How to Use Hot Rollers for Loose Beautiful Body Curls

My Mom and I have used hot rollers forever. I started using them in middle school ( that was a lonnnng time ago.) and didn’t even know how to really use a curling iron until I graduated high school. I made a video tutorial on Instagram you can watch here if you need some more help. I wanted an easy way to detail the steps out for you and also link all the products I use and why I use them. Hope this is helpful. Hot rollers are easy ( with a little practice) , I love that they don’t damage hair like a curling iron and just make the most beautiful curls that are full of body.

Pre Styling- W/ Wet Hair

• HAIR WASHING
  • I wash my hair as normal and let my hair dry for a bit in a towel so it isn’t soaking wet. Below are my fave products I use to wash my hair. I do a double wash since I only wash my hair once a week. First I use the BondiBoost HG shampoo, I do another wash using the Olaplex #4. I wash twice to ensure I get my scalp and hair super clean ( This scalp scrubber is amazing for breaking up buildup and feels like a scalp massage). After I wash, I use one of my deep conditioners. The CR hair mask is my top fave but I will link a couple others I love below as well.

• BLOW DRY PREP
  • After my hair drys for a bit in my microfiber towels (these cut down dry time and don’t damage hair) I apply my shine and styling products before I brush out my hair.
    • First I apply this styling cream it’s lightweight, super moisturizing, defends against heat and humidity. I apply about a nickel size amount to my long thick hair focusing on mid to ends then use whats left on the top.
    • Second I apply this shine and smooth hair serum. It helps with frizz, flyaways and moisturizes my dry ends.( I use about a dime size amount) It’s light-weight, helps strengthen, protect and nourish hair so that it feels soft and looks shiny!
    • Third I spray this Heat Shield/ Blow Dry Accelerator all over my hair, It helps cut my dry time and an added bonus of having UV filters that shield hair from the drying effects of the sun.
    • Fourth I brush through my hair with this detangling brush I got on Amazon.
    • TIP!! If you have hair that is hard to curl or doesn’t hold curl well I would massage in a mousse at this point before blow drying to help hold the curl. This one is amazing for fine hair, it adds volume, body and will help hold the curl.

Blow Dry Styling

• Section hair: I section my hair and focus on the bangs first. I have a curtain bang and drying them so they lay properly is crucial. I use these claw clips from Amazon, they actually can hold all of my thick hair securely.
• Blow Dry: you can use a regular hair dryer if you would like but I prefer the soft salon blowout look using my Blow Dry Brush. I’ve had this hair staple for almost three years now and it’s safe to say I can’t live without it. I love that is is easy to pack and travel with too.
  • TIP this tool works best if your hair is NOT soaking wet. Getting all the excess water out and letting your hair air dry a bit will make a huge difference.

Hot Rollers

• Plug in and turn on your hot rollers to let them heat up. I use these rollers because I like the larger size for more of a body curl. My hair holds curl pretty easily however, my Mom has thin/fine hair and she likes to use this set that has a combo of roller sizes. ( She has been using these rollers for probably 10+ years)
• Make sure your hair is completely dry! This is so important, if your hair is at all damp the curls will not hold. I spray my protein spray heat protectant all over my hair, it smells amazing and is just another layer of protection.
• Start in the front and work your way back.
• Take about a 2″ section of hair, for each curler. ( if your hair is hard to curl take 1″ or less sections)
• Comb through the section so it is nice and smooth, if your hair struggles with holding curl you can give the hair a spray with a hairspray before wrapping. (my mom does this and it helps her a ton)
• Wrap hair around the curler rolling it back away from the face. make sure the ends are tucked smoothly and as you roll it backward you can smooth and wrap in the fly aways and layers.
• Secure the roller with the metal pin that comes with the set, slide the pin in from the back of the roller so that the ends rest forward. Placing the pins this way helps hold them in place so much better. I prefer the metal pins because they don’t leave kinks in my hair especially around the top and front of my hair. The plastic claw clips are great for the back and bottom sections of hair ( the set of Rollers I use comes with both the clips and pins).
• Repeat placing curlers in the front of the hair framing the face, rolling the curlers back away from the face.
• For the back of the hair I roll the curlers under this helps add body to the root.
• Once all of your hair is wrapped up in curlers you need to let them cool completely. This takes about 15 minutes for them to feel cool to the touch. If you are able to let them set longer, do it. The longer they set in the roller cooling the better the hold will be. ( My mom with her fine hair will sometimes let them set for over an hour while she is cleaning up and doing things around the house)
• If you have thick hair like me this set might not be able to cover your entire head. so I use this curling iron (I have an old version I’ve had this thing for 10 years or so it is large barrel 2″ to match the width of the curlers I use.) to curl the back hair that is left while cooling.

Styling

• Once your rollers have cooled gently take out the rollers.
• I give the curls a spray using my fave flexible hairspray that does not make my hair crispy.
• Gently run fingers through the curls, do not brush them.
• I spray in some of my fave texture spray to help hold my style in place and texturize my bangs.

As the week goes on the curls loosen and I touch up a couple with my curling iron as needed. Hope this helped you, if you have any other questions, tips that help you or if I missed something I would love to know in the comments.

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