My 5th Year Nappyversary | Mini Chop 3.0 And No More Heat

How To | Prepare Your Natural Hair For Flat Iron Success

I have reached 5 years natural!
 
Remember when I got my hair flat ironed for my 4th year nappyversary? I made sure my natural hair was prepared for straightening, I reviewed the mistakes I made the last time the flat ironed gave me heat damage, and I even tried to use the best product I could find for using a flat iron. 
 
Well, guess what happened to my hair on my 5 years of being natural???

My Hair Diary | My Top 5 Natural Hair Mistakes In 2016

I CUT MY HAIR!!!!!!!!!
 
I cut like 4-5 inches of hair. AGAIN. Yes, I got heat damage. AGAIN.  I had last bits of heat damage left from getting heat damage in October 2016...I know I know. I’m definitely done with heat. I have done this at least 2-3 times and every time I get heat damage and end up cutting length. Then I would get frustrated with myself. Sooo for now if I want a straight style, I’ll just do roller sets and wrap my hair. Maybe that would work...
 
NO MORE HEAT!!!

Confessing My Own Thoughts | The No-Heat Challenge

It is October 2017 now and I had heat damage in my hair since October 2016. My hair did get looser, but I thought doing protein treatments and hardcore deep conditioning treatments would get my hair back to normal. But I have to realize that my hair is so fine! Once my hair is damaged, then I definitely have to get my hair cut.

My Hair Diary | My Top 6 Natural Hair Mistakes In 2017

Now that the damage is cut off, there is no more shedding! I had the worst shedding ever and the split ends were absolutely horrific. My hair is back to being healthy and curly.
 
I didn't exactly do a Big Chop #3...it was more like a Mini Chop 3.0. Here is what I learned and done since cutting my hair:

Hair Tips | My Hair Wont Grow! Huh? 9 Tips To Help You

Learning To Not Use Heat

I have literally used heat since 2012, 2014, and 2016. Each time my hair would come back with heat damage no matter how I would prepare my hair nor how low the flat iron was for my hair. I literally cannot use a flat iron unless I want heat damage.
 
Since that day, I had to learn how to not use heat and style my hair in natural hairstyles (twist outs, flat twists, etc). I have also learned how to stretch my hair with no heat using methods like: Jumbo Rollers, African Threading, Bands N Twists. 
 
Seriously...NO MORE HEAT!

My Hair Diary | My Mini Chop From Heat Damage

Check out my Big Chops and Mistakes learned:

Hair Tips | My Hair Wont Grow! Huh? 9 Tips To Help You
Confessing My Own Thoughts | My Relaxed Hair, Transitioning, And Starting Fresh
My Hair Diary | My Top 5 Natural Hair Mistakes In 2015
My Mane Speaks | Yasss Girl! Big Chop Number 2
My Hair Diary | My Top 5 Natural Hair Mistakes In 2016
Confessing My Own Thoughts | From Big Chop #2 To Where My Hair Is At Now, Oct 2016
My Hair Diary | My Top 6 Natural Hair Mistakes In 2017

Check out past NappyVersary articles:

My 2nd Year NappyVersary | Caring For My Fine, Natural Hair And Retaining Length
My 3rd Year NappyVersary | My Mini Chop From Heat Damage
My 4th Year Nappyversary | 1 Year Since Big Chop #2 And Retaining Length


Natural hair says: it's fun to change up your styles for a flat iron set or a blow out...but make sure to take the necessary precaution before using direct heat. It's no fun to put all the time, patience, and effort to care for your natural coils and kinks for all that hard work to go down the drain with one botched flat iron set.

Always Desire Your Natural,

Christina J