Table Of Content
- How does the STS Express Smoothing System work?
- Two-Strand Twist
- What to Expect When Using the Design Essentials STS Express Smoothing System
- Help! Can I Silk Press My Fine Curls Without Damaging Them?
- Locs: How To Start The Loc Journey & Care For Your Free-Flowing Tresses
- The Big Chop – Transition Styles For Relaxed To Natural Hair, Part 1
- Managing Client Expectations

Regular STS Express Smoothing System treatments will be required if they wish to maintain a looser texture and style manageability. As temperatures decline, many clients with natural and transitioning hair are searching for styling options that protect the hair and prolong wear. While some clients may opt to protectively style, others choose to take a “break” from their texture with straight hair styling.

How does the STS Express Smoothing System work?
I like to start with cleansed and deep-conditioned hair for a well-nourished foundation. The types of products you use and how you layer them will vary depending on your hair type. I apply my hair products in the shower since I have low porosity hair. My curl guru and colorist, Christina Kelley, recommended this method to ensure my hair soaks up the ingredients. The right cocktail of ingredients helps ensure your hair stays hydrated and set without unraveling.
Two-Strand Twist
However, I prefer to two-strand twist, then wind my twist into a knot. This method keeps my hair from getting tangled, which happened to me on my first try with this style. Sometimes I end up with eight knots, but there are also times when I end up with more. I gauge based on how my style starts to transform in the mirror—each time is different. How long the treatment lasts will vary by client, depending on home and salon aftercare in the weeks following. I imagine there are quite a few different ways to achieve Bantu knots.
What to Expect When Using the Design Essentials STS Express Smoothing System
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Embracing my hair's natural texture and styling my hair in styles traced back to Africa help ground me in my roots, even if I can't see how far they stretch. Many factors go into how long a client’s hair will remain straight, and how long the STS Express Smoothing System will last in their hair. The three-step system includes the STS Express Cleansing Sulfate-Free Shampoo, Smoothing Mousse, and the Thermal Therapy Leave-In Smoother. The system also comes with a Damage Recovery Anti-Breakage Treatment. This treatment can be used in lieu of the Smoothing Mousse, depending on the condition of your client’s hair. Twirling each section into a Bantu knot is a popular method.
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The best way to make the treatment last is to have your client visit you at the salon every 2 weeks, so you can perform a maintenance service. How long the system last also depends on the products used at home and during follow-up salon visits. Therefore, encourage your clients to use sulfate-free shampoo, to prevent removing the treatment. Results are better maintained with the STS Express Cleansing Sulfate-Free Shampoo. It is essential to remind clients that the STS Express Smoothing System is not a relaxer or Brazilian Keratin treatment. The results are not permanent, and as such, their hair will revert when it comes into contact with moisture.
Locs: How To Start The Loc Journey & Care For Your Free-Flowing Tresses
Whether it be rain, sweat, shower steam, or water at the pool – clients will experience reversion. The only way to prevent total reversion is with a relaxer – which the STS Express Smoothing System is not. It is worth noting that the STS Express Smoothing System is formaldehyde-free. Sign up to receive hair styling tips, tricks and exclusive product offers from Design Essentials only! There is an extra layer of pride Bantu knots give me as a Black woman. Like many Black Americans, my family's African origin stories were erased due to the atrocious Atlantic slave trade.
The Big Chop – Transition Styles For Relaxed To Natural Hair, Part 1
Their products are designed to work with you to achieve styling success. Condition with rich, nourishing leave-in conditioners and deep conditioners. Whatever your hair needs design essentials as the prefect answer. For clients with natural hair, remind them that the texture loosening effects of the system last up to 12 weeks.
The Pros & Cons of Transitioning From Relaxed To Natural Hair
My trepidation settled when I scrolled by a video of Ev'Yan Whitney Bantu-knotting her hair. Her caption explained that her Bantu knots were "an expression of [her] radical Blackness." I was inspired. Entertainers like Mel B., Rihanna, and Beyoncé have made them look effortlessly regal. However, I have felt apprehensive about trying them, since I wasn't sure if I had the correct face symmetry to pull off the centuries-old style.
Managing Client Expectations
However, I'm going to share the technique and products that have worked for me. I've tried mini twists, braiding my own box braids (which was an epic fail), installing faux locs (this was also a fail), and Bantu knots. That can likely be credited to the minimal daily manipulation and the hydration my Bantu knots lock in. For clients with relaxed or damaged hair, swap the Smoothing Mousse in Step 2 for the Damage Recovery Anti-Breakage Treatment. Using ½ inch partings, apply 1-2 pumps of Smoothing Mousse at the root of the hair, and comb through to the ends, taking care to not over-saturate with product.
Then, I follow-up with Miss Jessie's Honey Curls and add a touch of Bread Beauty Supply's Everyday Gloss to seal my ends. When administered properly by a professional, the smoothing and manageability results of the STS Express Smoothing System will last for up to 12 weeks. The STS Express Smoothing System works for all textures – including natural hair types from 3c to 4c. For clients that no longer wish to receive relaxer services, the STS System will make their transition a lot easier. At the line where the relaxed hair and new growth meet, the STS System will loosen and help blend texture. It will also provide protection against breakage, making the transition more manageable for your client.
It’s very important to share with your clients that the STS Express Smoothing System is not a relaxer or a Brazilian Keratin Treatment. Spray the Thermal Therapy Leave-In Smoother throughout the hair, blotting away the excess with a towel. In this blog post, we will cover what the STS Express System is, how it works, and best practices for use. Most importantly, we will share how to manage client expectations after receiving the STS Express Smoothing System. Wrapping your Bantu knot in a way that works for your hair density and length takes a little trial and error.
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