Both long straight hair and short straight hair have always been popular with women. Straight hair is very classic and beautiful in any season. The silky touch and shine in the sun are the charm of straight hair. Maybe you want to straighten your hair, but you are worried it will damage your hair. So today, we will talk about how to silk press your hair without damage.

1. What Is a Silk Press?

By definition, the silk press is a temporary hair straightening technique that uses a minimal product and flat iron to achieve bone-straight hair. It is different from the earliest technique. In the earliest days, many hairs salon utilized lye for straightening hair permanently, but silk press is just achieved by hot tools. It can press your curly hair into sleek straight stands without chemical relaxers, so the silk press has potentially less harmful than relaxers and is safer.

On YouTube, you can search for plenty of Silk Press demonstrations, you will be seduced by it deeply and witness the effortless transformations of thick, naturally curly hair into long silky tresses, but before you do it, you should consider some things to avoid disappointment, hair damage or hair loss.

2. The Benefits of Silk Press?

a. No straightening chemicals or relaxers

b. Easy to transfer a curly and straight hairstyle

c. Your hair will look great

d. Can last for up to two weeks

3. The downsides of a silk press

a. Heat damage-The main side effect of the silk press, especially if done frequently, is heat damage. Although you may have applied the heat-protective serum to your hair to prevent heat damage, this will not eliminate the risk of damage.

b. Permanent Damage-Heat damage occurs when keratin is melted by the heat applied, causing hair to become permanently altered in shape, never returning to its natural curl pattern. Once the shape of the keratin is altered, the hair becomes dry and limp because it loses its elasticity, which makes hair more prone to breakage. The heat of the flat iron does not rise above 215 C. Otherwise, it is likely to cause keratin to melt. Therefore, regular silk presses are not advised.

c. Hair breakage-Because your hair is always growing, the contrast in textures between your curly roots and straight ends can cause hair to break where the two textures meet.

4.How to Prepare and Do a Silk Press?

Before you do a silk press on natural hair, you must make some preparations to ensure that you achieve the glossy, straight looks from the Silk Press process.

4.1 Clean Your Hair

Clean the hair is the first and essential part of the preparation to get a great result. Using a clarifying shampoo to cleanse your hair is a good idea. It can cleanse your hair from product buildup, hard water minerals, excess oil, and environmental pollutants.

4.2 Condition Your Hair

Condition your hair with a smoothing conditioner. It helps to flatten the hair cuticles, which will limit damage to hair during the straightening process, as well as enhance the silky, straight look of your hair.

4.3 Blow Dry Your Hair

Blow drying helps to straighten the hair pre-iron. The straighter you can get your hair by blow drying, the better because it will reduce the intensity with which you will need to use the straightening irons, reducing the possibility of heat damage and making hair straight and silky in appearance.

4.4 Use Heat Protection Serum

Before you proceed with the straightening irons, it is important to coat your hair with a protective serum. A protective serum will protect your hair from heat damage.

4.5 Straighten Your Hair

A flat iron or a steam iron is better for the final step? Many people maybe have this big puzzle. After applying the serum, you can straighten your hair in small sections with a flat iron or a steam iron. Steam irons inflict less damage to your hair because they infuse warm moisture into the hair shaft while the hot plates straighten it. Flat irons use dry heat to straighten the hair, which sucks the moisture out of the hair shaft, making hair dry and more prone to breakage.

5. How Long Does a Silk Press Last?

Silk press results are temporary. It does not last forever. So, when you are tired of straight hair, you can turn it into curly hair. The expected result is to last for about two weeks. And if your hair type is better, the silk press can last about a month.

6. How much is a silk press?

Silk presses range anywhere from $60 to $100. Some cost around $150-$200 but can cost even more based on the state of your hair and your stylist’s skill level. Your stylist best answers this question since the final price varies greatly.

Conclusion

A silk press is the process of flat ironing natural hair to its straightest possible state without chemical relaxers. Your hair may get a little damaged by the harsh weather or heat. Wearing wigs can also achieve the goal of changing hairstyles on time. Besides, real human wigs can be styled at will without damaging your hair, which is also a great choice.