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View Full Version : How to get heat free curls to stay more than an hour?



Nadine <3
September 3rd, 2016, 05:16 PM
I see people who can do heat free curls and have them stay for 2-3 DAYS. I'm lucky if I have more than a wave after an hour. What gives? I got these really nice flexi rods that give me AMAZING curls, but I can't get them to stay :( I tried doing it damp right out of the shower, and then I tried it on slightly dirty hair, just wetting the sections with a spray bottle as I went. I always make sure it's dry before I take them out.

Even when I use hairspray, they won't stay!

What's the secret? Any products I should be using? I want pretty curls :(

vampyyri
September 3rd, 2016, 05:24 PM
I know TorrinPaige is doing a whole series on heatless curling methods this month! Keep an eye out for those videos!

But perhaps a wee bit of aloe gel would help them stay a bit better in the meantime?

Nadine <3
September 3rd, 2016, 05:29 PM
I know TorrinPaige is doing a whole series on heatless curling methods this month! Keep an eye out for those videos!

But perhaps a wee bit of aloe gel would help them stay a bit better in the meantime?

Ohhh, I'll have to run over and watch her videos again! Maybe I can go ask hr what she suggests :)

I don't know what it is about aloe, but my hair despises it. I used it once last year and it made my hair really...stretchy? It was weird and it took several washes and protein treatments to get it back to normal.shudder:

school of fish
September 3rd, 2016, 05:52 PM
I see people who can do heat free curls and have them stay for 2-3 DAYS. I'm lucky if I have more than a wave after an hour. What gives? I got these really nice flexi rods that give me AMAZING curls, but I can't get them to stay :( I tried doing it damp right out of the shower, and then I tried it on slightly dirty hair, just wetting the sections with a spray bottle as I went. I always make sure it's dry before I take them out.

Even when I use hairspray, they won't stay!

What's the secret? Any products I should be using? I want pretty curls :(

I can't conceive of curls lasting days! My hair is stubbornly curl-resistant. Products designed to hold just weigh the curls down and they fall out in minutes. I feel your pain.

A wet set is the only thing that seems to hold curl on me, but as my hair has gotten longer I've had to change my approach. There's one - ONE - method that I've had success with, and it uses bendy rollers!

The key is that I have to start with bone-dry hair. Then I spiral-roll my hair onto the bendy rollers (no overlapping of wraps) and when I'm down to the ends I secure those in place with mini claw clips. Bend up the rollers in placeand then give everything a good spritzing with rosewater (plain water works just as well) from a fine-mist spray bottle. Let them dry fully a couple hours and then release the curls :)

It still won't stay days, but using this method at least gives me curls that last the length of a evening out ;) I do this for dance performances and the texture stays reasonably well. What makes all the difference for me is that I'm dampening my hair AFTER rolling it up - it just won't dry fully if my hair's even the slightest bit damp before rolling.

My avatar shows my hair just out of the bendy rollers :D My profile pic shows what they look like brushed out, and my siggy pic shows my natural texture :)

I discovered this way of curling on one of the heatless curl threads on this board - if you're interested in the photo tutorial I'll try to dig around and unearth the link for you :)

Alissalocks
September 3rd, 2016, 06:51 PM
I also use bendy rollers, but my hair is so fine, and the atmosphere so dry, that I can wrap when it's damp but not yet dry from a wash and after an hour or so it will be tight curls that last a good while. One trick I've learned is to twirl the hair strand and THEN wrap it spiral style up, or down, the bendy roller. It creates a tighter, more spiral curl, if you like.

Like school of fish, whose hair is just my dream!, I use wet-setting in lieu of heat to create the curls, and it holds fairly well for me too even when performing. I rarely use hair spray, I just don't unless I am made to for a stage moment, but I really won't now. :shudder: Sometimes I've used some Redken Antisnap as a quick serum when damp but before rolling, but that's about it for product to help set.

Nadine <3
September 3rd, 2016, 06:52 PM
School of fish, I have never tried rolling them while they're dry! I'm going to try your method tonight and try to sleep on them! Hopefully I can sleep with them in and tomorrow I will have bootiful curls :) The ones in your photo are so pretty.

school of fish
September 3rd, 2016, 07:05 PM
School of fish, I have never tried rolling them while they're dry! I'm going to try your method tonight and try to sleep on them! Hopefully I can sleep with them in and tomorrow I will have bootiful curls :) The ones in your photo are so pretty.

Best of luck!! I hope you this works for you :D

Vanilla
September 3rd, 2016, 07:06 PM
My curls also fall super quickly. I find the curls stay the best for me if I use mousse, avoid cones and no oil whatsoever.

Michelle Ravel
September 3rd, 2016, 07:21 PM
If you wash your hair at night then put in rags/curlers, and sleep in them, you will end up with curls that will refuse to straighten. An overnight set is magic.

hobbitlocks
September 3rd, 2016, 07:24 PM
I find that curls and/or braid waves stay better for me if I start damp from the shower (I have less luck with dirty hair) and I do a heavier-than-normal oil and cream application. Not a ton, but like an extra drop per side of oil. Which is the opposite of what Vanilla just said, so take my advice with a grain of salt! ;) I think mousse would work really well, but I haven't tried it since I've switched to heatless methods.

Deborah
September 3rd, 2016, 09:44 PM
I spent countless years sleeping in rollers. The curls and waves never lasted all day. I am so much happier since I decided, years ago, that my hair can just be straight, and I can love its sleek, shiny straightness. Every hair type is good. :flower:

missrandie
September 3rd, 2016, 10:22 PM
The big secret for me has always been to let my hair dry in its rollers/curlers/thingies COMPLETELY. Whether I start damp or dry then dampen, it has to completely dry to set right.

Also, I love the darn "wrap, snap, and go" rag roller things. They've always treated me well.

Yarrow
September 3rd, 2016, 10:54 PM
A few hours doesn't last very long on my hair. The longer I leave it in a set, the longer it will last. The longest it holds is when it is from 7pm till around 1pm the following day. Those lasted for a week, even with a brush out and braiding.
You can also use a set lotion/gel or substitute that with flaxseed gel.
Also air humidity plays a role, if it's dry it's fine, if it's raining, my hair goes back to its normal texture.

lapushka
September 4th, 2016, 05:14 AM
I'd try dampening it slightly, then adding a tiiiny bit of gel or a holding product like hairspray - then, and then rolling the roller.

PixieP
September 4th, 2016, 05:27 AM
I can't go to sleep with slightly damp hair; it will still be damp in the morning. One day I had a French braid while working out that got damp from sweat around the nape. That was about 4 in the afternoon. I went to sleep in it and didn't take it out before noon the next day; it was still damp. My hair refuses to dry if it's stuck close together. All my attempts at damp heartless overnight curls only end with damp sorta-curls that disappear as the hair dries. It's frustrating!

lapushka
September 4th, 2016, 06:57 AM
I can't go to sleep with slightly damp hair; it will still be damp in the morning. One day I had a French braid while working out that got damp from sweat around the nape. That was about 4 in the afternoon. I went to sleep in it and didn't take it out before noon the next day; it was still damp. My hair refuses to dry if it's stuck close together. All my attempts at damp heartless overnight curls only end with damp sorta-curls that disappear as the hair dries. It's frustrating!

I don't know about anyone else, but I definitely meant dampening *slightly* with a spray bottle, or perhaps waiting until 90-95% dry.

school of fish
September 4th, 2016, 07:13 AM
I don't know about anyone else, but I definitely meant dampening *slightly* with a spray bottle, or perhaps waiting until 90-95% dry.

^^ For me, dampening even 95% dry hair and then bunning/braiding/rolling for sleep means waking up with 95% dry hair - the curl/waves fail because they never dry fully without airflow.

There's something about my hair that refuses to dry when contained. It's stubborn ;) It's so weird because when left loose my hair dries about 95% in about an hour! But if contained in any way I swear it would never dry fully.

That's why I was so chuffed when I discovered that setting my hair dry and *then* dampening it gave me some success :) This way I can dampen the hair *just* enough to set, but it actually has a shot at drying because the moisture isn't locked into the centre of the wrap where air can't get to it :)

PixieP
September 4th, 2016, 07:51 AM
I don't know about anyone else, but I definitely meant dampening *slightly* with a spray bottle, or perhaps waiting until 90-95% dry.

90-95 dry will still not dry overnight for me! And dampening slightly with a spray bottle will either mean it's still damp in the morning, or just make it frizzy. My hair is not easy XD

school of fish
September 4th, 2016, 07:58 AM
90-95 dry will still not dry overnight for me! And dampening slightly with a spray bottle will either mean it's still damp in the morning, or just make it frizzy. My hair is not easy XD

Mine's exactly the same PixieP! 'Not easy' is a good descriptor ;) It amazes me how my hair can be soaking wet and it will dry in no time if left loose, but even a slight dampening with a spray bottle and bunned for sleep it would stay damp throughout the next day and into the next night as well! My hair is quirky in a great many ways ;)

Nadine <3
September 4th, 2016, 09:37 AM
I have an issue...I went to bed with the flexi rods in my hair. I put them in dry and then spritzed them with plain water. Went to bed.

I woke up this morning and my hair was loose. I looked around and all the curlers that had been on my head were strewn about my bed. I went to the bathroom to look in the mirror and I have some weird frizzy waves on one side, and the other side is completely flat. I don't remember ever even moving last night, let alone ripping 10 rollers out of my hair...

I guess I have to set my rollers early in the morning and have curls in the evening because sleeping Nadine wasn't having it.

Johannah
September 4th, 2016, 10:36 AM
the Twingle set! There are different brands by the way but this works amazingly well :)

Johannah
September 4th, 2016, 10:39 AM
the Twingle set! There are different brands by the way but this works amazingly well :)

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=16736&d=1428680049

This is from quite a while ago. I didn't use the Twingle set for long (used it on 95% dry hair and blowdried it) and even combed my hair after that.

school of fish
September 4th, 2016, 10:39 AM
Oh man! Yeah, I can't sleep on rollers for similar reasons ;)

Yes, give it a shot during wake time. That's what I have to do on performance days - having to wear rollers in my hair while I go about my day is one of the main reasons why I don't curl my hair often :p

Good luck on round 2!

sumidha
September 4th, 2016, 11:30 AM
I have an issue...I went to bed with the flexi rods in my hair. I put them in dry and then spritzed them with plain water. Went to bed.

I woke up this morning and my hair was loose. I looked around and all the curlers that had been on my head were strewn about my bed. I went to the bathroom to look in the mirror and I have some weird frizzy waves on one side, and the other side is completely flat. I don't remember ever even moving last night, let alone ripping 10 rollers out of my hair...

I guess I have to set my rollers early in the morning and have curls in the evening because sleeping Nadine wasn't having it.

Wrapping a scarf around your head might keep them from escaping.

krissykins
September 4th, 2016, 04:19 PM
I spent countless years sleeping in rollers. The curls and waves never lasted all day. I am so much happier since I decided, years ago, that my hair can just be straight, and I can love its sleek, shiny straightness. Every hair type is good. :flower:

I think this is an important point. My hair is naturally wurly, but I spent many years straightening it before LHC. I wanted to have sleek, straight hair, but even with heat, my waves would reappear within a day. I've embraced my natural hair texture now, even though I still love straight hair, and I am a lot less frustrated these days.

However, to address your question, have you tried using a setting lotion before you curl the hair?

Michelle Ravel
September 4th, 2016, 07:33 PM
I was going to say the same thing! A wet set with gel/setting lotion should still work pretty well for curls. Of course it won't work quite as well on stick-straight hair. But the wet-set with gel is how our great-grandmas all managed those fabulous finger waves back in the day!

So, basically, you use wet-to-damp hair, the wetter the better, really, and then apply generous amounts of gel. Then curl in into pincurls or rag curls or whatever you're doing. Then you have to leave it in for a really long time so it will dry. If you have less porous hair, it will take forever.

I have kind of thinner, porous hair, so leaving curlers in overnight means it will be dry by the next morning. You have to put a cap or a scarf over your head or your sleeping will disturb the curls.

If you have really coarse hair that won't dry, then probably sitting under one of those drying hoods is the only way.

wispe
September 4th, 2016, 07:45 PM
I can get days of curls with stand-up/elevated pin curls, but I do have to re-roll them nightly. The first night I roll them up damp and sleep in them, all days after I re-roll them dry and spritz them damp after before I go to sleep. I find these dry better than rag curls since the air flow is better. I cover with a scarf (keeps them from frizzing, and if a pin works its way loose it keeps it from falling) and it doesn't seem to matter if I lie on them and squash them down or no. :? My APL layers will stay for days with no product or re-pinning, but my longer layers definitely droop by the end of the first day, less so when I use mousse/setting product. I never use too much because I do have to comb through these when I take them down (I mainly brush each curl individually as I take them out and twirl it around my finger so it falls in a spiral). I definitely can't get a full day without drooping if it's humid or damp out though, so I've been waiting to do them until the weather starts cooperating again.

Nadine <3
September 4th, 2016, 08:53 PM
I don't know if it's a setting lotion persay, but I have a herbal essence product that has a soft hold, it's like conditioner. That is what I use.

As far as embracing the texture I have, this is true and I do enjoy my texture but I also get bored with it from time to time and feel the need for something different. I kind of feel like if I'm going to go through growing my hair super long, I should allow myself to have fun with it! wearing my hair down and curly for a special day or whatever helps fight of boredum and makes me appreciate buns more when I have my hair down and my hair is suddenly flying everywhere and getting stuck in my mouth lol

school of fish
September 5th, 2016, 10:51 AM
Aha! Found the tutorial where I first learned this curling method I use :) I posted it to another curl thread and thought maybe I'd share it here too :D

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/blog.php?b=99317

krissykins
September 5th, 2016, 08:02 PM
I don't know if it's a setting lotion persay, but I have a herbal essence product that has a soft hold, it's like conditioner. That is what I use.

As far as embracing the texture I have, this is true and I do enjoy my texture but I also get bored with it from time to time and feel the need for something different. I kind of feel like if I'm going to go through growing my hair super long, I should allow myself to have fun with it! wearing my hair down and curly for a special day or whatever helps fight of boredum and makes me appreciate buns more when I have my hair down and my hair is suddenly flying everywhere and getting stuck in my mouth lol

I hope I didn't come off as preachy! :flower: I just thought that Deborah's point was worth reiterating.

Deborah
September 5th, 2016, 08:06 PM
Back when I slept in rollers I generally had to wear a bouffant fabric covering over the rollers to keep them from loosening up. You can buy things like this for 2 or 3 bucks in places like WalMart.

Kajzh
September 5th, 2016, 09:42 PM
Using aloe vera is KEY for setting my heat-free curls. I swear by it. The plant gel works as a holding gel, but it's also a natural humectant that keeps your hair moisturized. Even better, it is 100% water-soluble.

truepeacenik
September 6th, 2016, 09:52 AM
Nadine stated her hair over moisturizes and gets gummy from aloe.

I can bun twist and have about six hours of curls (and eight inches less length) so that's perfect for a single event, or photo session, or similar. But, living on a coast means slooooow drying, so I bun from damp two days before the event and wear a pony scrub or scarf that hides it all.
I want to try t shirt strips and spritzing, next. T shirts would absorb extra dampness.

Kajzh
September 6th, 2016, 11:51 AM
Nadine stated her hair over moisturizes and gets gummy from aloe.


I read through the thread but missed that response from her! Flaxseed gel is another homemade alternative that is very different from aloe without being too crunchy like a storebought gel. :)

Larki
September 6th, 2016, 07:48 PM
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=16736&d=1428680049

This is from quite a while ago. I didn't use the Twingle set for long (used it on 95% dry hair and blowdried it) and even combed my hair after that.
These are called Curlformers in the US, they work wonderfully on my hair. I also use a curl mousse on each section just before curling it and leave them in at least 7-8 hours.