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Home • Straightening

4 Easy Steps to Prevent Damage on Your Next Blow Out

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4 Easy Steps to Prevent Damage on Your Next Blow Out
By Sabrina Perkins · Updated November 30, 2015
Photo Courtesy of Naptural85
A natural hair blow out is such a sexy, fun style that will take your ‘fro to the next level. A natural hair blow out is achieved by stretching the hair without going bone straight, and it can be achieved by using heat or heatless stretching techniques. The more popular method is through using the heat of a blow-dryer with an attachment (either brush or comb”> and many are opting to wear as is for the volume and fierceness.

Many naturals are fearful of heat damage despite wanting the straighter look, and just like Borney_Ly from Curly Q&A wanted to know, many naturals are curious on what they can do to ensure their fabulous blow out does not create problems for them down the road.

Question

What do you after you have natural blow out to prevent hair damage?

Answer

The most important part of staving off heat damage occurs before you even do your blow out. Sure, some will always covet straight hair, but rocking the big full hair of a blow out allows you to have straight hair with volume. Just like any style that naturals try, a blow out can have the potential for damage from heat. While you can most definitely care for your hair after the blow out, to prevent heat damage from a blowout requires work done before you even do the blow out.

Here’s what you should do before the blowout.

1. Clarify

Creating a blow out on dirty hair can make the oil, dirt, or product buildup may yield a less than stellar results, as they last longer and look better on clean hair.

2. Deep condition
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You want to start on healthy hair and deep conditioning is necessary to help hair stay manageable, stronger, less frizzy, and retain hair’s length. It should be done after every wash but definitely before a blow out, as you want it in the best possible condition before adding heat.

3. Use heat protectant

Always apply a heat protectant before using heat styling tools, and yes that includes a blow out. Just like you wouldn’t grab a hot pan out of the oven without oven mitts or pot holders, you should never place heat appliances to your naked hair without some sort of protection. Most heat protectants contain silicones (e.g. cyclomethicone and dimethicone”> and other essential ingredients to coat and protect the hair against heat applications. Heat protectants coat the hair shaft, lessening the damaging effects of direct heat and keeping the moisture sealed into your strands. Many naturals opt for natural heat protectants like grapeseed oil or olive oil, but they can be heavy and weigh the hair down. A better option may be the over-the-counter and just as Sister Scientist has stated “chemists will combine synthetic ingredients like silicones with the natural goodness of oils to provide an improved customer experience when using the product.”

Read more: This Buildup Actually Saves Your Hair and Why Oil Doesn’t Work as a Heat Protectant

4. Use the lowest setting of heat

You are not trying to fry your hair nor dry it out, so use the lowest setting possible and never use heat appliances that do not have a variety in heat settings.

So in a nutshell trying to prevent heat damage after your blow out is too late, as it needs to occur prior to even doing the blowout. You can make your style last or give protein treatments or deep conditioning after the blow out to care for your hair and keep it moisturized and strong.

Flat Iron and Blow Out on Natural Hair | How To Without Heat Damage

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How My Silk Press Ritual Helped Me Appreciate My Natural Hair

One writer discusses getting silk presses has been an important part of her natural hair journey.
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How My Silk Press Ritual Helped Me Appreciate My Natural Hair
Catherine McQueen/Getty Images
By Jessica Fields · Updated December 24, 2024

We’re deep into the cooler months and, for naturals, that means just one thing: Silk press season. Like clockwork, social media is a buzz with viral videos toting tips, tricks, and hair flips, among other enticing smoothed styles. Whether it’s a sleek middle part style or bouncy waves, there’s no denying the main character energy ignited with each look. 

I can attest firsthand to the freeing feeling that soaping away buildup to emerge with a sleek look brings. My curls are tight and plentiful, but you’d never know as I always wear my hair straight. I’ve gotten my silk press routine down to a T and often opt for a siny bone-straight look. But come wash day, it’s my curls, kinks, and coils that make me smile the most. My silk presses aren’t just a process to straighten my hair. Instead, it’s a reminder of how appreciative I am for my crown full of curls.

Like most Black girls, I grew up wearing ponytails and twists weighted down with bobos and barrets. I have countless memories of sitting between my mom’s knees as she raked through my curls and saturated them with globs of Luster’s Pink Moisturizer, never forgetting to tell me how fast my hair “drinks this stuff up.” At that age, straight hairstyles were reserved for special occasions, like church or school picture day, and were done with a hot comb and thick layers of grease. But as I got older my desire for longer-lasting straight styles increased and I begged her relentlessly for a relaxer. 

The answer was always the same flat no so my hair was kept in braids and twists. Her decision to keep my hair natural stemmed from two main issues. First, there were the dangers of perming virgin hair and how doing so too early in the growth process can alter the texture and growth rate drastically. Second, was the financial obligation bi-weekly relaxers came with. But in my senior year of high school, she finally gave in and during my college years, I was devoted to relaxers. It was a weird victory— sure my hair was pin-straight but I couldn’t help but notice it never looked as good nor full as my natural hair roller wraps. I knew I didn’t love the look the perms delivered but I continued to use them for management’s sake. Relaxers meant I could easily style my hair and most importantly, that I didn’t have to worry about it frizzing up. 

However, a turning point came when I moved to New York. I didn’t always have the money to get my hair done and had to quickly learn how to do it on my own. This resulted in the ultimate happy accident. I began growing out the years of permed hair. The process was trying, but through it, I gained so much more than a healthy head of hair. I began experimenting with ingredients to help my hair retain moisture and learning different techniques to straighten it. As the months went by, I watched the ragged permed hair slowly grow out, leaving behind loose curls. I’ll admit those first few years were a struggle, seeing just how much my curl pattern had changed. But it also helped me remember what my hair could be. In the years that followed, I learned how to wash, condition, treat, and nourish my hair— and in turn, watched my curls transform from loose and stringy into tight ringletts and coils.

Article continues after video.

This tale isn’t a new one and has remained a double-edged sword within the natural hair community. Many Black women have experienced vitality after ditching their relaxers but have also felt the sting of natural hairstyling— be it lengthy wash days or product formula inconsistencies. After some time, the fantasy of the big chop and twist-out faze that caused the natural haircare industry boom began to wear off, and women slowly began going back to relaxers. The decision typically led to a familiar crossroads, having to choose between what made sense for your hair and what “looked good.”

Going natural isn’t for everyone, and, at the time, I didn’t think it was for me, either. Despite perming my hair late into my teenage years, straightening my hair was the only style I knew how to do. Before my first relaxer, I’d spent years using electric hot combs, curling irons, and heavy products like curl wax and hair polisher to tame my curls. The result lasted no more than two days and turned my hair into a greasy mess—meaning I’d have to wash and redo my hair sooner rather than later. It ultimately led to heat damage and manipulating my curls. 

But getting a perm for the first or 70th time didn’t give me the results I longed for either. After leaving the salon, my hair looked incredibly thin due to how straight it was. I’ve always had very thick hair, so seeing it look flat was disheartening. Even when I settled on curls or a roller set, they never provided the voluminous look I preferred. My new growth was always nice and thick and when I started growing out my perm, I noticed it stayed that way. The fullness I tried so desperately to hide as a child was back and I wasn’t about to make the same mistake. 

Over the years, I’ve honed my skills and can easily transform my hair from springy coils to smooth, shiny strands— so much so that most people, including stylists, believe my hair is relaxed. My process involves a lot of conditioning products, clarifying ingredients, and heat protectants. Each layer ensures my curls are deeply moisturized and heavily protected before I begin heat styling. Through it all, I’ve learned to embrace my texture and to lean into the frizzy days. Don’t get me wrong, I love it when my silk press is on point, but I’ve learned to love the days it fades just the same. Seeing my curls revert is the epitome of bliss.

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