1BlessedNatural Experience: Heat Training My Natural Hair with Hot Comb

8th grade picture of natural hair after being hot combed

January 8, 2013-  USE HEAT AT YOUR OWN RISK. AFTER EXPERIENCING HEAT DAMAGE AGAIN, I WOULD NOT SUGGEST TRYING TO "HEAT TRAIN" YOUR NATURAL HAIR. 

Happy Saturday everyone!
I have been wanting to do a post on heat training natural hair for a while now. I used the hot comb from age 10-17. When I was 10 years old, a perm caused all of my hair to fall out. I remember transitioning at that time. My grandmother pulled on the little bit of permed ends that still existed on my hair to show that I did not have a lot of permed hair left. After a year, most of my permed hair had broken off. When I went to the 7th grade, my grandmother (who had been straightening my hair using the hot comb) took me to a press and curl salon. They deep conditioned my hair, clipped my ends, and curled my hair (using small barrel curling irons). Shirley Temple was my name lol. My hair felt very healthy at the time. Afterwards, my grandmother would hot curl my hair, and then I would pin curl my it at night.

                                                                     Heat Training Maintenance

By the time I reached the 8th grade, I was ready to start wrapping my hair. The wrapping method is when you wrap your hair in a circle around your head. I would get my hair washed, deep conditioned, and straightened (using the hot comb) every two weeks. Another thing that contributed to my hair's growth and seemingly healthy state was that I was also getting my hair trimmed every two weeks. By the time I got to college, I realized that getting a trim every two weeks was stunting my growth. You may use your judgement about  the frequency of trims.

Natural hair: Shirley Temple curls. I don't know what's up with my eyebrow lol

 The wrap was the best thing for my hair because it meant that I did not have to manipulate my hair too much, daily. I could comb it down and it was ready to go. In high school, I did the same hot curl and pin curl maintenance. My hair held onto curls like it was it's job lol Awesome! I remember there were a few times that I would try to get rid of the curls, by wrapping my hair. But, it would just make the curls looser which made a cool style for a few days.

Heat Training Tips

1. Watch the heat settings on your hot tool (curling, flat, or hot iron):There were times where I burned my hair to a crisp because my styling tool was too hot. 

2. Trim your ends

3. Do not use an oil or water based moisturizer before using heat on your hair: Use a heat protectant. I used to use a type of grease like Dax Hair Grease. But, I did not worry about being able to wear my hair in it's natural curl. If  you are concerned about the possibility of heat damage, be sure to use a heat protectant. My stylist would apply Luster's Pink Oil Moisturizer on my hair, while it was wet and then blow dry it before hot combing it. 

4. Use a wide tooth comb: This is something that my that my grandmother taught me. Wide tooth combs do not pull on your strands as much. When my hair was brittle, thin tooth combs would cause my hair to snap. Wide tooth combs also give your hair much more volume when it is straight.

January 8, 2013-  USE HEAT AT YOUR OWN RISK. AFTER EXPERIENCING HEAT DAMAGE AGAIN, I WOULD NOT SUGGEST TRYING TO "HEAT TRAIN" YOUR NATURAL HAIR. 

My Plans

Although, I have thought about straightening my hair, I do not want to risk the heat damage. I love working with and learning about my natural hair in its curly state. I do not have any plans to straighten my hair. The most that I will do is use the banding technique and blow dry my hair on the cool setting.