there was a time i had them straightened (oh well, for the heck of it). big mistake, they lost their natural moisture (why? beats me!). they hated me for it. they brittled ...and it's as if one by one they committed suicide. i had to appease them (conditioners and all) but to no avail. i ended up having to cut the bunch a little shorter.
but sometimes, i want it clean and hidden. best solution is have it braided. the way angelina does it in tomb raider (lump tie them all semi-tightly first then braid then tie again at the end). tada!