Hi everyone, I’ve been lurking here a while but haven’t needed to register yet. Well, I now have a question I hope you can help me with.
I’ve got very curly hair, and last week I went to the hairdresser for foils and she straightened it for me. I loved the new look, and so I’m considering buying a hair iron. The problem is, I think that my hair isn’t as curly now that I’ve washed it. I’m not sure, but it seems longer, the curls don’t seem as tight.
I know that straightening hair isn’t good for it per se, but I didn’t think I would start losing my curls. (If I get a straightener I’d probably only do it once a fortnight.) Is this possible or am I being paranoid? What’s the science behind hair straightening?
The other possibility is that the foils have affected my curls, but I don’t know if that is possible either.
It’s possible that the process may have permanently altered your existing hair; there’s absolutely no way it can have altered the new hair that you will grow in, say, the next six months. You may (or may not) have lost your curls, but you haven’t lost your curly hair.
Haha, yeah I know that my new hair will be curly! But I don’t want to buy and use a straightener if every time I use it my hair stays straighter instead of “bouncing back”.
You’re breaking my heart, straightening your hair! I have lovely curls, too, and would not dream of straightening them. Unfortunately I don’t know the science of it. What did your salonist say?
As for losing curls, they do get worn out with length and with age. my curls are way less tight than when I was six or so, but then they are also two feet long, and my bangs still curly lovely as ever. Is your hair long? The weight will take some curls out, too.
If she used a chemical to straighten your hair, then yes, it will have long-lasting effects on your existing hair. If she just used an iron, the worst that might have happened is that you have a few more split ends.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it had at least some effect, but it won’t do anything major. The texture of hair is due to the particular configuration of sulfur bonds in the protein strands that comprise each hair (perms work, then, by dissolving those bonds, physically curling or straightening the hair, and then causing the bonds to reform in a different configuration.) Any handling with a hot instrument will cause some damage to your hair, and that can affect the texture. Most likely, though, it would be far too subtle to notice; unless you damage your hair so badly that you basically toast the keratin making it up, you won’t alter its texture that much.
Wow. I never knew that. So that’s what makes my hair so crazy curly. Is that why humidity, heat, dampness, cold and dryness can all affect it to varying degrees?
I haven’t asked my hairdresser, I might go today and just get her opinion. My hair isn’t very long, and this problem only happened after I washed my hair after going to the hairdresser. I’m pretty convinced now that it’s the colour though - I only got a half-head of foils and the bottom half is still as curly as ever. It’s not that different that anyone else would notice, so I’m not too worried!
As for breaking your heart, I’m sorry! I love my hair, but I’d never had it straightened before, and afterwards everyone commented on how much better I looked. Sad, isn’t it? But I really like the look so I’m thinking of getting a straightener to use once a fortnight or something.
I have lovely curls, too, and would not dream of straightening them. Unfortunately I don’t know the science of it. What did your salonist say?