Should I Heat Train My Hair?

I’m still committed to a new “look” and I want to explore my options. This is definitely one of them!

I would like to silk press my hair again being that weather is getting cooler and winter is coming. My press would last longer and I probably wouldn’t even have to touch it up with my flat iron at home. I would definitely like the straight hair look for a while and the ease of not having to “do” my hair. I 100% look older when my hair is straightened (in a good way) and I have a more grown up look (read more about what I mean here).

Heat training my hair would allow my hair to straighten easier and my presses would last longer.  I would heat train my hair by pressing my hair every time I wash it. If I was to heat train my hair I would have to commit to making time for scheduled salon visits but I would be getting regular trims and frequent professional hair care. Realistically I think I would straighten my hair once every 4-6 weeks if I was to do this.

I know pressing my hair once in a while will not damage my curls but if I do it continuously it WILL affect my curls.

Is it possible to have healthy heat trained hair? Healthy hair for me is having absolutely no heat damage. I’m also afraid of my hair growing BUT my hair loosing thickness and volume. When in high school I straightened my hair about once a month. My hair grew really long but it got super thin. That was when I experienced heat damage the first and worst time!

I’m not interested in sew in weaves because I would hate to destroy to front of my hair , the  “leave out”, and that’s already a fragile part of my hair. I experience the most breakage around my edges and the nape of my neck. The upkeep for lace fronts and installing them properly seems intense and expensive! I don’t know if I could ever do it successfully on my own without going through a lot of trial and error and possibly looking crazy.

Heat training your hair seems like you’re getting the best of both worlds, straight sleek hair and still having natural hair so you can bounce back to twist outs and braid outs. But I still have so many questions! Will I have to give up the integrity of my curls for good? Will I classify as a straight hair natural? Will I really be able to bounce back and forth? Will the weather still have a big effect on my hair?

I will definitely do more research on this because it seems to be a lot of youtube videos on the topic! Have you ever heard of heat training? Do you know any straight hair naturals who love their decision?