here are some pictures from my annual flat iron/length check. instead of flat ironing after washing and then blow drying my hair like i’ve usually done, i actually blow dried my hair from a braid out, and then flat ironed it this time. i think i like this way better. it makes for fewer crispy kinks in my hair and helps break up the process, so it doesn’t feel like it takes quite as long. the actual flat ironing part itself took about 2 hours. the flat iron i use is made by a brand called tool science.
the first time i flat ironed my hair in its natural state, i did it on the highest heat setting (430) so much that it changed my texture. i think it did a little bit this time to :(. and for all you nappy-headed naturals (like me) out there that think that sounds good let me tell you why it’s not: not only is that damaging to your hair, but also when your hair begins to grow in again, you get the “new growth” effect that you find with relaxers. not fun, and it pulls your hair out. it wasn’t as bad this time as before, and most people probably cant tell the difference, but i can. at any rate, i enjoyed having my hair straight (but i am glad to have my curls/kinkies back now).
let’s talk products: for my heat protectant, i used Silk Elements MegaSilk Olive Heat Protectant Spray. the previous times i’ve flat ironed, i used their regular heat protectant spray (in a tan bottle), but this new one with olive oil in it was on sale for the same price, so i thought i’d try it out. i actually like the one with olive oil better. overall, i think it’s a good heat spray if you have dry, thick hair like mine, but it may be too heavy for folks with thin, fine hair, or if your hair produces a lot of oil naturally. i do wonder though if there’s a better heat spray, so if you have any suggestions, leave a comment.
i usually wrap my hair at night when i flat iron it, using Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk. this time, i was out, but when i went to get more, they’d changed their bottle (and i was afraid they’d really changed the formula too), so i got their Healthy Hair Butter instead. for my hair overall, i think the hair butter is best, but for wrapping my flat ironed hair, i wish i’d gotten the hair milk again. i think the hair milk helped keep it smooth, unlike the hair butter. i’m sure there are products that can do the trick just as nicely without the price of Carol’s Daughter, so shop around.
BeautifullyMisfit.com 
