As much as I love my natural hair dearly, there are times when I just want to experience a difference in hairstyle. Once in a while I’ll silk press my hair so I can enjoy some hairstyles that wouldn’t be possible with my natural hair. Silk press is a technique that is used by applying heat to your hair to get it straight without using chemicals.
To achieve professional salon silky, smooth hair at home, you’ll start by shampooing your hair, blow drying it, and using a hair straightener flat iron specifically designed to straighten the curls out of your hair. It is recommended that you use a thermal heat protectant to prevent heat damage.
At first, I was skeptical about pressing my hair because of all the negative things I heard. Some people had major heat damage, hair breakage, or even hair loss. However, I decided to do my research and adhered to the tips to prevent any possible harm to my natural hair.
When you silk press your natural hair, as long as you do it the right way and take precautions to prevent damage, after washing it, you’ll get back your same healthy-looking hair as before.
HAIR PREP PRODUCTS FOR SILK PRESS
Protecting your natural hair from heat damage begins before you start the straightening process. It is best to start with a good heat protectant shampoo and conditioner.
You also want to protect your hair from the heat using a hair protectant spray before you blow dry your hair. This is an important hair care routine you don’t want to skip when silk pressing your natural hair.
The one thing I struggled with when I first silk pressed my hair was the frizz. It would look straight and nice the first few hours and then it started to look frizzy. I finally solved the issue by using a frizz control heat protectant.
HOW LONG WILL SILK PRESS LAST?
The lifespan of your beautiful silk press will be determined by how well you maintain it. If you treat it like your normal natural hair and don’t take the necessary measures to protect your hairstyle, sadly, it won’t last long.
A typical silk press can last up to 3 weeks or even longer depending on certain factors including the texture of your hair. One of the most important steps to keeping your natural straightened hair lasting longer, is to protect it at nights.
SILK PRESS HAIR NIGHTTIME ROUTINE
It is best to wrap your hair or do pin curls to keep your hair looking smooth and bouncy the next day. After doing that, you should cover your hair preferably with a silk bonnet.
Taking a shower with silk pressed hair is kind of tricky. You definitely don’t want the humidity to revert your curls back to the natural state, at least not yet until you are ready for wash day. So, to prevent this, wear a bonnet and a shower cap over it to protect it while you shower.
NATURAL HAIR AFTER SILK PRESS
I try not to straighten my natural hair too much as well as take the necessary precautions and so far, once I wash my hair, it goes right back to its original texture. You too can achieve beautiful silky pressed hair by following all of my tips that’s listed above.