Can A Silk Press Damage Your Hair?

Can A Silk Press Damage Your Hair?

Silk presses have become increasingly popular as more and more women with natural hair want all of the benefits of having relaxed hair without actually having chemicals in their hair.  They want the straight look and to have hair that moves instead of being stuck to the head.  A traditional press and curl results requires a lot of grease and oil which results in the stuck to the head look.  It straightens the hair very good but who wants hair that has no body?  A silk press is the anecdote to this.  A silk press is better than a traditional press and curl not only because it makes the hair flow, but also because it does not require as much heat as the press and curl yet offers better results.  One of my clients asked me a very good question while getting her silk press.  She wanted to know if a silk press could, over time, cause damage to the hair.  The answer to that question is no, when done correctly.  To the naked eye a silk press looks like simply shampooing the hair, blow drying, and flat ironing.  However, a silk press needs to be done in a way that allows you to use as less heat as possible while still giving extraordinary results.  When I do silk presses on my clients I blow dry the hair on warm heat and when I flat iron the hair I only flat iron each piece of hair one time.  I do not flat iron
the same piece of hair over and over until it gets straight.  Doing this is what leads to heat damage and is not good for the hair. That is why I love the Toi flat iron. It is the only one that goes up to 480 degrees, so only one pass is needed to get the hair super straight and silky. So, when done correctly a silk press will not do any harm to your hair.

This client does not get silk presses done very often. She gets them when it is time for a trim.  The picture above is the before picture and was taken right after I shampooed her hair using Silk Hydration products.  Her natural curl pattern popped right back up and from the picture you can not tell her hair has ever been straightened.  This is what should happen every time a silk press is performed.  If you have natural hair and you get it straightened you should never experience shampooing your hair and it remains straight.  If this happens it is likely that you have received damaged from heat.  A silk press done properly will not loosen up your curl pattern or permanently straighten your hair. If this does happen to you, you will basically have to transition back all over again.

A combination of finding the right hair stylist, using high quality products,  the perfect flat iron, and using the correct technique will give you the results of a great silk press that will not damage your hair at all.  I used Silk Hydration by L. Jones products, starting with the clarifying shampoo.  This got all of the residue, oil, and dirt off of the hair.  Then I used the moisturizing shampoo which includes liquid silk and helps soften up the hair by putting the good moisture back in the hair.  After that I used the moisture treatment which has over eight different oils in it so it also packs the moisture back in the hair while keeping the hair light.  After rinsing the conditioner, I then generously applied the leave-in conditioner which was excellent in helping to detangle the hair while simultaneously adding a third layer of moisture to the hair. It also serves as a heat protectant spray.

I then blow dried the hair on low heat then flat ironed using a Toi by L. Jones flat iron.  When using the flat iron, I only flat ironed each section of hair one time.  I did not use any oil or grease on her hair and it still came out looking this shiny.  It has plenty of body, is not stuck to the head, and the hair is ultra silky smooth.  This young lady loved her hair and the body and movement that came with it. I am happy that I was able to please her, but I am even more happy that I can provide her with a healthy hair experience. To maintain her hair, she will only have to wrap it every night.  She does not need to put anything on her hair at all.  No oil, no grease, no nothing!  All of that was put in the shampoo and conditioner so extra products are not needed. If she chooses, she can spray a very tiny amount of Miracle Potion no9 on it to keep it shiny and control the frizz.