#SilkySeries: What is a Silk Press?

Is your Instagram Explore page full of silk presses? Join the club. The natural girls have convinced us to steer clear of relaxers, but not straight hair. And this is where Silk Press enters the group chat. As the pinnacle of sleek, smooth hair, silk presses have become thee styling option, especially for type 4 gang who don’t want to part with their curls and coils. And to be clear, transforming kinks and coils into a silky cascade is an art that must be given the reverence it deserves.

In the #SilkySeries, we dive into the world of silk presses. In this article, we will be sharing how a silk press is performed. In the next article, we will share pros and cons and, lastly, essential tips to ensure the safety of your precious curls.

So to kick things off, what is a silk press?

Source: Pinterest

A silk press is essentially a modern take on the traditional press and curl, with the aim of achieving a straight, sleek look without the use of chemical relaxers.

Okay, so how is it done? Let’s take a look at the process. There are typically four steps to achieving a silky, satisfying Silk-Press:

1. Deep cleanse: You must remove any and all product buildup in your hair to achieve the sleek finish you want. The best shampoo to use here is a clarifying shampoo. We recommend MPL Clarifying Shampoo.

1. Deep condition: To prepare your hair for a glossy finish and to protect it, putting back moisture is vital. After deep conditioning, rinse off with cold water to lock in the moisture.

1. Blow Dry: Now the heat tools come in. First, you should start with a deep and hydrated blow-dry, which means applying hydrating mists and heat protectants to your hair as you blow dry it from roots to tips, making sure you are thorough. The hair must be bone dry to ensure no moisture residue.

1. Flat-Iron: The final step is to flat iron. A titanium plate flat iron is recommended for its even distribution of heat over ceramic irons. The step must only follow the previous 3 steps to ensure that you are working with clean, protected, and prepared hair. You cannot skimp on heat protectant or hydration measures because properly hydrated and moisturised hair will flow like water after a good press. But if your hair isn’t properly prepared, your silk press will be woefully underwhelming.

A good silk press boils down to two key factors, body and motion. If your hair stylist follows the above steps correctly, along with the correct hair treatments, you should enjoy a jaw-dropping silk pressing without experiencing any heat or hair damage. It’s important to mention that the above steps are educational, not directional - please don’t try them on your own at home.

To silky, cascading locs. Love MPL.