Pressing

gurlie

I've decided that I no longer want to be napptural, but just want to be natural. I am avoiding chemical processes (even colour), but want to experiment with extensions, weaves, and pressing my hair. My currently in braids and will be till the rest of the summer, but when they come out I want press it. I was reading in a braids magazine that if your hair is fine that if pressed that it could permenatly break the bonds and that some parts of your hair may not revert back. As a child my mother used to take me to the salon to get a press but she said that if she didn't see the stylist do the work, she wouldn't believe that my hair was pressed. I do remember my hair being thicker back then. Right now my hair is more like fine to medium strands, but VERY dense. So I guess my question is how does one press thier hair with minimal damage? I haven't used heat applicances in my hair for at least 8 years (the last few years i stopped relaxing .. just kinda texturised and did a shake and go) years. Should I get a press, or should I use a flat iron? What type of products should be put in my hair pre-pressing?

Thanks!

Curlee Q

Here's the link to the board for straightening and relaxing. They have info about Flat irons and products over there


http://naturallycurly2.com/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=23&sid=8eae0d3ef84babac5a9c52fb1299ed2e

latinegra

gurlie wrote:

...I was reading in a braids magazine that if your hair is fine that if pressed that it could permenatly break the bonds and that some parts of your hair may not revert back. ... how does one press thier hair with minimal damage?

Hi gurlie, I can tell you that when I get my hair pressed (flat-ironed) which only twice a year, I get it professionally done at the (not natural) salon each time. She first uses KeraCare Oil Rich Blow Dry Lotion and then blow dries my hair with a paddle brush. Then she flat irons my hair, and I swear, the product she uses heats to 400 degrees--I could be wrong--but she gets it bone straight. Because of the high heat of the blow dryer and the flat iron, and the manipulation required when using the paddle brush and the blow dryer together, I always request a deep conditioning treatment first, and then I (have to) guide the shampooist on how to detangle my hair gently. (They are not used to non-relaxed hair!) I believe that optimum conditioning and proper detangling, from ends to roots, avoid a lot of my hair ending up on the floor.

To address your issues of the bonds being permanently broken, yes, sometimes parts of my hair remain straight and do not revert back to being curly. I have in the past just cut those strands off. Now, I'm developing a "who-cares?" attitude and learning to just incorporate the few straight strands into the curly ones.

In my opinion, because of the amount of heat and manipulation required to make 4A hair bone straight, one cannot avoid damage entirely. Every time I get my hair "pressed," I know that I am taking away a bit of the life out of my hair.

I hope I didn't provide too much information.

System

Over the weekend I attended the Armstrong McCall hair show. And when I visited the Mizani booth, they claimed to have a line of products (Thermasmooth) that allows natural people to press their hair without reverting or having the knarly ends.

Now I didn't get to see the demo, nor have I tried the product but it's something worth asking your stylist about. When I was relaxed, Mizani was my relaxer of choice, and I remember the products being very moisturizing.