Straight naturals are on the rise and if you know anyone who wears their natural hair straightened utilizing heat, they will tell you it’s a game changer. Some say it has aided in their length retention, reduced single stand knots therefore reducing breakage, kept their hands out of their hair making it low manipulation, and has helped them showcase their length since the hair is in a stretched state. And with growing popularity, one may ask how do you keep your natural hair straightened as someone who is natural. I mean after all, natural hair is kinky and/or curly and nature always has a way of revealing that! Whether its through being in high humid areas, rain, working out, or your hair getting dirty, it’s so easy for our hair to revert back. So then how do you get a silk press to last?

Backstory

When I decided to give up hair extensions a few years ago, I did not know anything at all about my natural hair. I was in unknown territory. Looking back this sounds so silly as a girl who was known to be the hair extensions go-to-girl! I knew how to make any kind of extensions look like your own, how to blend hair seamlessly, which hair texture to buy and what to avoid, the perfect braid down pattern for maximum versatility, I would even braid my hair down for my sew in appointments until I started doing my own sewins, etc., but I did not know how to tend to my own hair. And I knew that needed to change. So when I finally threw in the towel, because of a conviction I had for wearing extensions, I was honestly both nervous and excited.

I did what any girl would do and I went to youtube! I searched so many videos and ended up coming up with a hair growth plan of my own. My original plan did not involve me straightening my hair more than once a month but because of my dislike for my length at the time that is what ended up happening. I found myself straightening my hair a ton and I learned how to make a silk press last through the process! These are my tips I’ve learned after much trial and error!

How to Make A Silk Press Last

1. It all starts on wash day. Because you’re wearing a silk press, majority of the moisturizing needs to be done during the shampoo and conditioning process. So you have to use moisturizing products. I would typically do a clarifying shampoo, followed by a moisturizing shampoo, followed by a moisturizing conditioner or deep conditioner. If you do not use moisturizing conditioners and/or shampoos, you run the risk of your hair drying out way before it’s time, forcing you to wash it a lot earlier.
2. Use an anti-humidity spray. Many women really recommend using either the Kenra anti-humidity spray or the Amika humidity spray.  I have tried the Kenra humidity spray and I like it, but I also live in a very dry climate so I have not personally tested it out in high humid areas. However, all of the videos I’ve seen (girls who live in Florida or live close to beach town) say they cannot make a silk press last without this crucial step.
3. Do not use heavy serums or leave in conditioner right before you straighten your hair. Use lighter products.  Make sure you do all the heavy lifting through the shampoo and deep condition process. After you wash out your conditioner, stick to a light leave in and detangler if you use it. Heavy products prior to straightening will lead to your hair becoming oilier faster and even sticky looking, which is never good. I personally love the mizani miracle milk leave in paired with a dime size amount of the kera care leave in. When I went blonde the first time my stylist would use these products and my silk press always lasted and looked and felt amazing!
4. After your hair has been straightened the next thing that I would recommend is to always either wrap your hair at night or put in rollers. Never wear your hair out while you’re sleeping, always set it in some kind of style. This will reset the style overnight and make sure that it’s not moving too much at night which can increase frizziness, breakage, and quicker reverting time. I also like to do this because if I happen to have had a day where my hair was exposed to humidity and got frizzy, this will reset my hair and will smooth my hair back down without me needing to reapply heat. 
5. Another tip that I would recommend is to find a few styles that you can do where your hair is pinned up. In my opinion this helps you to stretch your silk press because when your hair is down constantly, it is exposed to the elements of the air which can lead to your hair reverting faster along with possible breakage from certain fabrics in our clothing. One style that I love is the claw clip hairstyle with your bangs down.
6. When you get to the point where you feel like your silk press is getting old, (if it is completely dry by all means wash it) if it is just getting a little bit oily and you’re not ready to wash your hair or you want to try and make it stretch for a few more days, try another style from your silk press. This could be a braid out, twist out, flex rod hairstyle, or a Bantu knot hairstyle. These styles typically require adding in some sort of mousse to set the style, but once it’s done, you will have gotten a few more days out of your silk press while also being able to wearing a more voluminous, yet stretched hairstyle. And who doesn’t like to try new styles?

All in all, I always recommend washing if your hair is dry because overtime, washing when needed, sticking to moisturizing products, and being a on routine that works for your hair, will replenish moisture in your hair causing it to dry out less frequently over time. And if you are curious of my thoughts on the straight natural movement and why I am instead doing more stretched hairstyles instead of silky straight styles, you can check out my video on it here!