Humidity Chronicles: How I Went To Get Sleek Flat Iron Slayage And Ended Up With a Blow Out

A couple of weeks back I shared my hair goals for 2016. Getting my hair straightened was part of the list. I had been wanting to stretch my hair out and see the true length after 2yrs of healthy haircare.  I was going to wait until the end of 2016 but got the crazy idea to go ahead since I had a formal appreciation and retirement dinner for work.

Having been curating videos and pics for work I was seeing some bomb straightening jobs and was itching to get the same results. I should’ve had better sense.

I went to the beauty supply store and got my anti-humidity hair milk by Garnier Fructis, IC Fantasia Heat Protectant* Serum and Tresemme Thermal Creations Heat Protectant. Sure enough the consultant had warned me that if I wanted anti-reversion product I should go with the Beautiful Textures Straightening System. I snubbed it, citing that Chime had used it and it damaged her curls.

I told her I had done my research and I was taking what I came to get and that’s that.

I started prepping my hair three days before, by washing then deep conditioning* with a coconut* milk and cocoa butter* mix I had whipped up in my kitchen. I didn’t bother to put any product in after the wash except the anti-humidity hair milk in preparation for the blow out. I went to the salon and proceeded to explain how I detangled and how my hair was to be handled.

The girl who worked on me was too glad to be done, citing that I had a lot of hair. No sooner than I got up from the chair it started raining so a plastic bag had to shield me until I could get some place dry.

The following day was the day of the event and the day I was to get my hair straightened. I had confidence in the stylist because prior to my hair journey she had always done a great job with my natural hair; she was always gentle and seemed to know how to care for natural hair. But I hadn’t been to her in 5 yrs so I should have known.

She marveled when she saw how my hair had flourished to the point where when she stretched it it was at bra-strap level. Then she started on my hair and it seemed I had not detangled and blown it out the day prior.

She sectioned off my hair and proceeded to blow dry it again after adding the anti-humidity milk. After an hour she started straightening after applying the Tresemme Heat protectant* spray. She was doing the chase method but again it was as though my hair was slowly recoiling to its curly state. Each section had totally reverted after 10 minutes.

That anti-humidity thing was no match for my hair and the humid Jamaican weather. I left the stylist looking like I had gotten a basic blowout. Sure, to save it she threw in a gorgeous updo but disappointment does not adequately describe how I felt. I had spent good money on products and labor and had very little to show for it.

I wanted to flaunt straight hair like I did back in 2012 when I had dunked some baby oil in my hair and fried it with the flat iron*. Why was I going home with an updo 5hrs after sitting in that chair? It was nice enough but it was not what I wanted.

To top it off, I left there with a ball of hair so big I am certain my strands suffered breakage.  Well I’m never doing that again. Needless to say I took down the style as soon as I got home and ditched my plans to attend the event. How do you achieve and maintain straight natural hair in a humid environment?