BEST SILK PRESS REGIMEN ..questions & answers welcomed :)

[sweetsuccess]

hey ladies!

i feel like i use to MASTER the silk press.. but am having some difficulty nowadays. it may be my recent move from atlanta to chicago & the climate change.. who knows. but i neeeed to MASTER it again! ive been wearing it natural.. but im the str8 hair type gal. i love my silky presses.

my old regi-
wash w either keracare hydrating, sunsilk hydra, or joico deep penetrating.. but i currently only have organix keratin conditioning. (next product idea is..the shea moisture line.. what yall think abt that?)

and the matched conditioners for those listed above.

i use to deep condition with pantene conditioning mask (discontinued product that HURTS MY SOUL) and/or ORS's replenish pack.

use my infusium 23 leave-in treatment

blow dry on medium heat

then put some CHI silk infusion.. and press with my lovely ol school pink FHI it use to work! PERFECTLY! EVERYTIME! ....until NOW.

i guess as time passes, my hair has changed.. any recommendations you ladies may have, id highly appreciate it

please share your pressing remedies, pictures are welcomed too

 

[Poohbear]

Here's my straightening routine...

Shampoo hair once a month with Mane N Tail Conditioner

Treat with Aphogee 2 Minute Reconstructor for a few minutes while I shower my body

Rinse out Aphogee, then get out of the shower. Put hair in 4 sections, then apply Aussie Moist Conditioner and a bit of Hot Six Oil to each section. Condition for 1 hour.

Rinse out conditioner, detangle each section of hair with Goody Ouchless brush under water from shower head, put each of the 4 sections into a braid.

Towel dry with turbie twist towel.

Unravel one of the braids and section it into 3. Apply Fantasia ic Straightening Serum and a little bit of Mane N Tail Conditioner to each section of hair before blowdrying with my Andis Ceramic Hair Dryer with comb attachment. Do this to all of my hair. Total of 12 sections blowdried.

Apply Ultra Sheen Satin Creme Pres (grease) to hair and flat iron with Andis 1" flat iron.

Here's a couple of pictures:

Jan 2011

Jun 2011

I've also had success with using diluted Ultra Sheen Setting Lotion only to blowdry, and not using any grease at all for flat ironing. Here's a picture of when I straightened with no grease:

Feb 2010

Few days later...

Using diluted setting lotion looks less greasy and has more thickness than using grease.

 

[rdm]

To the OP. Thanks for starting this thread!!!

 

[keepithealthy]

Poohbear thanks for sharing. I think I need to get back to using a pressing oil because without it my hair will not stay straight it just poofs by the end of the day. I might try diluted setting lotion as well.

 

[outspokenwallflower]

Pressing oil/creme users, do you apply a bit to your whole hair or use the TEENIEST BIT to each section? I want to specifically target my new growth and am wondering if i should just apply the pressing creme to my whole hair or just a smidge (and I really mean, taking a teeny bit, rubbing it between my fingers and spreading a bit onto the new growth). What's an effective method for you?

 

[Poohbear]

Pressing oil/creme users, do you apply a bit to your whole hair or use the TEENIEST BIT to each section? I want to specifically target my new growth and am wondering if i should just apply the pressing creme to my whole hair or just a smidge (and I really mean, taking a teeny bit, rubbing it between my fingers and spreading a bit onto the new growth). What's an effective method for you?

If I'm in a rush, I apply it to a big section of hair before separating it out into smaller ones to flat iron.

If I'm taking my time, I'll use a tiny bit on each small section of hair before flat ironing.

So it just depends on how I feel. Just don't use too much or your hair will turn out really greasy and thin looking. But at the same time, use enough on your hair where it's evenly distributed so your hair won't revert or poof out after flat ironing.

 

[sugarwater]

moptop maven wrote an article about it. I haven't tried it out yet but her results are legit!
http://moptopmaven.blogspot.com/2010/05/secrets-to-bouncy-swingin-pressed-hair.html
http://moptopmaven.blogspot.com/2010/10/reader-question-help-my-pressed-hair.html

Get the hair clean. I recommend clarifying [then following up with a moisturizing poo of course]: You want the hair to be as clean as possible, as any dirt, film, or residue left on the hair will cause your strands to lack body and shine. Buildup is also the culprit behind stiff, dry hair.

Rinse out the conditioner WELL. You spent all that time making sure your hair was clean, pay equal attention to ensuring you have rinsed your conditioner out thoroughly. Any conditioner left on your hair will coat the strands with a waxy film and shorten the "life-span" of your freshly pressed tresses.
Places to pay close attention to: The nape area, the crown, and the area slightly behind your temple.

Detangle thoroughly: Pressing hair that is matted/knotted and/or tangled not only causes unnecessary hair loss, but it also takes away from your desired results. Hair that is detangled well before pressing is sleeker and shiner because you didn't subject your strands to excess mechanical manipulation by continuously raking a pressing comb through your hair.

Cool shot after blow-drying: Utilizing the blue or cool button after blow-drying will seal the cuticles making your hair shiny and easier to manage.

Use the right pressing comb for your hair type: This is important to ensure you get an even press without having to pass the pressing comb through your hair more than necessary [I usually do two passes]. Finer hair requires a pressing comb with teeth that are closer together, and thicker hair requires a comb with teeth that are spaced further apart.
Coarse thick hair with regular density? Try this comb
Coarse thin hair with regular density? Try this comb
Coarse thin hair with a heavier density? Try this comb
Coarse thick hair with heavier density? Try this comb
When pressing the hairline and nape area; use a pressing comb suitable for the texture/density of the hair. Kizure also makes a temple pressing comb specifically for those areas. The teeth are very close together ensuring you get an even press.

Temper the comb well: Probably one of the single most important pieces of information to remember. Tempering the comb ensures that your comb will hold the required amount of heat and will hold it evenly. This is important as combs that are unable to hold heat will have a hard time getting your hair straight. This usually results to you placing your comb back on the heat source for more heat. - It isn't that you need more heat, you need your comb to retain the heat and it needs to be distributed evenly along the comb so that your roots are just as straight as your ends.

You only need to temper a comb once. To do so, place the comb on a heat source [either the stove or the hair oven] for about 6-8 hours. If you use Kizure irons/combs they are pre-tempered so it saves you the hassle.


If the comb is smoking, there is an issue: Steam is ok, smoke isn't. Smoke usually signifies a pressing comb that hasn't been cleaned thoroughly or hair that has excess product residue. Pressing your hair with a dirty pressing comb or hair that is filled with product residue will not only cause your hair to have that "pressing comb odor" but will also take away from the finished look. Your hair may appear dull, stiff or lack body.

Do not add oil: Oil can really be your arch nemesis to free flowing hair filled with body and shine. If you are looking for moisture, you can opt for using a leave-in conditioner. If you are looking for shine; making sure your hair is completely clean, rinsing out conditioner with cold water and using a cool shot after blow-drying helps out immensely for increasing that shine factor. Tried all of the above but you still lack shine? Try a clear cellophane treatment or even a shine serum for instant gratification.

One inch sections: Ensuring that you get a nice even press means starting off with workable sections. I press sections of hair no bigger than one inch. While it may take longer using smaller sections, it extends the life of your press by lowering the chance of reversion.

Clean combs after each use: Pressing clean hair with dirty combs not only transfers residue to your strands, but it can also leave a very distinct smell behind that is hard to remove without shampooing. If you have shampooed your hair thoroughly and properly cleansed your combs, there should be no smell left behind on your tresses after pressing.

 

[sweetsuccess]

thanks for the reply ladies! im going to try out a press this weekend and post some pix.. i use to be pretty damn good at it.. but we'll see! havent had exceptional results in a long while! keep the replies comin

 

[ms.blue]

I just had the best press in my life (well so far).

My straightening reggie is kinda long.
-clarify my hair with ors creamy aloe shampoo
-dc using megatek (protein) for 10-15 mins
-dc using one n only argan hydrating mask (moisture) mixed w/ honeyquat and amino acids for 1-2 hours
-rinse well
-separate hair in 12 or 15 sections and apply morrocanoil in each section two strand twist and bantu knot to get the roots straight as possible. Airdry
-when hair is completely dry, apply keracare satin creme press and a little morrocanoil in each section.
-separate each section to subsections and take a fine tooth comb and go over once straight down and the second pass take the flatiron as if you were going to curl the hair from the root. The flatiron temp 360.
-wrap and style.

 

[BeautyGoesDutch]

I think I'm going to love this thread

 

[winona]

This weekend I flat ironed for a change
I used Argan Oil Blend to finger detangle hair and sat under Mastex heat cap under medium for 1hr.
Wash hair with Aussie Moist Poo
Airdry apply Silicon mix and Aussie 3 min moist and sit under Mastex for 1hr on med.
Let hair cool and rinse with cool.
Blow dry on cool with Nioxin thermal bliss(no tangles )
Use sabino moisture block and to flat with hana elite on 375 (5 passes on root; 2 passes on length)

SILKY SMOOTH

 

[Distorted Barbie]

#subbing

 

[g.lo]

 

[sugarwater]

Avoid using a STOVE TOP for pressing. Invest in an oven, pressing your hair on the stove top can cause serious dryness as that is a completely different source of heat. All heat sources are not created equal.

When pulling the comb through your hair; flip your wrist so that the hair somewhat wraps itself around the comb; it is the BACK of the pressing comb that does the pressing, not the teeth.

http://moptopmaven.blogspot.com/2010/01/must-have-heat-tester.html

One of the must have items that should be on every natural girl's list (if she presses her hair of course) is the Heat Tester by Golden Supreme. This can literally save you from irreversible heat damage due to using temperatures too high for your hair's texture. All you do, is hold your pressing comb over the heat tester's sensor, and it gives you a temperature reading (the lights indicate the temp of the comb). Boy how I wish I would have had this puppy about a year ago. Here's the claim from the manufacturer's website:

Gives reliable temperature range whether working on fine hair, processed hair or coarse hair.
10 lights to indicate heat range, low, med. high.
Permits the stylist to determine the exact temperature needed in styling any type of hair from fine hair to hair that's been damaged from over treatment by chemicals to long and heavy coarse hair.


This is one of my tools that I use EVERY TIME I press. Some chica's use the "paper towel method" of testing their pressing comb on a paper towel prior to using it, if the paper towel turns brown/tan, then the comb is too hot. Now this method may not always be reliable because the comb may still be too hot for your hair type, even though it did not turn the paper towel tan/brown.

I have very coarse hair, and I use the medium - low indicator, this ensures that every single time the pressing comb touches my hair, it will be at the proper temperature. I think this is an indispensable tool, when you consider the benefits. This may also help a lot of you out there that want to press your hair, but are afraid of using heat improperly.

Golden Supreme's Heat Testers are available "on ground" in professional beauty supply stores. However, if you don't find one in your area, you can always order them online via Golden Supreme's website (retails @ $80.00).

 

[sugarwater]

http://moptopmaven.blogspot.com/2010/05/6-techniques-for-easy-breezy-blowdrying.html

6 Techniques For Easy Breezy Blowdrying

If blow drying your tresses is giving you the blues, try employing one [or hopefully all] of these methods for a hassle free styling experience. Improper blow drying techniques can lead to brittle, dry, and lifeless hair! The key to using heat without "heat damage" is using it in moderation, as utilizing proper techniques.

+ Do not blow dry sopping wet hair! Blow drying hair that is dripping wet will lead to dry, damaged hair. Carefully towel dry hair in sections using a microfiber towel prior to blow drying. When towel drying, be sure to "squeeze" not rub to avoid breakage and unnecessary tangles.

+ Use a heat protectant! I always use a heat protectant when thermal styling, and I swear by Aveda Brilliant Damage Control. Good heat protectants have proteins that bind to your hair shaft that acts as a barrier to prevent heat damage.

+ Watch your heat setting! I normally blow dry on low heat with a high power setting. Kinky hair has a tendency to be a little on the drier side, so blow drying on high heat should really be a no-no.

+ Blow dry hair until 75% dry, then sit under a dryer to dry the remainder of your hair. I prefer this method versus blow drying my hair until it's 100% dry because it makes for much softer hair. Another plus is that you cut down on the amount of direct heat that is applied to your hair. This technique is also beneficial to those have been less than successful at air drying. Blow drying first gives your hair that "smooth" appearance, and drying under a hooded dryer the remainder of the way gives your hair the soft "air dryed" feeling [minus the crunch or kink factors]

+ Hold the blow dryer 5-6 inches away from your hair when blow drying. Again, the key here is to avoid heat damage. Holding the dryer too close to your hair can also lead to issues with your scalp as well [dry, flaking].

+ Detangle thoroughly before attempting to blow dry! Hair should be soft, smooth, and free of tangles prior to blow drying. This is the time to break out that heavy duty seamless comb [I recommend Mason Pearson], and Fermodyl 619 if your hair is prone to tangles.

 

[Renewed1]

Wash my hair with shampoo

Deep condition with a protein and a moisturizer

Sit under the steamer for an hour

Do an ACV rinse under cold water

Use a small amount of Giovanni SAS as a leave in and Sabino

Either air dry or blow dry hair under hooded dryer in twists

Use a little Apex (love this stuff) and use my flat iron with the comb chase method

Silky straight hair.

 

[gennatay]

Bumping for more straightening tips....

 

[AtlantaJJ]

...

 

[AtlantaJJ]

http://moptopmaven.blogspot.com/2010/05/6-techniques-for-easy-breezy-blowdrying.html

25 years ago when I used to get the "silk presses", they called it dry presses back then. My stylist used the Fermodyl 619 on my hair among other products. She would braid my hair and dry to about 75% to stretch it and then she would finish with the blow dryer, then she would press & curl. My hair would be swanging. It never smelled like burned hair. I'm not sure if I had heat damage because I wore my hair straight all the time back then. It appeared to be very healthy and pretty. I was living in Southern California where there is very low humidity. I don't think it would last long here in Atlanta, especially in the summer.

I also used to get burgundy cellophanes all the time, my friend used to call me Welches! That would help with the shine for certain.

Marsha still does hair in Long Beach California!

 

[outspokenwallflower]

One tip I read and successfully used from another LHCF'er is to use a straightening brush (basically a tong shaped brush) and when flat ironing, gently use it to straighten out the section/apply tension and chase it with the flat iron. Before I started doing that, I cherished the swang my salon would give me. Now my swang is so much better, but not lacking the body I would sometimes get from the salon. Love that tip!

 

[Barbara]

I always wondered how to get a silk press. Thanks ladies.

 

[MyAngelEyez~C~U]

Great info!

 

[mzhotniz86]

BUMPING because i want to know what updated products are being used to get that swinging shiny silk press. I know the process is to clarify >moisturizing shampoo> deep condition > light leave in?> blowdry (this is where i would like to know what product to use, what kind of heat protectant?) >flat iron (do i use more heat protectant? What kind to make it shiny?). I dont want to weigh the hair down with oil & product but i also dont want dry dull hair. Hmmm

If there is an updated thread on this already please let me know. Thanks yall!

 

[Evolving78]

BUMPING because i want to know what updated products are being used to get that swinging shiny silk press. I know the process is to clarify >moisturizing shampoo> deep condition > light leave in?> blowdry (this is where i would like to know what product to use, what kind of heat protectant?) >flat iron (do i use more heat protectant? What kind to make it shiny?). I dont want to weigh the hair down with oil & product but i also dont want dry dull hair. Hmmm

If there is an updated thread on this already please let me know. Thanks yall!

Design Essentials silk essentials! They have a nice leave-in/blow dry lotion as well. Use lightly, then apply the silk! And you have to use high heat. On my hair, I use 415 degrees with one pass. Using the comb chase method, is just like using the pressing comb. Oh and you need to do the most straightening with the blow dryer. The flat iron shouldn't do most of the work.
Do you plan on being heat trained? I use heat often as a relaxed head, and heat styled monthly as a natural.

 

[Chicoro]

BUMPING because i want to know what updated products are being used to get that swinging shiny silk press. I know the process is to clarify >moisturizing shampoo> deep condition > light leave in?> blowdry (this is where i would like to know what product to use, what kind of heat protectant?) >flat iron (do i use more heat protectant? What kind to make it shiny?). I dont want to weigh the hair down with oil & product but i also dont want dry dull hair. Hmmm

If there is an updated thread on this already please let me know. Thanks yall!

@mzhotniz86,
Here are a few things I have found helpful and interesting.

https://longhaircareforum.com/threa...est-straightening-method.353011/#post-7505695
(post #24 by zzirvingj) Naturals: What is your best straightening method is title of thread

https://longhaircareforum.com/threa...ing-thing-updates-w-pics.354535/#post-7506863
(pics and process explanation again of zzirvingj results)


https://longhaircareforum.com/threa...et-for-perm-straight-hair-in-one-pass.431336/


(Great video with silky, swinging hair!!!)


(Video by Patchouli people reference for Deep Moisture before straightening)

(Video by Patchouli showing other people's results)


(Silky press video)

https://longhaircareforum.com/threa...r-with-my-sedu-flatiron.155775/#post-12672291

https://longhaircareforum.com/threads/cannot-get-hair-straight-flat-ironing.375807/#post-8084549
(post #9)

 

[mzhotniz86]

Design Essentials silk essentials! They have a nice leave-in/blow dry lotion as well. Use lightly, then apply the silk! And you have to use high heat. On my hair, I use 415 degrees with one pass. Using the comb chase method, is just like using the pressing comb. Oh and you need to do the most straightening with the blow dryer. The flat iron shouldn't do most of the work.
Do you plan on being heat trained? I use heat often as a relaxed head, and heat styled monthly as a natural.

Thanks love! Yes im going to start heat training when that new growth bush kicks in lol. Im gonna check these products out bc i love design essentials thanks!

 

[mzhotniz86]

@mzhotniz86,
Here are a few things I have found helpful and interesting.

https://longhaircareforum.com/threa...est-straightening-method.353011/#post-7505695
(post #24 by zzirvingj) Naturals: What is your best straightening method is title of thread

https://longhaircareforum.com/threa...ing-thing-updates-w-pics.354535/#post-7506863
(pics and process explanation again of zzirvingj results)


https://longhaircareforum.com/threa...et-for-perm-straight-hair-in-one-pass.431336/


(Great video with silky, swinging hair!!!)


(Video by Patchouli people reference for Deep Moisture before straightening)

(Video by Patchouli showing other people's results)


(Silky press video)

https://longhaircareforum.com/threa...r-with-my-sedu-flatiron.155775/#post-12672291

https://longhaircareforum.com/threads/cannot-get-hair-straight-flat-ironing.375807/#post-8084549
(post #9)

Omg awesome thanks so much for this! Gonna check these out right now

 

[Evolving78]

Thanks love! Yes im going to start heat training when that new growth bush kicks in lol. Im gonna check these products out bc i love design essentials thanks!

I have the HCO leave-in. It's really good! Helps with detangling, Moisture, an a good heat protectant. Once you start to blow dry, you can feel that your hair has something on it, but it's light.

 

[Evolving78]

This was really good explaining thermal straightening!

 

[Prettymetty]

I lather 2 or 3 times to get my hair really clean.
Then I apply my DC from ends to the roots and cover with 2 plastic caps and a turban towel.
Once I rinse my conditioner out I let my hair air dry for about 30 minutes.
Then I detangle and add Suave Keratin infusions to each section and tension blow-dry.
When all sections are dry I take small sections and flatiron with one or two passes.