Everything you need to know about getting a silk press

Instead of getting your hair straightened with a blow dryer, why not opt for a silk press?

What is a silk press?

A silk press is a modern take on straightening afro hair. Instead of using a hot comb or blow dryer (with a lot of oil and heat), this method uses a flat iron or straightener. It is ideal for very coarse and thick hair.

In recent years the natural hair movement has been widespread with many black women around the world (celebrities or otherwise including Kenya’s own Sharon Mundia)  embracing their nappy hair and avoiding chemical treatments. If you are a newly minted natural or just want to change things up a bit, a silk press is one way to do it. 

Silk press process

Step 1: Wash 

This is an obvious one; it will get rid of any dirt and product residue and leave your hair smelling fresh.

Step 2: Use a deep conditioning treatment

This will add moisture back to your hair while also nourishing and strengthening your roots.

Step 3: Blow-drying the hair

This is an important step in the silk press process. After applying a heat-protective oil, in this process, they will use a blow dryer to dry your hair and straighten it to its full capacity. This should take about 30 minutes depending on how coarse your hair is.

Step 4: Straightening the hair

In this step, your hair is parted into small sections and using a flat iron or straightener, your hair will be straightened.

Step 5: Trim

After straightening, your hair will need to be trimmed. This is just to get rid of split ends and give your hair a more defined look.

This look will last you a week or two weeks but all bets are off when your hair comes into contact with any sort of moisture or water. If you want to protect your hair from the rain, check out these hairstyles instead.