What Is a Silk Press for Hair?

There are countless changes clients can make to their hair at the salon. A haircut and the application of professional hair color are two of the most popular services, but the list of salon offerings also includes an array of treatments that alter the appearance or texture of your hair and not the color or length. In addition to techniques and procedures like perms and luxurious Brazilian Blowouts, a silk press stands out as a popular way to give hair a temporary new look. 

Explaining the Silk Press

With so many techniques, treatments and services available today, it’s easy to get some things confused. A silk press specifically refers to a technique that straightens and softens even the most textured hair. Unlike a keratin treatment or Brazilian Blowout, a silk press utilizes a flat iron and blow dryer to achieve silky, smooth and straight results. The intention behind this technique is to use only heat styling tools and professional hair styling products to take any type of natural or textured hair and transform it, resulting in sleek, straight locks. 

The best candidates for a silk press are those who love their natural hair but are ready for a new look. A silk press is a fantastic option for a wedding or special event. The results are temporary and lasting power varies based on how long the client waits in between washing. Once the hair gets wet, it will go back to its natural form. 

How to Do a Silk Press

The process of achieving the perfect silk press hairstyle is all about the technique. Stylists can give clients a silk press using a few quality hair care products, a flat iron and a blow dryer. The look is typically finished off with a coat of hairspray, though it’s best not to over-style or use too many products on silk pressed hair in order to maintain optimum silkiness. 

To start off the silk press process, stylists should make sure their client’s hair is super clean. The first step is to wash the hair with a nourishing professional shampoo to create a clean canvas for the silk press. Once the hair has been shampooed and conditioned, the stylist should apply a leave-in treatment that will add even more moisture, heat protection and helpful ingredients to the hair. 

Once the hair is clean and prepped, it’s time to dry and style it. This is the time when the hair begins to straighten out and appear more smooth. The blowout is arguably the most important step in a silk press because it helps build the foundation for later flat iron use. It’s important for the stylist to be very thorough when blow drying and to work in small sections, taking special care to dry and shape each section in a similar way.

Next comes the final step in turning natural or textured hair into a soft and straightened silk press, also known as the straightening step. During this step, the stylist takes freshly blow-dried hair and, working in very small sections for thoroughness, passes a hair straightener slowly down each section, taking special care to get close to the roots and straighten all the way down to the ends. When each section of hair has been straightened, the client is ready to rock their new silk press hair look! To keep a silk press looking healthy and smooth, clients should minimize hair product application (save for a little professional hairspray here and there) and avoid wetting the hair.