Spiral Curls - Sis1

Whenever I curl my girls' hair, which isn't too often, I get asked, "How did you do that?" So I'll tell you.

Using whichever type of curler you choose (type analysis to follow) take a section of hair and begin to wrap it on the curler, starting two to three inches from the scalp.Without letting go of the hair, wind it around the curler until the ends of the hair are wrapped. This will form a twisted spiral on the curler.

Now wrap the section of hair closest to the scalp over the ends of the hair, and around the curler, holding the ends in place. Fasten the curler in the normal way.Allow to set for at least the recommended time for the curler type. I have my girls sleep in the curlers.

In the above picture, I am using curlers I bought at Walmart several years ago. I like them the best for my girls' hair, but sadly, I don't have enough of them and can't find them anymore. They are a long cylinder of fabric filled with foam and have a snap on the ends to hold them together.

This is another type of curler that I got from Walmart several years ago. It is a rhombus-shaped pouch with a rectangle of foam in the center and a flexible wire going all the way through the long way. To close these, you twist the ends together like a twist-tie.

These are my two favorites for over-night curling.

Then there are the old standbys: rag curlers and foam rollers. For rag curlers, cut or tear a strip of old fabric and wrap the hair around it. Tie the two ends of the fabric together. This makes for pretty tight curls. Foam rollers work the same as any of the above, but if the hair is medium length to long, you need to spiral the hair around the curler one way and then back the other way.

When I curl my own hair, since I can't stand to live with myself if I don't wash my hair every morning, I use hot rollers. The method is the same, but the setting time is faster.

For any of the above methods, to get a tighter curl, use less hair per section. For looser curls, use more hair and/or bigger curler size. I still recommend the same setting times.

These are a type of curler that my sister-in-law introduced me to. She loves them. I decided that I'm not thrilled with them, after I bought three sets so I could do all of my long, thick hair with them. (Not the cheapest, either.)They're called Curlformers and I got them from Sally Beauty Supply. They're a semi-rigid plastic net tube that's shaped in a spiral. The starter set comes with a tool for pulling your hair through them. You might get away with using a large crochet hook, instead.

To use these curlers, you put the tool through the curler, then place the section of hair, near the scalp, in the hook. Now, while squeezing the end of the curler nearest the scalp, pull the hair through the curler. Adjust the placement of the curler so that the ends of the hair are inside the curler, all the while sqeezing the end, so that it doesn't rip the hair out of the scalp. Sometimes, it does that anyway (one of the reasons I don't love these.)

The other reason I don't love Curlformers is that the curls are less spiral-like and more wave-like, without a tighter curl at the end. And, since I can make my hair wavy simply by not brushing it after I shower, I have no real use for them. But, as I said, my sister-in-law loves them, and you might, too.

To complete the do: Once the hair is curled, gently remove the curlers. DO NOT BRUSH HAIR, unless, of course your goal is to have a frizz-ball. Just finger-comb to separate curls. If you decide the curls are too tight, mist very lightly with water and gently pull down on the curls.