I have spend my life battling thick, straight hair. Even as a child I was obsessed with curly hair. All of my dolls had curly hair and I spent happy hours making my Barbie Styling Head have curly hairstyles. I became proficient at curling my own hair at an early age, enduring sponge rollers before I knew what hot rollers were. My middle child was a blonde-headed girl with fine wispy hair that grew into the dreaded straight, thick variety. At this point, I am an expert. Here is what I have learned.
1) Wash your hair the day before you plan to curl it. Dirty hair will hold styles much better than just-washed. If you have recently washed your hair you can achieve the same effect with a little baby powder or dry shampoo. There are some good powder products by Bumble and Bumble and Aveda that will work wonderfully, as well.
2) When you wash your hair, get a good start with a light conditioner rather than a heavier one that will weigh your hair down. After towel drying use a good styling mousse. There are several I like. Osis Grip Super Hold Mousse and Aveda Phomollient Styling Foam are both good. You can let your hair dry naturally but I think drying it while bent over, working from the roots to the ends, gives you more lift. If you are going to curl on the same day be sure your hair is “bone dry”. Any moisture will sabotage your curling efforts.
3) Once you have dry hair there are several ways you can go to get curls. While you can try using only sponge rollers, I have had the best luck using sponge rollers together with hot rollers or curling irons. Also, I am sorry to say I have spent money on the expensive ceramic rollers and irons and find that they are no better than the cheaper models. Right now, I have a medium barrel Conair that I love. I got it at Walgreen’s for $16.99. Babyliss also makes great hot rollers and curling irons.
4) If you really want the longest lasting curls you are going to need to spend a little time, but this truly is the best process. You will need to curl your hair the night before and sleep on sponge rollers. (Goody’s is my old-school brand. The iconic pink are good and now come in more colors and sizes!) Using hot rollers or a curling iron, section hair and begin curling it. Absolutely make sure that you tuck in the very ends as you roll the curler. After you have curled a section, release it immediately and re-curl using the sponge rollers. Follow with a strong hold spray like Osis Freeze Super Hold, or Paul Mitchell Freeze and Shine. Repeat this process until you have curled all sections. I like to use three sizes of curlers, using the larger near base of neck and the smaller sizes around face. This gives a nice silhouette.
5) The next morning release all curlers and again spray with a good hairspray. Now instead of brushing, use your fingers to comb gently through the curls. You will probably want to re-spray, just make sure you don’t saturate the curls. Although no one wants to sleep in curlers, this works. It may at first appear that the curls are too tight but they will release slightly. If you do this right, you hair will stay curly until you wash it out!
6) The quick version of the above trick is to start with dry hair, curl with the hot rollers or curling iron, and then immediately re-roll into the sponge rollers. The longer you can leave the sponge rollers in, the better your hair will curl. Even if you just have 30 minutes, this will work. The important part is to go immediately from warm rollers/curling iron to cool in the sponge rollers. Also, don’t forget the hairspray.
7) If you don’t have sponge rollers you can use velcro rollers or bobby pins to lightly pin the curls up. Then you can spray them while they are in place, allow to cool and then release. Bend over and comb through with fingers. Last, flip hair up and spray in place.
Remember if you throw humidity or rain into the mix, all bets may be off. Also, while my daughter and I do this pretty often, never underestimate the power of the professional. If you have a special occasion such as a wedding, I think it is definitely worth it to go to a good salon and a hairstylist you trust. They have the best tools and an arsenal of great products to ensure that you look your best. Good luck and happy curling.
Reference:
- Best Hair Products for Curly Hair
- Best Curling Irons
- Prom Hairstyles and Makeup
