I love hair.
With that being said, I really would be what you consider a "Healthy Hair" Stylist. I want to do what is best for your hair at all times. I enjoy watching the hair grow and just look healthy all around.
I was having a conversation with one of my clients who came in just to get a flat iron and she asked me if I used the Stove Irons.
I have before, but I can't say that I'm skilled in using them. Now I was raised on those hot irons. I remember going to get my hair done and wanting those irons to hit my hair to "silken" me out. When I first got my hair professionally straightened after being natural I walked into the shop looking for those stove irons. I didn't see them and I asked her where they were! I mean really, how are you going to straighten all this hair out with a regular old flat iron??
But the flat irons these days are anything but old and ordinary.
This is my take on the stove irons and why I believe the flat irons are better for your hair. Stove irons are not heat controlled. Yes it is up to the operator to control that but there have been so many times when they are not. I can say that the temp on the stove irons are probably never the same temp twice. Not to say that you won't get great results, but the test is when your hair is washed and you see the damage.
I have some professional flat irons and at the hottest it gets up to 430 degrees! That is extremely hot, and I rarely use them that high. Especially on natural hair, the highest I have went is 410 but I try to stay about 395 and below. It just doesn't take that much to straighten natural hair. Our hair is so fragile and I know we were raised to believe that we need all this heat, but I am always proud that I can get you nice and silky with a temp of 395 and below!
My educator told us that the stove irons were always so hot on Afro hair that was relaxed because most times it was over processed because of the relaxer. So in order to put any kind of bend in the hair it needed to be at a high temp.
So think about it.... With your hair in its natural state, the hair is healthy, not overprocessed and can be easily straightened with a lower amount of heat.
I think sometimes we look at those stove irons and want them out of habit, but fact of the matter is.....
we don't need them.
I prefer my hair to be be healthy and not heat damaged.
Of course the best recourse is not to flat iron at all, but personally I get the itch sometimes, and there is nothing wrong with it. Just Be Careful!!!
~ Beauti
