What Is A Silk Press? Everything You Need To Know

A silk press is a method for straightening hair without chemicals like hair relaxers and texturizers.

Getting a silk press is a temporary way to wear your natural curly hair straight and silky. If you are not yet ready to relax your natural hair but want to enjoy that silk-straight beauty, try a silk press.

In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about a silk press and how to get it done.

What you will learn:

What Does A Silk Press Do to the Hair?

A silk press straightens the hair, gives it a bounce, and makes it easy to manage and style without exposing it to heat damage or breaking down its protein component.

It enjoys silky, smooth, and bouncy hair for days.

To achieve silk-smooth hair, a silk press often starts with a thorough wash and a full hair conditioning treatment to ensure the hair is healthy before heat application.

The hair is then blow-dried and flat-ironed using a lower heat setting than traditional flat-ironing methods. The goal is to maintain the hair's moisture and shine while reducing heat damage. The result is silky, shiny hair that is easy to style and manage.

How is a Silk Press Done On Natural Hair?

A silk press is done following simple steps to achieve straight, silky, smooth, and shiny hair without relaxers. You carefully follow each step (preparation, drying, and straightening) to get the final result.

Let’s take you through the complete process of doing a silk press (step-by-step)

Step 1: Prepping the Hair (washing and conditioning)

Before you start the process of getting a silk press, you need to prep your hair.

You start prepping your hair by:

a. Wash your hair with a sulfate-free hydrating shampoo

This helps to cleanse the hair without stripping it of essential oils.

b. Followed by a deep conditioning treatment

Deep conditioning helps to properly hydrate your hair. The process of deep conditioning is essential because it helps to give the hair extra smoothness after flat ironing.

Rinse your hair thoroughly after deep conditioning.

c. Apply a heat protectant

Applying heat protectant helps to safeguard your strands from damage during styling. When searching for heat protectants, look for products with ingredients like argan oil or shea butter.

Comb through your hair to distribute the product evenly, ensuring all strands are covered.

Step 2: Drying the Hair (the best drying method for silk press)

Drying your hair is one of the most important steps in achieving a silk-like appearance. For this process, you will use a high-quality blow dryer equipped with a nozzle attachment/comb attachement.

Start blow-drying your hair. To do this;

1. Start by dividing your hair into sections for better manageability.
2. Aim the dryer downward to align the hair cuticles for a smoother finish.
3. Use a round brush to pull your hair tightly stretched while drying. This technique helps eliminate frizz and adds volume. Aim for about 80% dryness.

A round brush may not work if you have dense hair. Instead, use a paddle brush to help straighten the hair as you blow dry.

It is best to work in sections. It might take more time, but the result is worth it in the end. Just be patient and work on small sections at a time.

Step 3: Straightening the Hair (effective flat ironing for silk press)

The next step is flat ironing.

Once your hair is completely dry, it's time for flat ironing. This is where the magic of the silk press happens.

For the best result, choose a high-quality flat iron with adjustable temperature settings. That is because you will flat iron your hair under low to medium heat (depending on your hair texture)

For example, for fine hair, 300-350°F is ideal, while thicker hair may require 350-400°F.

To start straightening;

1. Divide your hair into smaller sections again.
2. Slowly run the flat iron from the roots to the tips, ensuring each section is straightened evenly.
3. Apply a light serum or oil after flat ironing to enhance shine and maintain smoothness. This step seals in moisture and provides a polished look.

Regular maintenance will help you keep your silk press looking fresh for longer periods.

Hair Products and Tools Used for A Silk Press

We have gone through the process of doing a silk press. It is pretty simple, but choosing the right products and tools makes the process more effective.

Selecting the right tools and product won’t only give smooth, silky, and bouncy hair, but it will also ensure that your hair remains healthy.

Let us show you how to select the best product and tools for a beautiful silk press:

1. Selecting the Right Flat Iron

The flat iron is one of the most important tools used to do a silk press. A bad or inferior flat iron can come between you and sleek, beautiful hair.

When choosing a flat iron, consider the following:

a. The plate material and size: Ceramic plates are often better than titanium ones. That is because they provide even heat distribution and minimize damage (your hair will hardly get stuck between the plates.

However, the tourmaline plates can add more shine, while the titanium plates provide more heat.

b. Choose a flat iron with adjustable settings: Fine or damaged hair requires lower heat, around 250-300°F, while thicker hair may need temperatures of 350-400°F.

So, choosing a flat iron with adjustable settings allows you to adjust the temperature as you go.

c. Choose a flat iron with a wide plate: Choosing a flat iron with wide plates drastically reduces hairstyling time. A wide flat iron plate, usually 1.5 inches, can cover more hair at once, reducing styling time.

For shorter hair, a 1-inch plate offers better control.

2. Heat Protectants and Serums

Heat protectants are a must-have, especially during heat styling. Heat protectants help protect your hair from potential heat damage.

1. When shopping for heat protectants, look for products containing SILICONE. This ingredient helps to shield your hair from damage.
2. Applying a heat protectant before styling can help preserve moisture. Choose a lightweight serum so it doesn’t weigh down your hair.

After a silk press, go in with a shine serum. To do this, you want to look for products that contain argan oil or jojoba oil. These products will help nourish your hair.

3. Shampoos and Conditioners

Cleaning your hair and deep conditioning it is an important stage in the silk press process. You don’t want to style dirty hair. Plus, you are going to wear your silk-pressed hair for days.

1. Choose a sulfate-free hydrating shampoo to cleanse your hair without stripping it of natural oils. Look out for ingredients like coconut oil or shea butter, which hydrate and protect the hair.
2. Pick a conditioner that is formulated for moisture retention (check out the moisturizing content in the product description). Deep conditioners can offer extra hydration, especially for textured hair.
3. Add a leave-in conditioner. A leave-in conditioner helps to add an extra layer of protection and helps with styling.

Is Silk Press the Same as Flat Ironing?

Many people ask this same question. The answer is no, a silk press is not the same thing as flat ironing.

What’s the difference?

The major difference is in the technique and the use of hair products.

If you have flat-ironed your hair, you will notice that the process is quite straightforward. You run the flat iron across your hair strands, and that’s it.

This process works differently for a silk press.

Let’s go over the difference between a silk press and a traditional flat ironing method.

Technique for silk pressing and flat ironing

The difference between a silk press and a traditional flat iron is the technique of heat transfer or flat ironing.

1. For a traditional flat ironing method, you use a flat iron with high heat to flat iron your hair from root to tip.
2. For a silk press, you use a flat iron on low heat while running a brush through the hair.

The major difference between the flat ironing technique for the silk press and the regular flat ironing is tension. For the silk press, tension is used to straighten the hair without turning on high heat.

Products used for silk pressing and flat ironing

For the silk press, specialized serums and moisturizers are used to enhance shine and reduce frizz, unlike the traditional flat ironing method that uses regular oils and creams.

Hair appearance

A silk-pressed hair looks bouncy, straight, and shiny and moves freely. The goal of a silk press is moisture and shine.

Traditional flat ironing is straightening the hair, which often results in hair damage.

Understanding the difference between the silk press and flat ironing will help you determine the best option for your hair.

FAQS

1. Is a silk press bad for my hair?

No, if you head to a professional hair salon to do it for you. But it can damage your hair if you don't take the right measures to do silk press at home.

2. How long does a silk press last?

In general one to two weeks, it depends on the weather, sweat, if your silk press touches the water, and how you maintain it.

3. How much for a silk press?

Range from $50 to $100, the salon's location and the hairstylist's level can also affect the final price.

Wrapping It Up

A silk press offers several advantages for those seeking to achieve smooth, straight, or more manageable hair. This method not only improves the appearance of your hair but also provides essential care.

Will you try a silk press? Let us know in the comment section.