Is My Natural Hair Heat Damaged or Heat Trained? | I'm so confused! 

Heat damage vs heat trained feels like the difference between string beans and green beans….the same thing. Just different perspectives of the same result.

Hey! Professionally speaking when I explain heat damage and heat training to my clients it goes like this: Heat training is used for my straight haired naturals that DONT MIND/ DONT CARE about losing their texture because they never wear it in its natural state. Heat damage is used when explaining to my natural clients that wear their hair natural all the time and just wanted to straighten it for an occasion that their wave pattern can compromised during the process. I explain that to everyone that sits in my chair. I protect the hair theiugh the entire process. So my naturals that want their texture I tell them how often they can come for a Silkpress to maintain their texture. My straight haired naturals can come as often as every 2 weeks for a silkpress because their texture is not the concern. Moreover BOTH can still be healthy it is just the appearance of the hair that makes it look damaged when the structure of the hair is still intact Edited to add: Heat trained natural hair also stays straighter longer and resists humidity better because straighter hair requires less moisture so it doesn't need to absorb it from the air

Heat trained hair to me is teaching your hair to stay straight for longer periods without reverting quicker. It will revert to its curly state however it will have a difference in its thickness and texture. Heat damage is when it goes complete straight and will not revert to its natural curly state

Heat training is just intentional heat damage. Because best believe it is IRREVERSIBLE no matter how much someone might want their original curls back. I feel like people don’t like calling their hair damaged, especially if they did it on purpose.

Growing up in the 90s in Cali, if your hair could hold a press/flat iron it was “trained”. The concept of heat damage didn’t really exist back then in our community. All we cared about was a nice press!

I agree with you. They're the same thing. Saying heat trained just makes it sound like butterflies and rainbows. Heat damage has a more negative connotation..

Honestly, I don't think that "heat trained" hair was ever a real thing scientifically speaking. I think its something I have hear older black women/stylist mention is a good thing to attain when the desired goal is to wear their straight hair the most. I have always tbought it was a different and nicer way of referring to heat damaged and stressed hair. I think that don't considered it damaged because it may not be falling out in clumps, breaking of and can still look good straightened for a long time before it shows other extreme signs of damage. I truley believe the ladies that advocated this meant well but its damaging to the hair's integrity. Im not saying you should cut it off but you may want to realize what it is and use more strenghtening masques etc. To protect as your hair grows out more regardless of how you wear it.

There’s no such thing as heat trained hair, it’s just damaged! It took me years to accept it, I used to lie to myself all the time, and just say it’s heat trained. Once I realized how unhealthy it was both to my hair, and my mental health to desperately hold onto delusions, I was able to realize they’re exactly the same thing, one is just a delusional term to deny the damage I was doing to my hair.

Your CURLS are damaged. Your HAIR is heat trained. Still beautiful either way

In my opinion heat training is simply applying heat continuously overtime with the goal of training your natural hair to be able to stay straight more than 2-3 days before frizzing up and being able to wash your hair and the curls come back as they were before. I think a person would have to train their hair to withstand the heat and only apply what your hair can take vs silk pressing on 450 degrees every time if you want to keep your curls in tact. There are people that alternate between curly and straight depending on the season and their curls never change those people would be considered heat trained…. I think lol

If when the hair is stripped of all product & then moisturized but does not curl back up, it is damaged! It’s definitely ok to wear straight natural (which means free of any chemical processing) hair. But there’s no such thing as heat trained. It’s just a saying to cover up heat damage. Either way, love your hair ladies & gents!!

I don’t call it damaged since it’s not breaking or falling out. It just seems odd to call hair damaged when it is thick, full & flourishing. But I understand internet ppl call that damage; but they don’t call relaxed hair damaged or other texturally altered hair 🤔.

Yea it's all heat damage to me 🙄 But like you said I think people use what makes them feel better- go head with yo trained heat damage!

Great assessment, I agree it is the same thing. The only difference is what your goals are for your hair journey and what your can take when it comes to heat.

I agree with your view on heat damage/ training. It’s really the same thing, just depends on the person. My hair absolutely thrived when I regularly used heat. Whereas my sister would notice breakage and dryness right away. I have locs now so the only heat I’m using is a dryer, lol 😂! Still love your channel, and your hair of course🥰! Thanks for sharing ❤️!

I use to be a straight haired natural I thought my hair was heat trained cause it stayed straight even when it was humid or it rained then I realized that my hair would break so easily if I just tugged on it a little bit. Then I did my research and saw that over time the hair strand is getting weaker and thinner. I took some of my strands and put it under a microscope and my strands were so frayed and discolored I was in such denial after all those years cause I loved wearing it straight so much. I was like oh hell no😳 i also realized it was heat damaged when I tried to rock it with some type of curl to it. It would not hold anything but bone straight styles . It was like limp noodles . I see too many older women with bald spots in their scalp from using to much heat over time also so I decided to embrace these coily curls cause having it straight ain’t worth no bald spots from using too much heat cause I want it straight. So at the end of the day I don’t think there is a such thing as heat trained.

I thought people made up the term heat training to justify their hair being heat damage as another style to wear their hair like the term "straight hair natural" or "relaxed hair". :O

It’s heat damaged. Heat “trained” hair is kind of bullshit because if you over process textured hair it will not revert successfully. But I’m theory heat trained hair is supposed to be reflective of hair that reverts back to its original state completely without damage. Heat trained hair should not change texture/curl pattern. It should be able to withstand being straight without reverting, ie maintaining the straight look as long as possible until moisture comes into play then your hair will revert back to your original texture with no damage. Heat damaged hair, is hair that will not revert back to its original texture/curl pattern to varying degrees. That could be parts have become looser, or it won’t curl back at all. I’m sorry but these sources… somebody lied lol.

Heat damage & heat trained is the same thing to me. Curly, wavy, straight...either/or your hair is bomb🤎

I know you don't mind a looser hair pattern because you currently aiming to be a straight hair natural, but you may benefit from using revair because it shouldn't take too long to stretch out your hair and will help reduce heat damage.

I’ve broken down the proteins in my curl pattern. I’m 4c natural and have been for 8 years. I’ve been getting blowouts for the past 5 years and I’ve just now noticed that when I wash my hair, my strands are on the wavy side. My hair cannot take curls without perm rods. I hate the fact that my strands are wavy now. I literally have been taking a break on heat. Not sure how to get it to revert back and I’m NOT going to big chop it again. Straight hair is more manageable, and I lose less, however, straight hair can become boring. I still get my ends trimmed every two months, so my hair is what I like to think healthy, but sometimes I want to wear it in protective styles, but they don’t work for me 😢

I accidentally “heat damaged” my hair and just said f it, I’ll just roll with it and whenever I got new growth, would fry it to match the damage. My hair grew but it kept breaking at certain points, I had white bulbs at those points. It was hard to moisturize, my hair would be dry all the time since my porosity changed along with it. Couldn’t hold a curl when it was manufactured ie curler, rollers braid out etc. my strands are fine and they became paper thin and I think a person with thicker strands can probably get away with it more. I took care of my heat trained or “damaged” hair, but it was hard work.

What products do you use to straighten your hair?

Complete heat damage is when your hair stays straight and does not revert at all to any curly/coily hair pattern. There are stages of damage in heat training but it is still damage.

I’ve never heard of heat of trained until recently. I feel the same way, it’s heat damaged. 😄

I thought heat training was maintain your curl pattern but straightening often enough that the straight hair style doesn’t frizz up as quickly. It shouldn’t have anything to do with loosening your curls. The problem is that a lot of people who are “heat training” are just damaging their hair. I think the best heat trained natural I’ve seen is Maryam Hampton. She has kept her curls and her straight hair looks better now than it did before.

I agree with the article,they are the same but there are different levels. I don’t care what my natural ladies do as long as they stay away from the creamy crack. Lol. And I say that with our health in mind. But that’s another convo for another day.

Siiiiiis! I miss you. When you coming back to the 'A'??? I'm confused too 😕 LOL thanks sharing 🥰

You should check out Cyn doll. She's a hair stylist on yt who specializes in growing hair as a straight natural.

Lol 😂 thanks for sharing Candice 🥰💙

I think it’s the same too

I recommend Elite Hair care USA she’s amazing at hair care and gives great input on people who want a nice recovery of their hair that has been damaged or is changing due to stress factors. She’s more caring and consistent in her information compared to Angelica’s doll I mean Cyn Doll. But to answer your question heat trained has always meant heat damaged to me. I don’t recommend Cyn Doll because she has a bad attitude if you ask a question she’ll get wild with you. She’s very unprofessional

you should watch Cyndolls videos

I've been straightening my hair for 6 months consistently and my curls revert every single time i wash it. My hair also stays straight with minimal frizz (with the exception of my edges from washing my face). Heat trained hair doesn't have to be damaged so it cant be equated. At least not in my experiences/opinion.

It’s just a better way of saying heat damage 😭

Heat trained vs heat damage Heat trained hair is when your hair is able to become straighter and more silky with less effort and stay straight for longer. When washed and conditioned the hair will revert back so much so that it is impossible to detect damage. Heat damage is when even after the hair is washed and conditioned the curls no longer revert back or when the hair texture has changed.

There is no such thing as "heat trained" hair. Only heat damaged. Once your hair doesn't revert back to it's natural curl pattern, it is permanently damaged. Sorry love!

Depends on who you ask. If you ask someone who doesn’t care to go back to their curls it’s heat trained. If someone wanted their bouncy curls back and it doesn’t do that…it’s heat damage. Some people like wavy hair or that was their intention. It’s who you ask.