That horse-drawn carriage of a silk press has turned right back into a pumpkin. Well, that would be insinuating that my natural curls are subpar.

Let me rephrase that.

I’m basically trying to say that my hair is 100% back to its kinky state after having a silk press. It has been an emotional rollercoaster getting here.

I’ve only been in this situation twice, but the emotions are the same. So to help you know what to expect when you get a silk press—or any temporary straightening technique—let me explain the four stages that begin after you walk out the salon doors. 💁🏾‍♀️

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Relief

It may sound weird, but I get a sense of relief after my hair is finished. My scalp feels rejuvenated, and I’m thankful that my strands survived the six-hour process.

I’ve gotten better since I finally trust who does my hair, but knowing that everything is complete with no setbacks gives me the ability to breathe deeply again.

Dramatic much? Maybe, but I’ve been scarred from my past salon experiences, too many times. I’m slowly healing from all of that.

And did I mention that it’s six hours long? It also takes me a solid hour without traffic to get there. Thank God that the girls there are fun, but your girl is TIED (with no “r”) by the time the day is over.

Happiness

Once the relief wears off, the happiness sets in the next day. I wake up, unwrap my hair and take a closer look at all the work that was done.

The fresh trim, the infused moisture… I live!

And to me, a silk press gets better with time. I was the girl who hated the “fresh relaxer” look. It’s sort of like that with silk presses as well.

It looks nice, but my head is too big to not have voluminous hair. That’s why I add loose curls in the interim.

The happiness lasts for a good month and a half.

Confusion

Somewhere at the end of the two-month mark, happiness turns into confusion.

At this time, I have random strands that have decided to curl back up on me, and my hair is starting to look like a worn out wig (since my roots are on their way to reversion, yet my ends are still straight).

Because the textures differ so much, finding a way to moisturize both parts becomes a problem. And still—it just looks like a tacky, nonmatching weave.

Then, your mind starts playing Jedi tricks on you. 🤯

“Wait. Is my hair not reverting back? It’s heat damage isn’t it! I knew this was too good to be true!”

So I have to decide on whether to wait it out or douse my hair in aloe vera juice to see what kind of damage has been done.

I’ve gone for the aloe vera juice each time because my inner self starts missing my hair’s natural state, my outer self starts being concerned that I have heat damage, and my whole self knows that there are too many dang textures in my hair to provide myself adequate moisture.

I suppose all good things must come to an end.

Contentment

Hello, curls! Long time…

At this stage, I’m happy that my curls have returned and the silk press has run its course.

Big hair is unapologetically back, and I’m here for it. (You know, because I have a big head.)

My trim is still in good shape, and order is restored. Besides, I was sick of avoiding rain and humidity.

About two months of this contentment passes, and it’s about time to book another appointment.

And the cycle continues.

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I feel like I’ve left more questions than answers.

“What bad salon experiences?” “Why does your silk press take six hours?” “How are you washing your hair after a silk press?” “Why is your hair so thirsty?”

I know. I know. But I’ll fill you in on all of that in this week’s hair video. Toodles!