If you missed Part I of this article, click here to read about my Hair Color Setback. As, I said in the intro of this series, Im at my 4 years passed BC anniversary. I thought this would be a good time to reflect on the setbacks I’ve had over the past 4 years. I realize I didn’t post any exact dates. I’m not totally sure when these things happened but my guess is all three setbacks were around 2010 – 2011. Now on to Part II- Heat Damage…

Setback II- Heat Damage

I went to Dominican salons (DS) a few times when I first went natural. I had some great experiences and some not so great experiences. Like many naturals, I read the good, bad, and the ugly about DS. I went to them a lot while relaxed but that natural hair and salons are not like relaxed hair and salons. The first time I went to a DS, as a natural, I lucked out and had a really great stylist. She did a great job with my hair. She listened to my bitching and did everything exactly how I wanted. She used lots of heat protectant, trimmed no more than I asked, and the end result was beautiful. I took down her name and number and went on my way.

Months later, I texted the stylist and made an appointment with her. When I got there she wasn’t in the salon. I waited a while then someone else in the salon called her and relayed to me that she wasn’t coming. That should have been my sign to leave… but I didn’t. I stayed and let someone else do my hair. The stylist who did my hair this time concentrated the heat on each section for far too long. She made too many passes with both the blow dryer and flat iron. The front of my hair is kinda loose compared to the rest of my hair and it really took a beating. That much heat is wholly unnecessary for any type of hair- curly or kinky.

When I washed my hair for the first time after the blowout, I found heat damage in several areas. Most of it was toward the front of my crown. Not only did I have a few inches of heat damaged, bone-straight ends…but I also had about 2 inches of straight hair at my roots. The heat damaged roots were the hardest thing to deal with. My hair was straight for 2 inches, then kinky for about 6, then it had a few more inches of straight damaged hair. There wasn’t much I could do. Over almost a years time, I slowly trimmed off my heat damaged ends. I still have to deal with the portion that was heat damaged at the roots. Fortunately, the damaged ends are completely gone. I didn’t have a plan to cut it. I was wearing a wash and go one day, got frustrated, and snipped off the last of the stringy ends. The roots have grown out so it’s not as noticeable.

Lesson Learned

The main lesson learned, is if I don’t feel comfortable with someone new doing my hair…just walk away. I don’t owe anyone the opportunity to do my hair. When my stylist did not show up to my appointment, I should have walked out. I haven’t been back to that salon since because the only stylist I like, was unprofessional. Of course I should have spoken up at the time my hair was being blow dried and flat ironed and told the stylist to take it easy with the heat. The heat damage at my roots was quite shocking because no one in the natural hair community ever talks about something like that happening. It seems like most people recognize heat damage as frizzy, stringy, damaged ends. I can say now that I know better. I have learned from experience how much heat my hair can handle. The first few years of being natural there is definitely a learning curve. I’m glad I’m over the hump and I know how to treat my hair (curly or straight) and how I want others to treat my hair.