Shingling, in the natural hair community, is simply a concentrated method used to distribute product throughout the hair so that each and every strand of hair is coated with that product. You can simply use your hands, a comb or brush to evenly distribute product and smooth your natural hair during the shingling method. Shingling is so popular because there are so many ways the method can be effective in the natural hair community. Some of the most popular ways are to condition, define and style natural hair using the shingling method.
To condition by way of shingling, you will need to wash and divide your natural hair into four sections. Start with the first section of hair and finger part a small section of hair. With a small amount of conditioner on your fingertips, start at the tip and distribute the conditioner upwards to the root. Cover the entire small section of hair with conditioner and finger comb to make sure the product is thoroughly distributed throughout the hair. Once the product is distributed throughout the hair, use your method to detangle your hair and smooth your natural strands. Repeat these steps, in small sections until you’ve completed your entire head. Yes, the shingling method can take a long time to finish especially if you have long hair, but the end results are worth the extra effort.
You might be quite surprised at how your hair responds when you define your curls with the shingling method. Using a curling pudding like Miss Jessie’s Curl Meringue and Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie, you can define your natural curls.
Start by dividing wet, freshly washed and detangled hair into four sections. Finger part a small section of hair from the first section and with a small amount of curling pudding on your fingertips, start at the tip and distribute the product upwards to the root. Comb through the small section with a fine tooth comb to smooth your curly ends. Smooth your natural hair even more by running your hair through your index and middle fingers.
Once your curls are defined, sit under a hooded dryer for thirty minutes to set your defined curls. To add more volume to your defined curls, gently hold your hair up and out while using a hair dryer diffuser to set your big hair.
The shingling method can also be used to set your dry, natural curls in a style. For example, if your hair is already in a ponytail or banana clip style, you can shingle the ends with styling gel, like Eco Styler or ProStyle Gel, to define your natural curls. Simply take a small amount of hair gel on your fingertips and start working the gel onto the hair in small sections. You can use a fine tooth comb or brush to smooth the ends of your natural hair. A blow dryer with a diffuser can be used to set your defined curls.
Patience is needed since shingling is such a great method to use to condition, define and style natural hair. The longer and thicker your hair is then the longer it will take to complete shingling your whole head. But agian, the end results will be well worth the sacrifice of time.
