deal with another hair damaging issue, one that some never even knew existed. What am I talking about? Mid-shaft splits. Yes, this is another thing to add to your list of things to avoid when caring and treating your natural curls. So what exactly is a mid-shaft split and how can you prevent this from happening? 

Damage is a barrier that will prevent you from seeing hair growth. Your hair is actually growing all the time, but with damage in the way, your hair is breaking off at the same rate it is growing, which is why there will appear to be no growth progress.

You have to slow down the rate at which you damage your hair. Reduce is the word of choice used because it is impossible to eliminate all damage. Your hair is damaged to some degree every time you wash it, detangle it, and even touch it.

We will concern ourselves with the 4 types of damage that can occur and how to prevent these sources of damage altogether:

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When embarking on your natural hair journey, everything has to start with a healthy foundation for optimal results. The best way to think about your foundation is the virgin hair growing from your scalp. Whether you were a straight-haired natural, "heat trained", or straightened your hair six times a year, anyone who uses heat tools is susceptible to experiencing heat damage. Still uncertain (or in denial) that you have experienced heat damage? Consider this.

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There are three hair treatments that all naturals should do post heat styling. These treatments add moisture back into the cortex of the hair strand, fill in any missing gaps in the cuticle, and increasing the hair’s elasticity.

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The number one self-inflicted hair related issue that I have seen as a licensed cosmetologist is heat damage. Heat damage does not discriminate by hair type. The tips that I have complied below can decrease the potential of heat damage and therefore help you feel more comfortable when using heat tools.

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by Michelle Thames of HappilyEverNatural.com

The phrase, 'heat damage' is a something that we all fear in the Natural Hair community! I recently interviewed natural hair vlogger Elle at Curls Unbothered about her experiences with Heat Damage.

• Blow-drying on the HIGHEST heat setting my CHI blowdryer could achieve
  
• Flat ironing on 450 degrees sans heat protectant or deep conditioning

Most curlies know about heat protectants that will lessen the damage from heat styling within reasons. Whether you blow-dry, flat iron, or use a curling iron, you need a heat protectant. I cannot remember being told this when I was relaxed, so I am sure I was frying my hair to death back then, but now everyone knows to use them. With the current increased interest in natural products, more women are looking for natural alternatives in their entire regimens.
 
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What began as a curious investigation into a technique and system many naturals are using to style their hair ended in anger and frustration and a revelation that as naturals, some of us a don’t feel as though our specific hair texture is “good” enough.

I’m going to preface this post by saying that my own personal bias is woven throughout because of my own personal hair journey and the thoughts, feelings and perceptions of beautiful natural hair I’ve had to fight through when it comes to my hair, to get to the place I’m at right now. It’s candid and to the point. And it may offend. You can stop here or continue to read on.

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If you’re a natural who has heat damaged hair and aren’t ready to trim off the damage, you can certainly maintain it. At some point, you will have to trim off the heat damage in order to have completely healthy hair. You can do this gradually or all at once. I personally went on a heat damage recovery journey because I wasn’t ready to hack off half of my hair when it became heat damaged. I grew my heat damage out for about a year back in 2013 before finally trimming off all of my heat damaged ends in December 2013. I maintained my hair mostly by wearing box braids and Senegalese twists, but there are a range of other protective and stretched styles that you can try, too.

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Whether you use a flat iron, blow-dryer, curling iron, or curling wand is irrelevant, high temperatures (and "high" is a relative term for many women) and frequent usage cause the hair to break down. You may not realize it yet, but if your hair is limp, excessively dry, or experiencing breakage then you may have heat damage. Going natural is all about shifting your perspective of what is beautiful and healthy, and if heat is a part of your hair routine then it may mean a shift in your relationship with heat. Still not convinced? It might be heat damage denial.

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Tell me a little about yourself and your hair journey.
My name is Treasure Cooper and I am a 24 year old college graduate. I am from a town called Indio in California. I started my hair journey in 2010 because I had damaged it too much. I was constantly dying my hair honey blonde using box dye and straightening it for two years. One day I washed my hair and my curl pattern was completely gone.

How long have you been natural?
I have been natural for 3 years and 3 months.

What motivated you to transition? Were you a transitioner or a Big Chopper? Why?
I decided to transition after I realized that my curl pattern was completely gone. I remember feeling sad because my hair looked so dead to me. I would wet it and it would just hang there straight. I would consider myself a transitioner, because I did do a chop to my shoulders and then slowly cut away my hair as every month passed. I was too nervous to cut my hair off really short which prevented me from doing a real big chop. I felt the best way to go natural was for me to do a chop and then trim my hair as more grew until all of the damaged hair was cut away.

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Elasticity has been a way in which we gauge healthy hair and is most noted for attributing bounce and movement to the hair. Elasticity is determined by your hair’s ability to stretch and return to its natural state. Everyone’s hair stretches at different rates. Hair Finder says typically hair can stretch up 50% its size when wet and 20% when dry, as wet hair is more malleable compared to dry hair.

Your individual elasticity is based on many factors beginning with the density of each hair strand. If you have thick hair, you can expect a higher level of elasticity compared to fine hair.

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At some point in our natural hair journey, we've all been there. Or maybe you're there now, and that's why you're reading this. Whatever the case may be, nobody likes the feeling of dry, crispy, overworked hair that breaks off into thin wisps at the slightest touch.

But before we get in to a product frenzy, let's get a few things out of the way. First, a regimen check. If you're experiencing chronic dryness, ask yourself the following:

When was the last time you clarified your hair?

How often are you deep conditioning?

How are you layering your products after styling?

How often are you using heat?

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via the Beauty Brains-

Lilypad asks:
I’m transitioning from relaxed to natural hair and a lot of blogs and video bloggers tout grape seed oil as a heat protectant when blowdrying or flat ironing hair because it has a high smoke point (about 420 °F). Is there any truth to this claim? The smoke point refers to the oil’s use in cooking but does it apply to hair as well?

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