Want to press my hair but I'm not sure how

[snoop]

I’d like to press my hair later this year and am looking for some help on how to do it properly. I haven’t used heat on my hair in over two years and heat has never been a huge part of my routine when I’ve previously been natural. I’m planning on buying a wide-tooth pressing comb, but after that I’m at a loss at what I should be doing. Here is what I remember the routine was before:


Prep
1. Wash hair the night before with shampoo (sometimes conditioner)
2. Big braids and air dry no product. (Because it would damage my hair during the press…?)

Day of – For each section
1. Comb out section with a regular comb
2. Add Vasiline to hair
3. Heat comb and test heat level using a newspaper (not paper towel)
4. Press (multiple passes)

I don’t feel like this was the best way to do it because as I mentioned I remember multiple passes, or even sometimes detangling WITH the pressing comb because my hair wasn’t fully stretched first. As a kid my hair was neck length at the longest and now I’m between SL and BSL.

Also, someone recently told me that they thought that the burnt hair smell that I had in high school was actually how my hair naturally smelled. THAT’S pretty embarrassing. Even though I didn’t press ALL of the time, there were stretches where I’d press on wash day – every other week. I feel embarrassed that people could have thought this, especially if it could have been avoided.

Can someone please help me fix my previous mistake so that I don’t ruin my hair when I press this time? Also, if I can do this without blowing out my hair first it would be even better. I wouldn’t know how to do that. erplexed



Also, if I got a traditional comb, would it be bad to use a gas or electric/flat top stove to heat the comb?

 

[DarkJoy]

I would like to try pressing again sometime too.
Here's kinda how I've flat ironed in the past.

1. HEAT PROTECTANT! Most important.
2. Try protein or reconstructor plus a moisturizing DC after washing just before a press
3. After hair is DC'd detangle then band in sections overnight to fully stretch.
4. Add heat protectant to each section and comb through just before heat.

I do not add oils, butters or leave-ins or anything that will interefere with the effectiveness of the heat protectant. If your hair is moisturized enough from the DC's and good hair practices plus not using too much protectant it should not be dry. I add oil after it's straightened for shine.

 

[keranikki]

It's depends on the thickness of hair and how heavy of a press you want. When I press my hair, I follow DarkJoy's advice, except I do not use a heat protectant per se. I use olive oil due to it's ability to protect my hair when using med-high heat. My press would last me two weeks and that's with physical training 3x/wk. I would only use one pass. The method is for a heavy press though. If you want your hair to blow in the wind (silk press), I would: invest in a heat protectant cream, use less heat, pause 30-45 seconds between passes to allow hair to cool, and do no more then two passes. When you are done pressing your hair, wrap it up under a shower cap and go under the drier set at med-high heat for 10-15 minutes. Finally comb out and enjoy your hair.

HHJ

 

[Lylddlebit]

If you aren't confident with pressing I would recommend flat ironing instead. It is extremely easy to damage your hair with a pressing comb even when you know what you’re doing and have been doing it for years. It only take an instant of carelessness to singe your hair clean off.

I will give my step-by-step routine.
1) Wash my hair thoroughly with my shampoo of choice and rinse.
2) Deep condition my hair thoroughly with deep conditioner of choice (steam conditioner in with steamer) and rinse.
3) Since my hair is washed and deep conditioned in plaits take each plait down put in my heat protectant and either twist up or clip up as I detangle and apply my protectant to each section. You mentioned Vaseline and I remember those blue magic days but there are better alternatives now like cream press products and heat protectants.
4) Blow dry
5) Heat up my gold a hot stove and let heat up.
6) Place the pressing comb inside stove rotating the side that the comb sits on each minute until it begins to smoke. (I use at least 2 hot combs at a time because when one is heating I'm pressing with the other.
7) Test heat of the comb on old shedded hair, a white paper towel or a white face towel to make sure the hair doesn't singe, the white paper towel or face towel does not brown.
8)Part my hair in half inch or smaller section by length not exceeding the length of whatever hot comb I’m using.
9) Press my the back of my hair in these small sections
10) Press each side of my hair using these small sections
11) Press my edges last around the full perimeter of my head.

*As I press my hair I can press the back without looking. I can feel the heat close to my scalp before I burn myself due to years of practice
**I place the comb in the hair with the teeth but its the tension of twisting my wrist as I allow the back of the comb to smooth the hair straight that straightens the hair not just combing through with a hot comb.
***Comb each piece of hair with a fine tooth before pressing. If it catches your regular comb it can catch your pressing comb and if it catches the pressing comb well enough you can either burn your hair while getting the hot comb out or break the hair bulling the hot comb through. The pressing comb isn't to detangle; it to press out already detangled hair.
****Practice makes perfect. I burned myself and my hair more times than I remember but when you do stuff like that it doesn't become a habit you get better at it over time and if it does happen once you have mastered the skill it's more of a result of being careless than not knowing what you are doing.
*****Your hair should not smell like burnt hair while you are pressing it. It if does you are burning it. Now Sometimes A strand of hair with get caught in my pressing come and then burn when I place that pressing comb back in the stove. However you should be able to grab your pressed hair and smell your heat protectant not burnt hair while you are pressing it.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

 

[snoop]

Thanks so much for all of the advice!

DarkJoy I definitely have to look into heat protectants. Burnt hair isn't the scent I want to leave behind.

When you are done pressing your hair, wrap it up under a shower cap and go under the drier set at med-high heat for 10-15 minutes.

Wouldn't this sweat out the hair?

keranikki Thanks so much for the detailed steps. I think that my next press will be much better with all of this information combined!

 

[faithVA]

Thanks so much for all of the advice!

DarkJoy I definitely have to look into heat protectants. Burnt hair isn't the scent I want to leave behind.




Wouldn't this sweat out the hair?

keranikki Thanks so much for the detailed steps. I think that my next press will be much better with all of this information combined!

If you don't want to flat iron but still want to get a pressing comb, then you may want to get an electric pressing comb or at least get a temperature gauge for one that goes on the eye of the stove.

I had my hair pressed 2 years ago and all of the protein in my hair was burned beyond repair. You couldn't physically notice the difference but it reached a point where I could not retain my length.

Had to cut my hair to 2". So you still have to monitor the temperature of the comb. And the old school ways of doing it aren't sufficient.

 

[keranikki]

Thanks so much for all of the advice!

DarkJoy I definitely have to look into heat protectants. Burnt hair isn't the scent I want to leave behind.

Wouldn't this sweat out the hair?

keranikki Thanks so much for the detailed steps. I think that my next press will be much better with all of this information combined!

No, you won't sweat out your hair being under the drier for that short period of time.

 

[snoop]

If you don't want to flat iron but still want to get a pressing comb, then you may want to get an electric pressing comb or at least get a temperature gauge for one that goes on the eye of the stove.

I had my hair pressed 2 years ago and all of the protein in my hair was burned beyond repair. You couldn't physically notice the difference but it reached a point where I could not retain my length.

Had to cut my hair to 2". So you still have to monitor the temperature of the comb. And the old school ways of doing it aren't sufficient.

Now that you've got me scared! That could have been the main reason why my hair never grew past a certain length. I didn't look damaged, but it most likely was being pressed on too high heat.

I'm looking into finding a portable stove with temperature control or a separate gague.

 

[faithVA]

snoop[/USER];19002945]Now that you've got me scared! That could have been the main reason why my hair never grew past a certain length. I didn't look damaged, but it most likely was being pressed on too high heat.

I'm looking into finding a portable stove with temperature control or a separate gague.

I wouldn't want you to go through what I went through. The unregulated heat can definitely cause retention problems. The same rules that apply to flat ironing, applying to pressing combs.

 

[MyAngelEyez~C~U]

pinkskates' method of pressing hair:

http://youtu.be/jkHTJj0UPKw

http://youtu.be/G4an8cgxMMY