Roller sets have always been a favorite of mine as a relaxed girl. I loved the way it left my cuticles smooth and shiny, with a curl that lasted for days. As a natural, I didn’t believe that my curly, kinky hair could ever achieve the sleek results of a roller set on relaxed hair and to be honest, it still hasn’t.
But along the way, I have discovered many tricks in setting my hair and that of my friends. I have tried magnetic rollers, perm rods, curl formers and flexi rods and what a journey! Here is a crash course on perfecting a curly set on natural hair.
BEFORE SETTING
Hair
It’s usually more effective to start on clean, damp hair however mid-week dry hair can also work. Just remember to re-moisturize correctly. If dry, curls will look listless with less definition and shine. On the other hand, too much products can result in greasy, matted and stiff curls with little movement. A good place to start will be the exact state your hair is in to get a defined voluminous twist out or braid out. If you don’t do these hairstyles often or successfully, this is your checklist.
• Well detangled
• Soft
• Moisturized but not overly oily
• Not too sticky or stiff by hair product.
Curling Tools
As important as knowing the size and type of curlers is knowing the amount. Loose curls require fewer rollers than tight curls. It is also important to note that you can also separate curls to add more volume. With that said, you can start with forty to fifty for an average head with medium length hair. Longer hair with more volume at least sixty to seventy and shorter hair can be safe with thirty to forty.
Products
This is the section where I was stumped a bit since I live in China, and I’ve never used any product that international readers would be familiar with for my sets. Please refer to the list below for some of the fave products based on hair texture for setting and moisturizing:
• Kinky Curly Knot Today (Coily Hair)
• Ouidad Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel (Curly Hair)
• SheaMoisture Organic Coconut and Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie (Kinky Hair)
• TRESemmé Naturals Nourishing Moisture Conditioner (Wavy Hair)
Here are the top ten curl defining products out there:
• Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper
• Tigi Catwalk Curlesque Curls Rock Amplifier
• Kinky-Curly Curling Custard
• Ouidad Curl Quencher Moisturizing Gel
• Curls Curl Gel-les’C
• AG Re:coil
• Miss Jessie’s Quick Curls
• Miss Jessie’s Curly Meringue
• Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie
• Curl Junkie Coffee-Coco Curl Creme
For those in abroad, I use Vidal Sasson’s Pre-Moisturizing spray and I like Gatsby’s Styling Wax in Mat hold as well astheir liquid gels.
Time
Using any type of rollers for the first time is just like anything new, takes time to figure out. No matter how many YouTube videos, personal demonstrations or pictures I’ve seen when it comes to replicating, let’s just say thank you Netflix. Of course with time and practice you can become more efficient and spend less time roller setting as you learn how to set your hair better with the particular traits of your texture. One particular way of reducing the time is sectioning hair in advance. As a bonus, it makes hair less frizzy and you can decide how the curls will frame your face.
SETTING HAIR
Rollerset
Detangle hair completely before installing rollers especially a roller set. Always use the tension method and stretch the roller outward before firmly (but not too tightly) securing the roller with a Bobby pin or metal clip. A setting mousse is usually best for hold and ensuring smooth sets
Curl Formers
Make sure to check the direction of the curlformer before installing. Make a small twirl with your fingers at the base (kind of like a small one strand twist) before using the hook to put in the curl former. Use products with a lot of slip to help the hair slide in easier or do on wet hair.
Flexi Rods
For the smoothest results, set on hair that is extremely smooth and straight or has a lot of slip so that it is easier to stretch on the rod.
• Don’t secure them too tight to the scalp as they may cause soreness
• Don’t use rods with damaged ends as they will snag at your hair
• Dry halfway before bed using a blow dryer or an overhead dryer as these take particularly long to dry.
This also applies to perm rods.
Extra Tips
• Ensure that hair pins are not damaged with rust, nicks or missing rubber tips because this will in turn damage your beautiful tresses.
• Set your hair so that you can sleep comfortably. You can do this by leaving a small gap in the center of your hair or by using smaller rollers on the sides or edges where you head rests against your pillow. With Curlformers and flexi-rods, this is harder to control,so be prepared for a bumpy night. If thi sisn’t for you, try investing in an overhead dryer and pin curl the dry curls in place for the night.
• For first timers, have a backup plan. One of the most disappointing feelings is putting so much time and preparation into a hairstyle and not getting a beautiful afro of perfectly defined curls. However, this shouldn’t mean that you can’t look fly and enjoy some of that hard work. Try either an up do or a sweepy hairstyle that doesn’t not require much definition.
• Very loose curly textures such as 3a-3c are generally easier to roller ser. A very smooth curl with lots of definition can be achieved using either a light product such as leave in conditioner to products with medium hold like regular flax seed gel. My friend Reecia achieved curls using perm rods, water and Eco styler gel and got fabulous results,
• Curly/Coily/Kinky textures should use medium to heavy styling products such as the kinds you would use for wash and go’s and defined sets. I’ms till working out the kinks with my sets but I find my best results have been using either my Shea butter flax seed custard or eco styler gel.
• I’ve seen some pretty smooth rollerset videos on very kinky hair and I’m always very amazed at them seeing that my 4b hair can’t seem to get the smoothest curl on the planet .
The best videos I’ve seen so far have all included steaming and very deep moisturizing conditioning treatments before setting.
In addition, lots of heavy gels and oils as styling products and heat dryers (overhead dryer or blow dryer) vs air drying.
INSPIRATION
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