Have you ever seen a video of a straight and shiny hairstyle and thought to yourself, Man, I wish my hair could look like that…but I would HATE to damage my curls“?
If so, then you’re not alone.
Many women with natural hair get occasional silk presses when they want their hair straightened. However, some women avoid using heat on their hair altogether out of fear that their hair will not revert back to its natural state.
The term silk press is used to describe the process of temporarily straightening natural hair without the use of chemicals.
People who like to rock a sleek and shiny look but don’t want a relaxer, often turn to the use of blow dryers and flat irons to get the job done.
But there’s a catch.
These hot tools can cause irreparable damage to the hair if the proper precautions are not taken.
But have no fear. There are measures you can take to achieve the perfect silk press and maintain healthy hair.
If you’re wondering how to get a luxurious silk press without heat damage, in today’s article I am going to share with you what you need to do.
#1) Shampoo Your Hair Really Well
The best foundation for a healthy silk press hairstyle is a squeaky clean hair and scalp. You want the hair to be completely free of dirt, oil, and product buildup. This will help prevent your hair from burning and frying when you flat iron it.
Some stylists recommend shampooing the hair at least 3 times for best results.
For a bouncy and flowy silk press, ensure that your hair is thoroughly cleansed with a pH balanced cleanser like our Quench & Cleanse Shampoo.
#2) Add Moisture With a Deep Conditioner
If you want your silk press to be shiny and healthy looking, you have to moisturize your hair. Before styling, nourish & Hydrate the hair using a deep conditioner like our VoiceOfHair Quench & Repair Conditioner.🌱
After applying the conditioner, you can use a steamer, or place a warm towel on the hair and let it sit until the towel is cold. The heat will lift the cuticle and allow the moisture to deeply penetrate your hair strands.
Afterwards, rinse with cool water to seal the cuticle and trap in that moisture.
#3) Strengthen Your Strands With A Protein Treatment
If your hair seems gummy or weak and fragile, it could need a protein treatment to reinforce your strands in preparation for heat styling.
You can even apply a protein treatment when you first wash your hair after a silk press to help your curls bounce back.
But balance is key– overuse of protein treatments can lead to dry and brittle hair that is more prone to breakage.
#4) Apply a Heat Protectant
The best thing you can do to protect your natural hair from heat damage during a silk press is to apply a heat protectant before styling your hair. This is a step you CANNOT skip.
Heat protectants coat the hair and act as a barrier between your hair and the heat styling tools that you use. They can protect your hair from temperatures as high as 450 degrees.
If you want to avoid heat damage during the silk press process, you should apply a heat protectant to wet hair before blow drying.
#5) Make Sure the Hair & Scalp are Completely Dry
Before moving onto the flat ironing process, it is important to get your hair as straight and dry as possible with the use of a blow dryer. You want to make sure that your scalp is completely dry.
If your hair isn’t straight enough from blow drying, it may tempt you to use more than one pass with the flat iron, which can lead to heat damage.
And speaking of flat ironing, if any moisture is left in the hair when you get to this step, it can cause burning.
The Right Products Make a Difference
The secret to avoiding heat damage during a silk press is combining the right products with the right styling techniques. It’s important to make sure your hair is clean, moisturized, strong, and healthy before applying heat to it.
If you follow these steps, you’ll have the perfect foundation for a luxurious silk press without heat damage.
Our VoiceOfHair products help cleanse, moisturize, and nourish your hair from the inside out.
Brandelyn Green is the Founder of VoiceOfHair, a platform to help women of color find the best hair care products, regimens and hairstyles! Since starting VoiceOfHair in 2014 she has grown the social media platform to over 1MM+ on Instagram and Facebook. As a natural who is also a salon goer, she wanted to create a platform where people could find the best products, hairstylists, advice and trends.