People who adore straight hair have a common question: what is silk press?
Silk press is a hair straightening procedure that does not use any chemicals. It is a process famous for people who have natural and textured hair. Silk pressing gives you temporary smooth, straight, and silky hair.
Silk press requires heat tools like flat irons and blow dryers to straighten your natural hair. It gives a full body and a shiny finish without a stiff hair look. A silk press is widely used by those with natural coil hair and kinky hair. It can also be used for those with thick or extremely curly hair that tends to frizz or re-curl even after a flat ironing.
Benefits of Silk Press
A silk press is not only about straightening the hair or adhering to Western beauty ideals. It is about trying something new and maintaining hair’s health along the way.
- Do not use straightening chemicals or relaxers
- Easy to rock a curly and straight hairstyle
- Do not change your curl or natural pattern permanently
- It can last up to two weeks
Tools for Silk Press
A general list of the tools and products to protect and style your hair for silk press includes:
- Heat protectant: Heat protectant shields your hair from any heat damage.
- Heat resistance comb: It is used to comb through hair while doing a pass with the straightener tool.
- Hair clips: These are used to divide hair into different sections and keep it out of the way.
- Blow dryer: This is used to dry your hair before pressing with your straightening tool.
- Straightening tools: Straightening is like a flat iron to press hair after blow drying.
- Oil or hair styling product: This is used to help style and nourish the hair before or during the blow-drying and straightening process.
Some stylists use additional tools and products. They sometimes use alternative products like hair serum while heat styling.
How to Do a Silk Press : Step by Step
If you want to have the silkiest straight hair, these steps will walk you through the steps involving a silk press.
- Cleansing: Make sure to always start silk pressing with freshly washed hair. Hair must be thoroughly cleaned using a clarifying shampoo to remove any build-up of product and dirt.
- Conditioner: Next is to boost the hair with moisture so the style can last. Use the conditioner that softens the hair and helps in detangling. Apply a small amount of conditioner to the hair and keep it for a few minutes. Rinse off with cold water and towel dry.
- Divide hair section: Detangle your hair using a detangling brush. Apply heat protectant to your hair completely to protect it from heat damage. Depending on the volume of the hair, divide hair into multiple sections. Secure each section of hair using hair clips.
- Blow dry: Dry each section of your hair separately using a blow dryer. Use a brush to lead the hair and comb it as you go. Make sure to work from the roots to the end.
- Press hair: Once your hair dries after blow drying, you need to part your hair again into many different sections. Start with pressing one section at a time. Some people need one pressing at low heat depending on the hair texture. At the same time, others may require 2 or 3 pressings at high temperatures.
Once pressing is done, your hair will look silky and smooth with a lot of volume.
How Long Does Silk Press Last?
Well, it depends on how you prepared your hair before the process and how you will maintain it.
Here are some tips given to maintain your silk press to last before your next wash day.
- Avoid heat: Avoid applying more heat to your silk pressed hair. Too much heat can offset your hair’s moisture level and make your strand stiff.
- Cover your hair: Try to maintain your hair more while sleeping at night. Try wrapping your hair by creating a side part. Brush your hair in a circular motion until its all up around your head. Secure it with clips or pins. Cover your head using a satin or silk scarf. This will reduce friction.
- Avoid water: When you have silk pressed your hair, avoid water, steam and sweat. These can cause you straight hair to revert back to their natural texture before you are ready.
- No hair styling products: There is no need to apply any kind of hair styling products to your silk pressed hair. Excess products can weigh your hair down and make it look heavy.
Is Silk Press Bad for Hair?
Knowing about the involvement of heat styling tools, everyone would be a bit skeptical about hair damage. Heat tools can often cause damage to our natural hair, such as split ends, breakage, hair loss and dry hair.
But there is nothing to worry about, a silk press does not damage your hair as the heat application is minimal and no chemicals. However, it is always best to use a heat protectant before heat styling your hair during silk press.
If your hair is currently dry and damaged, we recommend to first look after the wellness of your hair before trying a silk press. This will ensure that your hair is not vulnerable to further damage during that process.
Conclusion
A silk press for natural textured hair is a style that keeps coming back and sets a trend again. Most salons offer silk press services or a non-chemical straightening service under a different name. And remember that maintenance and aftercare are the keys to keeping your silk press looking shiny and healthy.
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