What Is A Silk Press?

What is a silk press?

Hey there! I'm LaToya Jones, a professional hairstylist, salon owner, and healthy hair specialist. I have been doing hair professionally for over thirteen years now and over half of my clientele comes to me to get a silk press. I can basically do a perfect silk press with my eyes closed! In fact, I developed a hair care line (called by L. Jones) specifically so I can have products to get the hair super soft and super moisturized, all which are super important when doing a silk press.

If you have stumbled across this post, more than likely you have heard of the term "silk press" and want to know more information about them, including what they are. Don' t worry, you are not alone!  In fact, I get this question quite often from my salon clients (natural as well as relaxed) since this is a service that I offer and do rather frequently. So today I would like to explain to you exactly what a silk press is.  A silk press is basically an upgraded version of a traditional press and curl.  As with a press and curl, the hot comb is warmed up then used to press your hair to get it straight.  Most of the time grease, or some greasy-like substance, is used to help get the hair straight.  And while grease does help get the hair very straight, it also leaves the hair extremely heavy, with no body or movement, and often looking like it is stuck to the head.

A silk press is a modern day press and curl that gives natural hair the look like it has been relaxed. It allows the natural hair to be very straight, shiny, silky, soft, and most importantly the hair has a lot of body and movement.  It is for natural hair only because relaxed hair is already straight so the need to press it is not necessary (unless you stretch your relaxers and want to press your new growth to match your relaxed hair).  A silk press on relaxed hair is just a flat iron.  Unlike a traditional press and curl, a silk press does not use a hot comb at all.  Instead, a very good flat iron (like this one) is used.  Also, absolutely no grease is used with a silk press, although a light oil serum can be used to add shine without weighing the hair down.  I use the high quality hair products (that I make myself!) from the by L. Jones line which is infused with a ton of moisturizers (moisture is extremely important when getting a silk press), like liquid silk, already in the products. Let's take a look at a client I had who received her first silk press in a very long time.

Before & After silk press on natural hair using by L. Jones products

This client has been natural for years.  The picture above is a before and after showing her original curl pattern (left) and how it looks once the silk press is complete (right). I love using the by L. Jones products to do silk presses (see why here) because the hair comes out looking like it was freshly  relaxed although it is not.

I started off with the Extreme Clean Clarifying Shampoo to remove all dirt, oil, and residue off of the hair making it squeaky clean and ready to receive the good moisture. Unlike many other clarifying shampoos, this one is sulfate free and paraben free so it will not strip the hair. Then I shampooed again with the Extreme Moisture Shampoo. This shampoo starts the process of adding the moisture back inside the hair.

Click here to take my online silk press tutorial.

If your hair always seems dry and like it is craving moisture, always use a moisturizing shampoo. Next I used the Replenishing Conditioner to add moisture (use the Intense Moisture Treatment  instead if hair is extremely dry). After that, I generously applied the Leave-In Conditioner because it serves three purposes: it moisturizes, detangles, and acts as a heat protectant. I combed this through from the root to the ends of the hair. After that the hair was blown dry and flat ironed with a Toi by L. Jones (Primo) flat iron. I love, love, love this flat iron because it's titanium plates are the only ones on the market that go up to 480 degrees (only the thickest, most course hair will need this"! While that may sound extremely hot, it allows me to go through even the thickest, most course hair with only one pass. And anytime I do a silk press, the hair always reverts back to its original curl pattern without receiving any heat damage (see why here)!

before and after silk press on natural hair using by L. Jones products

The rest of the pictures are also before and afters of other clients of mine. Even though the hair looks very straight it can and will revert back at the first sign of moisture in the hair. To remain straight, the hair must remain dry. There are two other things that you should NEVER do right after you get a silk press (see here) in order for it to last. The reason why I love the Toi flat iron is because it gets the hair this straight with only one pass. That is how I avoid heat damage on my clients' hair.

silk press on natural hair using by L. Jones products

To maintain this look, these ladies will wrap it every day with their silk scarf.  It will last up to three weeks, although I do not recommend going beyond two weeks without shampooing the hair again.  If any of these ladies notice a few fly aways, they can spray by L. Jones Miracle Potion no9 on it, as it works wonders for natural hair by controlling the frizz while giving it a boost of shine.

Here is one last before and after:

The women in the pictures above came to my salon to get their silk press but you can also do it on yourself if you have the right products & hair tools. To get the perfect silk press in seven easy steps click here! Also, see the video below for the entire silk press process from start to finish (be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel while you're looking at the video)!

Here are a few frequently asked questions I get about doing a silk press:

1. Can a silk press damage your hair? Yes it can. If done incorrectly, you can definitely get some heat damage. Click here for further explanation and to see how to avoid this.
2. How long does a silk press last? That answer depends. Normally it will last 1-2 weeks. Click here for a full explanation. 
3. Can you get a silk press right after taking braids down? Yes, you absolutely can. There are a few things you should do first though. Click here to see more.
4. Can I do my own silk press at home? How? Yes, you can definitely do your own silk press at home, no matter what hair type you have. Click here for more info.
5. Is there anything I should NOT do to my silk press? Yes! Click here to get my top 3 things you should never do when you have a silk press.

Do you wish you could do your own silk press and make it look just like you went to a salon? Or maybe you have daughters and would like to learn how to silk press their hair so you don't have to to to the salon. Or, you might be a hairstylist who wants to sharpen your craft. If so, you will love my DIY Silk Press Masterclass! Click here for more info. It is an online class that you can take right in the comfort of your own home at your own pace and I teach you all of the hairstylist tips and tricks to getting the perfect silk press.

What is a silk press? How to do your own professional looking silk press.

And that's it! You now know everything about doing a silk press!

Want a FREE PDF guide for doing your own silk press?
Click here to have your own downloadable guide for how to do your own silk press like a pro!

Where to get products for a silk press:

www.byljonesproducts.com

Where to get the best flat iron for a silk press:

www.byljonesproducts.com

Want to learn all the PRO secrets and do your own silk press at home?

Click here to take my online class which is a step by step tutorial on how to get a professional looking silk press on ANY hair type!

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