Photo: Jack Hollingsworth/Digital Vision/Getty Images
When you're not willing or ready to go in for a relaxer treatment, pressing your hair straight is the other, less permanent alternative. Pressing involves literally "pressing" your hair between hot plates or a hot iron -- a process that can damage the hair shaft over time. Since you're putting your locks through so much stress to get them long and straight, it's important to treat your hair with the right shampoos and styling products to keep it healthy.
Clarify
Before you do a pressing treatment, you'll want to start with a "clean slate." The Moptop Maven recommends using a clarifying shampoo first, which will strip the hair of any excess buildup and oils. Take care to get the clarifying shampoo all over the scalp. When you're done using the clarifying shampoo, run a strand of hair between two tight fingers to see if you can make it "squeak." This will tell you that your hair is free of buildup and oils.
Moisture
Now that you've rid your hair of all the excess, it's important to give your soon-to-be-pressed hair some moisture back. Keeping the hair shaft properly moisturized will prevent breakage -- the enemy of heat-treated hair. Choose shampoo products that contain aloe, coconut oil or jojoba oil, as these will add moisture to the hair shaft. Look for products with these items near the top of the ingredients list, which indicates that they're present in a significant amount.
What to Avoid
When it comes to shampoos that benefit pressed hair, it's important to know which ingredients to look for, but also which ingredients to avoid. In general, chemical and petroleum-based products will damage your hair, so avoid them when you can. Steer clear of products that contain petrolatum, mineral oil and sulfates, as these can all dry out the hair.
Conditioners
While the shampoo you use -- and then rinse out -- between pressings is important, leave-in conditioning products are also important to maintain healthy hair. Thermal conditioners, designed for those who are heat-treating their hair, are ideal products to apply just before pressing. The same rules apply here that apply to your shampoo -- look for products that are non-chemically based, and do not include ingredients such as petrolatum or mineral oil. Instead, look for coconut oil, aloe, jojoba or other types of natural oils.
