Isn’t A Silk Press The Same As Flat Ironing Your Hair?
As you may already know, a silk press is just a non-chemical straightening method. It’s typically achieved with a basic shampoo, deep condition, blow out, and then pressed with a flat iron—and sometimes, a nice trim and roller set. While the process sounds simple and easy to do, each step must be done with extra care to ensure that your hair actually turns out super straight, bouncy, and shiny in the end.
You might be thinking, “Straight and shiny? Can’t I get that with a few passes of a flat iron?” Well, yes. Any time you properly use heat tools on a healthy, well-prepped head of hair, you should be able to—at the very least—straighten out your kinks and curls.
However, you must remember that the magic in a silk press lies within the fact that multiple products and multiple heating tools are being used. Flat ironing your hair is just, well, flat ironing. You’re only pressing your hair between too hot plates, and that’s definitely not the same as a full-blown press!
Often times, straightening your hair with just a flat iron and not deep conditioning, doing a blow out beforehand, or even properly heat protecting your hair will leave your hair stiff, shineless, and ready to revert back to its natural state much sooner than you’d like.
So to answer your question: No, a silk press is not the same as simply flat ironing your hair. Flat ironing is really just one of the many elements of the process. While the energy and effort put into pressing your hair out may be a bit time-consuming, it’s certainly worth the results.
How Long Does A Silk Press Last?
Pressing your hair is not the same as keratin treatments or relaxers, so how long a silk press lasts depends on how long you can keep your hair free from excessive moisture at the roots of your hair. Washing your hair, going to the gym and sweating your hair out, swimming, and even getting caught in the rain will cause your hair to revert back to its natural state.
Overall, a good silk press should last up to 2 full weeks. Even then, your hair shouldn’t be fully reverted back to your kinks and curls unless you washed it or used a water-based product. This means that, if your hair is still mostly straight, you may be able to go to the salon and get a touch up that’ll extend your silk press for another week or two, or maybe even three if you’re really careful.
And one rule that matters over all others? Don’t let just anybody put their hands in your head! Make sure you properly vet your hairstylists before you commit to a silk press appointment. Make sure that both you and your stylists know how to avoid damage before you move forward.
