How to perform a successful silk press or blow out step by step?

Several smoothing methods including silk press or blow out allow you to obtain a perfect hairstyle that lasts over time.

In this tutorial, discover how to achieve a successful silk press in 7 steps. Also take advantage of our beauty tips, delivered by specialists in care and hairstyle on afro hair.

Just like a cooking recipe, you will need the following tools and products to make your silk wrap:

• Wrap Scarf - Available in your store
• Boar Brush - Available in your store
• Shampoo adapted to the needs of your hair.
• Care - To strengthen your hair and make it more flexible and also take a heat protectant to protect the hair from the heat of the hair dryer and the straightener
• Laëtitia long tail comb for frizz-free smoothing
• Afro brush : for detangling and smoothing - Available in your store
• A hair straightener
• A hair dryer
• Hair clips
• A roll of cellophane or film
• Rebecca Styling Comb - available in your store

Step 1 : Shampoo, for clean and manageable hair

Start by doing one or two purifying shampoos to purify the scalp and hair to allow them to remain light. Then do a shampoo adapted to the needs of your hair and scalp, making sure to massage it gently.

Step 2: Care, a crucial moment for shiny, strong, resistant and light hair

Because it is essential to care for your hair and scalp in order to nourish, strengthen, hydrate and soften them, then apply an appropriate treatment and wrap your hair in cellophane.

Please note : For optimal hydration of the hair and scalp, it is best to use a steam helmet, taking care to respect the application time so as not to weigh them down.

After rinsing your first treatment, apply another leave-in treatment and a heat protectant for hair (in serum, milk or spray). Make sure to only use a small amount to avoid weighing your hair down while protecting it from damage caused by heating appliances.

This step is crucial to achieve the desired result: healthy and malleable hair. It will be easier to style, more radiant in terms of appearance and strong to resist heat.

Step 3: Drying with the afro brush: Essential for a successful silk wrap

Did you know? A successful silk wrap or blow out depends 60% on drying.

As you will have understood, the final result will depend on this step. It is therefore essential to have good tools to dry your hair thoroughly and effectively.

1. Separate your wet hair into 4 equal parts using the Laëtitia long tail comb
2. Detangle hair section by section with the afro and Beyond afro brush, starting at the ends and working towards the roots.
3. Using the afro brush and a hair dryer on medium heat, relax the wet hair strand by strand, starting from the roots and working towards the ends. For type 4C hair, start at the ends and work towards the roots to avoid pulling on the hair too much. Multifunctional, the afro brush will actively smooth, dry and detangle your hair. Repeat as many times as necessary (while avoiding excess heat) until you have a dry and relaxed set.

Tip #1 : Keep the hair dryer moving (like in the video) to better manage the heat

Tip #2: Drying your wet hair will give you smooth, silky hair and prevent dry, frizzy hair.
If some parts are dry, even partially, moisten them with a spray made of water and then dry them as indicated above. Finally, make sure to keep the hair taut with the brush throughout this operation in order to obtain a successful smoothing with softer hair.

Step 4: Smoothing, the key step to flattening

This is where the long tail comb Laëtitia comes in. Its tight teeth will allow you to smooth again with the hair dryer to eradicate the last frizz (especially with type 4 hair). This will make it easier to smooth strand by strand with your straightener.

Its long rod will allow you to delimit the area to be straightened and its fine teeth will help you to untangle the hair before and during the passage of the straightener.

Then, still strand by strand, straighten the hair, focusing on the roots with a classic but good quality straightener set to a temperature suited to your hair type.
If after smoothing, you want to have movement, style them in the desired direction (curl or straight).

Note: Avoid steam straighteners for long-lasting straightening.

Step 5: The wrap

1. After styling with the long tail comb, wrap the hair around your head (taking care to smooth it out to avoid any frizz) in a clockwise direction to make the wrap. You will get a swirl shape like in the video below.
2. Smoothly smooth hair with the Afro and Beyond Boar Bristle Brush to align and smooth all hair in the direction of the wrap
3. Tie the Afro and Beyond wrap scarf around your hair in the direction of the wrap, making sure to tighten it. If you notice any remaining frizz, don't hesitate to go around the wrap again (always in the same direction) using the wrap scarf as in the following video.

Step 6: Rest, the wrap takes effect

Let it sit for about fifteen minutes (or overnight, for example).

Step 7: Styling, smooth, thick and beautiful hair for you

Style your hair with the Rebecca Styling Comb . Your hair is smooth, beautiful and shiny! If you avoid any form of humidity, it should not move for a little while.
However, don't forget to do your wrap every evening to keep your hair in shape.

Last tip : To avoid wetting your hair and losing the effects of your straightening, when you take a shower, tie a cotton scarf exclusively then add your swimming cap on top. Also be careful of the weather which can play tricks on you, we keep a scarf and our umbrella nearby :).

There you have it, you are now an expert in silk press or blow out! A routine to adopt without moderation for healthy and silky hair. It's up to you to play.

Please note:

If you do not want to change the nature of your hair (by making it permanently straight), avoid doing too much straightening. Indeed, repeated straightening will gradually relax your curls and irreversibly change your hair.