The First Silk Press
I had been putting off a silk press for years, even as far back as 2017. I never got around to getting that silk press for many reasons, one of them being the fear of heat damage. I can imagine multitudes of you feel exactly the same way. With that being said I wasn't going to let that happen this year and I took the plunge and got not one but two silk presses this year. Excessive to some, adventurous and daring to others, to me, I just felt like it and went with it.
You may be wondering how my hair has held up because apart from the pictures shared on Natural Tendrils' instagram page, you don't really know how my hair is holding up. I'll tell you all about the experience, where I got them done so you can make your choice on which better suits you and everything in between. Welcome to the first blogpost of 2020, sit tight as I give you an insight ;)
I got it done in January, could not believe how long and flowy my hair was. Because I really do not trust hair salons, and I wasn't sure how well they'd be able to prep my hair prior to the silk press, I took precautionary measures and went ahead to cleanse deep condition detangle and stretch my hair before getting to the salon. It cut down the likelihood of stress on my scalp and in general seeing as I really went in there on a game of guesses and I was out of there in under one hour.
This process involved the use of a small round brush to blow dry and a steam pod to press. Results came out silky and flowy with body and the hair was not weighed down in any shape or form. Emphasis on flowy. The steam pod was used to cut down on the likelihood of heat damage. Stayed straight for two weeks with minimal reversion in my crown and on my hairline because of hot showers.
Maintenance
I made sure to sleep with a satin scarf every night. I tried to wrap my hair on the first night and woke up with static filled hair and a sore spot in my crown. I do not have wrapping straight hair on lock. Moving forward I just used my scarf as a sort of glove towards the ends. Maybe after my next silk press, I'll give a visual representation.
For showers I started off with wrapping cling film especially around my edges before wearing my shower cap, It cut down the impact of the hot showers by a lot but towards the end of the second week I did away with it and just freestyled it. My hair did shed a lot towards the end, the more brushing and combing I did. Mostly because it was easier for the hairs to dislodge as my hair was straight. Don't forget we shed hair daily.
I got a touch up around my hairline in between those two weeks to keep the style looking fresh. When it was time to wash, my hair wouldn't revert straight away. Which really could have gone one of two ways for me in that moment, one being heat damage of course and the other needing a good wash to get the curls back because of how well the silicones did. I reverted with warm water and greek yoghurt. Took a while but they started to come in slowly and I was put out of my misery. For a week or thereabout my hair didn't feel like her usual self and just felt dry. I combatted this was honey infused deep conditioning and my hair was back on track.
The Second Silk Press
I got at the end of February, this time I went to the salon as is and they handled everything from cleansing deep conditioning and heat style prep to the heat styling. This process involved the use of a comb attachment while blowdrying and what I believe to be titanium plate flat iron to press. A spray heat protectant was used and I think my hair preferred the spray.
I got a professional assessment and we discovered a good percentage of my problems were knots. I've struggled with my hair knotting right from my third or fourth year being natural. Mostly due to my different curl patterns and textures. Got a professional cut to get rid of the knots, any split ends present and to give my hair shape. I did lose length but the knots needed to go.
Maintenance
I decided against the cling film method and so my hairline did revert much quicker and I did not get a touch up. My hair was easier to comb through because the ends were fresher. Hair fall was also less. I implemented the same satin scarf routine but this time I slept in ponytails and bantu knots and generally had more fun the second time with styling.
I did not care for the bone straight look as much and was enjoying the ease of manipulation and styling that comes with straight hair. I did use a Garnier serum pictured below to lubricate my hair both times to keep the silkiness, shine and manageability. Reversion this time was done with leave in conditioner and water and reverted pretty quickly and I put my hair in twists after a good wash and hair steam.
My Thoughts
They were definitely different experiences so I'm glad I went through both and experimented. I wouldn't say I have a favorite and besides either method may feel different for you but if you want to know my absolute fav, comment below. I miss my waist length hair, presently I'm at a U-shaped slightly below bra strap length which I may just grow out of quickly, let's see! My ends do feels amazing! they are uniform and the hair has great shape to it.
Detangling is so much easier, I love how my ends look after a proper detangling session. My hair has more shine and elasticity to it which is so interesting to see. Holds moisture better in my opinion and doesn't give me as much of a hassle. For the ends specifically, you never know how much your curls camouflage and in my opinion, the best way to assess your ends is when your hair is straight. Is heat the enemy? only if improper methods are implemented. Would I get another silk press this year? Yes I intend to but not so soon.
What you have been waiting for...
Where I got both done
First Silk Press - Sari Signature
Second Silk Press - Candace Beauty Solutions
Both here in Abuja.
Thank you for reading!
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