What Is Silk Press And How To Do It On Your Locks?

If you like to straighten your kinky hair, then you know what price you should pay for your smooth strands. Yet, the silky press takes hair straightening to a whole new level. While the procedure is less harmful to your locks, the result lasts noticeably longer. Sounds intriguing? In that case, feel free to study our guide, where we have broken down everything you should know about silk pressing.

What Is A Silk Press

So, essentially, what is a silk press? This is a hair straightening procedure that implies flattening out your hair with the help of a hairdryer and a hair straightener. No chemical relaxer should be involved. As you press your locks with the straightener, the strands become smooth like silk, hence the name. The effect is not permanent, however. Your natural hair texture will get back to normal afterward.

One of the main advantages of the silk press hair procedure is that it does not require as much heat or harmful chemicals like other hair relaxing procedures. So, not only is it more gentle to your locks, but it also keeps them flowy and movable. And what else cannot be overlooked is that since your hair becomes smooth and silky, it reflects light much better than before, so your strands start to radiate shine.

How To Do a Silk Press: Step-by-Step

If you have decided to switch your protective hairstyles to silk press hairstyles, then you may want to know more about the procedure. So, here is a detailed guide on how to do a silk press:

1. Wash your hair so it is clean.

   To get the best result from the silk press on natural hair, start by cleaning your locks first. Opt for shampoos that will help you to keep your hair frizz free and follow up with a hair conditioner.

2. Apply a leave in product.

   Now that your mane is clean, it is time to increase its level of hydration. Grab your favorite moisturizing leave in conditioner, squeeze a generous amount of it into your hands and work it into the strands. This guarantees that you will not have any difficulties when detangling your hair.

3. Protect your hair from heat.

   As you will still need to apply heat to your hair, make sure to use a heat protection product beforehand. This can be a spray, a cream or a mousse, whichever you like more. This step is essential if you do not want to end up with damaged strands.

4. Section out the hair into even portions.

   Separate the top part of your hair from the bottom with a parting and use a clip to pin it in the front. Divide the remaining hair in half and pin it using clips too.

5. Dry out the hair with a blow dryer.

   Take a brush and a hair dryer and while working your way from top to bottom, blow dry your strands section by section. Check if your hair dryer has the concentrator nozzle attached to it.

6. Get your hair ready for silk pressing.

   Repeat the process of sectioning out the hair into four even parts. Yet, you will not use the whole section but separate an inch size strand of hair and work with it. In this way, the distribution of heat will be even. The remaining hair should be secured with the clip as well.

7. Start silk pressing.

   If you know how to curl hair with a straightener, then silk pressing will be like a piece of pie for you. Place the strand of hair that you separated between the flat iron plates and run it slowly from the roots to the very ends. Once you are done, put the strand away. Now do the same to another strand. Continue doing so until there are no strands left.

8. Finish off by sealing the result.

   So that the final result would last as long as possible, spritz it with a hair spray.

How To Maintain Silk Press Hair?

One of the main concerns you may have after the procedure is how long does a silk press lasts. On average, you may expect your hair to remain smooth for up to 2-3 weeks. However, the longevity of the silk press hairstyle depends greatly on aftercare. So, here is how to maintain silk press hair:

• Wear a protective hairstyle when you are sleeping.

  To wake up with perfectly smooth and frizz-free locks, you need to put them in a protective hairstyle before hitting the pillow. Yet, not every hairstyle will work. So that your silk press natural hair does not revert to its original shape, divide it into sections and curl every portion of hair separately with your finger. Then, pin the curls to the head with hair clips. Also, take care to always protect your mane with head wraps at night.

• Do not apply extra heat to your locks.

  Even though using heat tools to refresh your hairstyle seems like a viable solution, this will have the opposite effect. When you use excess heat, it strips your hair of moisture so it becomes dry and coarse as a result.

• Steer clear of too much moisture.

  On the other hand, humidity is not your best friend too. As such, no matter whether you wear a long or short hair silk press style, it should not contact with water in any form, be it steam, sweat or shower. This is also how to get rid of flyaways and frizziness.

• Do not use your typical hairstyling products.

  Just like you should postpone wearing Black braided hairstyles with silk pressed hair, you should not use styling products on it too, as it can weigh your locks down and make them look dull.

FAQ

Since now you are fully aware of the silk press procedure, you have no more excuse for not wearing your coils sleek and shiny when you want to. As you can tell, it is not that difficult to press your hair so it is silky smooth. Though, you can rest assured that the long-lasting effect will pay you off with tons of compliments you are going to rake in.

• What is a silk press. Source
• Silk press on natural hair. Source