Any naturals who press have trouble keeping one?

[Choclatcotton]

I decided to press my hair after wearing it in braid outs and my hair responds by reverting back so fast. I use wax, Dax, Pressing oil, hard press nothing seems to work. Maybe I will try shampooing and no conditioner. Its limp and lifeless. Its SL though.

 

[SEMO]

Please don't forgo the conditioner. Your hair needs moisture. Also, maybe your hair is limp because the products you use are too heavy. I wouldn't recommend stuff like wax.

When I straighten my hair (with a flat iron) I usually wash, condition (maybe even adding in a deep conditioning treatment), then put no other products on my hair but my heat protectant. I use Beyond the Zone Turn Up the Heat.

Not using too many products after I wash all the conditioner out allows my hair to straighten yet have movement, body and shine still. I wear it straight about a week. I could probably go longer but by then I desperately miss my natural hair.

 

[Choclatcotton]

Thanks, Bumping for more responses

 

[Tybi]

Not since I started using henna, and I live in florida where the humidity is high year round. Before that my presses lasted a few days, now they will last until I wash. The only thing that reverts is my roots if I go to the gym.

But like SEMO, I usually wash after 3 days because I miss my natural hair too much

 

[BostonMaria]

Please don't forgo the conditioner. Your hair needs moisture. Also, maybe your hair is limp because the products you use are too heavy. I wouldn't recommend stuff like wax.

When I straighten my hair (with a flat iron) I usually wash, condition (maybe even adding in a deep conditioning treatment), then put no other products on my hair but my heat protectant. I use Beyond the Zone Turn Up the Heat.

Not using too many products after I wash all the conditioner out allows my hair to straighten yet have movement, body and shine still. I wear it straight about a week. I could probably go longer but by then I desperately miss my natural hair.

I agree with the bolded
You shouldn't put wax in your hair because you're just going to get stiff hair. Don't forgo the conditioner because your hair will otherwise revert. Or worse, can cause heat damage because of lack of moisture.

Last year I had a problem with my hair reverting. It was a combination of the heat in Boston and me using the wrong flat iron. I bought a Chi at Ulta and haven't had a problem with reverting since.

Oh and I rollerset first. You didn't mention if you did or not, but how are you drying your hair prior to flatironing?

 

[PinkSkates]

Have you clarified your hair lately, to remove stubborn residue?
And its not a wise idea to skip conditioner. You can get by with skipping the regular wash out conditioner, but you should not skip out on using a good quality leave-in conditioner, just a light coating is all you need.

Our hair is naturally dry and needs some type of conditioner applied to it, especially if you are going to be applying direct heat.

As far as getting your pressed hair to last that depends on your hair habits, your workout habits, the weather, and your hair regimen in between you getting your hair pressed.

 

[DDTexlaxed]

Be careful with pressing your hair too often. You can end up with heat damage. Do you use a product to help with holding styles with heat like Chi silk infusion?

 

[Southernbella.]

I flat ironed my hair last week and it's still fairly straight. It's not bone straight, but I don't expect it to be in the summer.

To get it straight, I wash, condition, then rinse. Then, I section it off, out a quarter size amount of conditioner on each section, then heat protectant, then blow dry each section. After that, I flat iron using the chase the comb method. It's usually close to bone-straight when I'm done.

That lasts for a couple of days, then it starts to look bulky. That's when I roll it up at night. I make sure I roll each section so that it's very taut. This seems to keep the reversion at bay.

Once it starts to look frizzy, I do bun styles.

After that, I do a braidout or twistout.

Then I wash it.

I can get a good two weeks out of a flat iron session using this method.

I think you have to be realistic about what your hair can do. I know that I'm not going to get a salon press at home in the summertime, but I can get my hair straight enough to wear straight styles, if that makes sense.

 

[glamazon386]

You just need some type of leave in condition in there. If you hair is already moisturized it won't suck up moisture from the air which causes it to swell/revert.

 

[sunshinelady]

I can only keep a press for 4 hours. I just gave up doing it because nothing works. I have wiry hair that curls on itself.

 

[Nonie]

Have you used a serum before? Serums seal the hair and prevent moisture from getting to the hair.

When I pressed my hair, I deep conditioned before pressing and got most of my moisture there. I also did a wet-to-dry press, which some say helps with moisture, only I used a heat protectant instead of water as I used to do in the past. I then went over with the flat iron one more time after applying a serum to seal. My hair didn't revert until I washed it. I only wore the press for 3 days coz I needed to braid it while I had a long weekend off, and I like to braid shrunken hair, but it wasn't looking like it had plans to revert any time soon.

My hair in braids ready for washing, 3 days after the press:

 

[Makenzie]

Have you used a serum before? Serums seal the hair and prevent moisture from getting to the hair.

When I pressed my hair, I deep conditioned before pressing and got most of my moisture there. I also did a wet-to-dry press, which some say helps with moisture, only I used a heat protectant instead of water as I used to do in the past. I then went over with the flat iron one more time after applying a serum to seal. My hair didn't revert until I washed it. I only wore the press for 3 days coz I needed to braid it while I had a long weekend off, and I like to braid shrunken hair, but it wasn't looking like it had plans to revert any time soon.

My hair in braids ready for washing, 3 days after the press:

Nonie, I love how you document everything with pics.

 

[Choclatcotton]

I agree with the bolded
You shouldn't put wax in your hair because you're just going to get stiff hair. Don't forgo the conditioner because your hair will otherwise revert. Or worse, can cause heat damage because of lack of moisture.

Last year I had a problem with my hair reverting. It was a combination of the heat in Boston and me using the wrong flat iron. I bought a Chi at Ulta and haven't had a problem with reverting since.

Oh and I rollerset first. You didn't mention if you did or not, but how are you drying your hair prior to flatironing?

I am still in the dark ages and use a pressing comb. Lol, I need to find a good flat iron. I tried the Maxi glide but my hair laughed at that. As far as drying, I do the Pinkskates method of Stretch and dry with Ionic heat. I bought a lot of hard rollers to rolllerset my 4A hair and my black cotton hair reniged. So I do the stretch method and comb out with a wide toot comb and then press. I welcome any good suggestions though.