How to Get Through Silk Press Season Without Damaging Your Hair

For black women, the silk press is more than just a hairstyle. It’s a transformative event. There’s something refreshing about leaving the salon with silky, flowing hair that’s curled, bumped into voluminous styles like a bouffant bob, or artfully layered into a butterfly cut.

While it’s great fun to have a silk press appointment on your calendar, many Black women have a quiet fear that the heat required to straighten their hair will burn it. (It’s the panic that occurs when water runs through your hair in the shower and your curls don’t return to their natural state.) In many ways, the black community has come to terms with the inevitable heat damage that comes with straightening your hair. Some people “train” their curls to withstand prolonged heat, but this doesn’t have to be the case.

Brendatta AshleyThe San Francisco-based hairstylist says the key to achieving a smooth, long-lasting silk press without breaking curls or coils lies in preparation and maintenance, rather than the heat styling itself. “Silk presses will last a long time if you prepare them correctly,” says Ashley, who notes that it’s important to properly cleanse, condition, and wrap your hair.

Ahead, our experts will share their best tips for achieving long-lasting, shiny silk presses without sacrificing your curls.

How to prepare hair for silk press

Just as an artist wouldn’t start painting on a dirty canvas, you can’t silk press dirty hair and expect beautiful, lasting results.

The stylists we spoke to agreed that the key to a healthy silk press actually starts there. in front You can use the iron anywhere near your head. “The first thing to do is cleanse your scalp,” says Ashley, who recommends using a cleansing shampoo to remove dirt and oil buildup.

Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro Exfoliating Shampoo uses charcoal to gently remove and cleanse your scalp of dandruff and buildup. Olaplex No. 4C Clarifying Shampoo and Secred Clarifying Shampoo + Scalp Scrub also provide deep cleansing without drying out your hair.