A Guide to Getting Great Results at Roller Setting Without the Hassle that Comes with It

Good roller setting is an art form that takes a while to learn. It is also the healthiest way of achieving a straight style without using too much heat like a flat iron. If your hair is relaxed or you are trying to look after the health of your hair, limited heat is always a plus.

Now, if you are like me and patience is not you middle name then the cheat’s way of roller setting is for you!

Here’s what you will need:

1. 10-12 satin covered hair bands
2. 10-12 magnetic rollers or regular rollers with duck bill clips to secure
3. Rat tail comb
4. Setting Lotion
5. Heat protecting serum
6. Spray bottle with water

Start by washing and deep conditioning the hair making sure to detangle whist the conditioner is still in the hair. Towel-blot the hair gently to remove some water but remember that you need the hair to remain wet for a good roller set.

Apply a small amount of setting lotion for a bouncy set with lots of movement or apply a generous amount for a firmer set. Also apply a heat protection serum for smoothness and to eliminate frizz from the finished look.

Starting at the back, section the hair and comb the section through carefully with the rat tail comb. Make sure that you are careful with the combing as hair and particularly relaxed hair tends to be very fragile when it’s wet. Hold the section of hair relatively taut to get the roots nice and straight then secure with one of the hair bands. Repeat with each section of hair until your hair is tied into 10-12 ponytails. You may need to use the spray bottle from time to time to ensure that hair remains wet.

Once you are done creating the ponytails, start from the back again combing out a ponytail and attaching the end to a roller making sure that the ends of the hair lie smooth and flat on the roller. Roll until you get to the bottom of the ponytail and if you are using a magnetic roller secure with the cover or use the duck bill clips to secure.

Repeat this with each ponytail while still ensuring hair remains wet. Once complete, cover head with hair net and sit under a warm dryer for 1-1/12 hours or until hair is dry. Once dry remove the rollers and hair bands. If you are wearing your hair curly and you used small rollers then you don’t need to do anything about the indentation marks left by the hair bands as they blend with the curly style. Just massage the scalp to hide the partitions. However, if you are planning to wear your hair straight, then wrap the hair around the head securing with bobby pins where necessary, tie down tightly by applying 1 layer of cling film (saran wrap) and go back under the dryer for a further 15-20 minutes. The saran-wrap technique is also really good for taking the bulk out of the hair leaving you with silky smooth and bouncy hair which is full of body.

If you can achieve that without a flat iron, then the health and beauty of your hair is almost guaranteed! Read the article on how to get movement in relaxed hair.

What do you need to look for in a straightener?

Buying a good straightener for your hair type can be more complicated than it looks. With all the new kinds of flat irons ranging from the dirt cheap to the ridiculously expensive, which one should you buy? Choosing a flat iron is not a decision that should be taken lightly. A cheap iron may work just as well as an expensive one in straightening the hair but they may do unseen and irreparable damage to your hair.

Flat irons have a variety of features on them and it is just a question of choosing one with the most important features necessary for both getting the smooth results you want as well as keeping your hair healthy.

Here are some good features outlined along with their benefits.

• Ceramic (not ceramic plated) – Ceramic flat irons glide through the hair without snagging. They also generally heat up in about 30 seconds as they are controlled by a thermostat therefore they maintain a constant even temperature for even results. The heating element also creates negative ions that seal in the moisture into the hair
• Tourmaline – This is a semi-precious crystal that is nature’s largest provider of negative ions. The tourmaline is ground down into a powder then infused into the ceramic plates of a flat iron hence it produces up to 6 times more negative ions than ceramic plates alone. This gives the hair a shinier, silkier finish with less heat.
• Steam – These straighteners have steam vents that extract moisture from damp hair while sealing the cuticle at the same time. Depending on technique, smooth results can also be achieved with natural kinky black hair.
• Temperature control – This is one of the most important things to look out for when purchasing a flat iron. Different hair textures can cope with different amounts of direct heat. Black hair whether natural or relaxed and regardless of how course or tough looking it is, is the most fragile of all. Intense heat will give smooth results but is very likely to cause heat damage hence compromising the curl pattern and health of the hair. If the hair is freshly deep conditioned and straightening balm or a heat protectant are applied to the hair beforehand, you will be surprised at how little heat will give perfect results!
• Long swivel cord – This is necessary as you will need to move the iron in different directions to straighten different parts of your head. It stops the cord from tangling as you straighten.
• Size – The truth is with enough practice, a slim flat iron will get your hair as smooth as a large one. It all depends on your patience levels. With a larger iron, you can straighten larger sections of hair than the slim one.
• Curved edges – This is a great feature for creating curls and flicks hence making the use of a curling tong afterwards unnecessary.

As with anything else, price will be a fairly good indicator on the quality of the flat iron. Be prepared to invest a reasonable amount of money and the flat iron will last you years and the health of your hair will thrive!

Get gorgeous curls and waves without the damage!

So what is a braid out? A braid out is a style worn mainly by African American women as a way to give curls or waves to hair with uneven or no curl pattern or even to change the natural curl pattern of the hair. It can be done on natural or relaxed hair and is used often to blend the different textures of ladies who choose to transition from relaxed to natural hair state.

The braid out technique also imparts gorgeous waves on other hair textures i.e. Caucasian, Asian etc.

Most people will do braid outs on wet hair (as you would a roller set) but if you have relaxed hair which tends to be most fragile when it’s wet, you may opt to do the braid out on dry hair in the manner below and achieve the same result.

So how do you achieve this? Here’s what you will need

1. Rat tail comb
2. Gel or Styling Cream
3. Creamy hair conditioner for softness
4. 12-15 small rollers
5. Spray bottle filled with water
6. Duck bill clips

Before you start, make sure hair is freshly washed and deep conditioned. You may also use your favourite leave in conditioner. Let hair air dry completely. Starting from the back begin to section hair using the rat tail comb. Use duck bill clips to hold hair that you are not working with out of the way.

You are looking to make around 12-15 braids. Fewer if you want a bigger curl and smaller if you want smaller tighter curls. Remember though, the tighter the curl, the longer the style will last!

Put a small amount of setting lotion over the length of the section you are working with. The hair should only be slightly dampened by this otherwise you have used too much and you run the risk of breaking your precious strands as you braid. Proceed to divide the section into 3 strands of hair and braid over and under until you get to the end. Use a small roller to secure the end of the braid for a natural look.

Finish braiding all the hair in this manner securing with the rollers on the ends. Once complete proceed to spray hair with water generously. You want the hair to be wet through but not dripping as this will negate the purpose of the setting lotion if it all ends up on the towel tied round you shoulders!

Cover hair with net and sit under a dryer on medium for 1-1/12 hours or until braids are dry thoroughly. Alternatively you can just cover your head with a satin/silk bonnet and let the braids air dry overnight.

When you are ready to take down the dry braids take a small amount of your creamy moisturizer and apply to the length of each braid before undoing. This will give you a very soft braid out. A good moisturizer is S-curl which you can then seal with a light oil of your choice.

Undo the braids one by one. Separate each curly strand into smaller strands to create a fuller look or use a wide tooth comb and comb lightly for an even fluffier look. You can massage your scalp to hide the partitions then proceed to finger style.

You can keep this style looking fresh by pinning it up and covering with a satin/silk bonnet at night and just shaking out and gently finger styling in the morning. Alternatively, you can re-braid the sections every night. No need to re-wet hair just moisturise daily. The style can look good for up to a week.

Get curl definition if you haven’t got any on your natural hair or get hot waves on your relaxed locks!

Black hair comes in a variety of textures from lose s-curls and corkscrew curls to very tightly curled pen springs and kinks. Defining your own texture is easy with leave in conditioner, some gel or a variety of curl defining products on the market, but sometimes you may want something different. Also if you have no definable curl pattern in your hair, you may want to add texture without resorting to chemicals. An easy way to do this is with the twist set.

Here’s how you can achieve this style

• Begin by washing and deep conditioning the hair. Add some leave in conditioner and seal the hair with your favourite oil.

• Starting from the back begin to section the hair into about 2 inch sections and apply a little curl styling cream or gel to the section. Create a fairly firm 2 strand twist with the hair. This is created by twisting the 2 sections of hair in same direction then twisting them over each other in the opposite direction. If your hair is natural then there will be no need to secure the ends as the hair should hold the twists quite easily. If your hair is relaxed then secure the ends with small rollers which also leave the twist set with a natural look.

• Sit under the dryer for about 1 hour or until the hair is completely dry.

• Starting from the back again, begin to unravel the twists. You should have dry and defined twists once you have unravelled them all.

• If your twists were small enough then there will be no need to separate them. In actual fact, the twist set looks better and lasts longer if it is not separated. All you have to do to make the hair look fuller is to use a pick to lift and fluff out the roots.

• If your twists were a bit larger then carefully separate them to create volume without losing too much of the curl definition. Use a pick to lift and fluff out the roots. This hides the parts and creates a fuller look.

For the upkeep of the twist set put a small amount of moisturizer in the palm of your hand, rub your hands together and dab and scrunch through the hair to distribute evenly. Try not to disturb the curls too much.

• Pin up your hair to avoid the curls drooping overnight and cover with a satin bonnet.

• In the morning just fluff out the hair and you are ready to go.

• Another way of saving the style if you are planning to wear it more than 3 days is to moisturize the hair and re-twist the sections every second evening. In the morning take down the twists and fluff out the roots.

Keep your micro braids squeaky clean while avoid the slippage

Micro braids or ‘micros’ are one of the most gorgeous of braids. Resembling free flowing hair they can be worn in a variety of styles from curly, wet and wavy or dead straight. Human hair braids can be curled and straightened with ease and synthetic hair will remain as straight or as curly as when it was bought.

Micro braids can be worn safely for 2-3 months at a time as long as the braids around the hairline are redone every 3 weeks or so. This prevents any thinning of the edges associated with wearing braided styles for extended periods of time.

Possibilities are endless with these marvellous little braids but how do you wash them? Any sign of moisture and the braids start slipping out of your hair particularly with human hair braids. Many will avoid washing their braids for weeks on end to avoid the braids falling out but this is detrimental to the health of your hair which requires regular moisture.

There is an easy way to avoid the hassle of slipping braids while keeping your hair squeaky clean and conditioned. Here’s how:

• Braid the micros in sections. About 6 large braids for your head or alternatively just do about 4-5 cornrows going back. The braids or cornrows have to be relatively firm but not tight so they are not tugging on your scalp. Secure the ends with a hair band. These large braids/cornrows will produce a cute curly set once they are dry.
• Shampoo thoroughly concentrating on the scalp and massaging in and around the braids. You will feel the braids go softer but don’t worry; they will not slip out as they are confined to the large braid/cornrow. Do not rub the braids too much to avoid frizzes.
• To deep condition, instead of using a creamy deep conditioner, use a liquid one. Use any liquid conditioner of your choice which you should water down a bit before applying to the hair. Cover with a plastic cap and deep condition as usual.
• Rinse the conditioner from the hair thoroughly with warm water. Do not rub the braids, just let the water pressure from the shower head wash the conditioner out gently. You may then follow on with an apple cider vinegar rinse which is 1 part apple cider vinegar to 4 parts water streamed through the hair which will remove any remaining conditioner residue. This prevents any product build up which would make it difficult to remove your braids when the time comes. Lastly rinse hair for about a minute in cold water to close the hair shaft keeping all the moisture in.
• After towel blotting the braids, apply a generous amount of leave in conditioner and seal with your favourite light oil or silicone based heat protection serum. You can also leave this step until after the hair is dry and out of the large braids/cornrows to condition every strand.
• If you are planning to wear the braids curly either let them air dry or sit under a hooded dryer until completely dry then undo the large braids/cornrows to release your curly micros. If you wish to wear the micros straight, just sit with a towel on your head for about 20 minutes or until the braids are slightly dry then undo the large braids/cornrows. They will be slightly crinkly. Let your hair fall in the style you will be wearing it then re-wet the hair with a spray bottle. The weight of the water will make the strands dry straight. Do not manipulate the braids when they are wet to avoid any slipping. Air dry or sit under a hooded dryer until 100% dry then flat iron ends in large sections to get them super straight (Only for human hair braids). Avoid the flat iron coming into contact with your own hair to protect it.

Tips:

1. Tie a scarf around your head before going under the dryer or air drying to get rid of any frizzes.

2. Do not manipulate the braids when wet or they will slip out.

3. Do not use a creamy conditioner as it will be very difficult to rinse out of the braids and may cause build up.

4. Get the edges plus the partition of your micros redone every 3 weeks to avoid breakage and to keep the style looking fresh.

5. Slick down the little hairs around your front hairline with alcohol free gel for a sleek finish to your style.

Follow these instructions and you won’t have to compromise the health of your hair for your style. Your micro braids will be clean and fresh weekly and your hair will also be in the best of health.