I was both blessed and cursed with super straight hair.
Blessed because I know the lengths some of you go to to straighten your hair, and cursed because my hair just doesn’t curl well. Or at least it didn’t until I learned a new trick recently!
Usually, curling my hair is super time consuming. (My hair might be fine, but there is a LOT of it.) And regardless of the technique – curling iron, flat iron, hot rollers, curling wand, etc., the curl just would not hold. I tried different hair gels and mousses and was still left with limp curls at best. Needless to say, I didn’t put forth the effort to curl my hair very often!
I don’t even remember what site I was visiting but I came across a blog where a woman described hair similar to mine and how she had finally found a trick to making her curl last longer. The key? Applying mousse to DRY HAIR.
Did everyone know this but me? (That is very possible.) My entire life I have been applying mousse to my hair right before I dried it with a blow dryer. I mean, the bottle usually even says, “apply to damp hair”. Good grief, knowing this would have saved me a lot of frustration over the years! But I’m glad I know now!
My process:
1. Take mousse (I currently use Tresemme.) and put a softball sized amount in one hand. (Seems like a lot, but it works.) My hair is kind of long at the moment, about 4 inches past my shoulders, so use less or more depending on hair length.
2. Apply to dry hair. I usually start below my scalp and work my way down. (Since I don’t like to wash my hair every day I like to keep my scalp free of product generally.) Brush through.
3. I separate the top layer of my hair and clip it up. Then I take medium -size sections and add the hot roller (or curling iron) and work my way around my head. When I’m finished with the bottom layer I do the same for the top.
4. Curl! Lately I’ve been using hot rollers (I’m pretty sure it’s the same set I used when I was about 9.) and find them really easy to use. But a curling iron or wand works to if that’s what you’re used to.
5. If I’m using a curling iron I finish up with some hair spray. If I’m using hot rollers (my preferred method these days) I usually do my makeup while I let them cool. Once cool I mist lightly with hairspray before I remove the rollers and then again after I take them out.
6. I try not to use a brush but just use my fingers to separate the curl a bit. Add more hairspray and go!
Do you like the background of my picture? I took this photo while waiting for kids to show up to my Sunday School class!
The best part is that I usually love how it looks even more the next day – very full and soft!
What are your hair tips? Do you have any tricks for making your curls last? Or if you’re blessed with natural curl, what are your tips for straightening? Share!
