Reyn127
March 21st, 2017, 11:32 PM
So my hair is the kind that doesn't obey heat tools in the slightest - you can attempt to curl it, it will be flat within 3 hours no matter what, you can try to straighten it, and it will just laugh at you and look all wavy/fluffy again soon. I've known this forever and haven't even tried heat styling in years, but I still want to curl my hair sometimes, you know?
Just for the heck of it, I tried a few different styles of rag curls over the summer, and none of them really worked, except for the "victorian era" style - which works WAY better for my hair than I would have ever hoped. Last month for Valentine's day I thought it would be nice to curl my hair, so I did, and it lasted a full six days, even through combing them out. They would have lasted longer if I didn't need to wash my hair at that point.
So now, pictures. This first one is just before I let my hair out of the rags - I was enjoying having some blue "dreads" for a bit, hehe.
https://s25.postimg.org/rb1qgjnnj/vicragcurlers.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/go7xb4fi3/)host image (https://postimage.org/)
This was right after I let my hair out, but before I separated any of the curls. In the back of my head, I think a few of the sections were too thick/didn't dry fully, because you can see that a few of them already weren't holding that well. But that ended up not being a problem.
https://s25.postimg.org/a2v7bcznj/vicragcurlsunbrushed.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/gtboksmt7/)picture host (https://postimage.org/)
Here is my hair a few hours after, curls all separated:
https://s25.postimg.org/yfjjpkuwv/vicragcurlsday1.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/hf0ngwhvf/)free screenshot software (https://postimage.org/app.php)
I didn't comb my hair at all on February 14th or 15th to help preserve the curls, but by the 16th it REALLY needed it. So I combed it all the way through, to the point where I could stick my comb in anywhere and run it all the way through to my ends with no tangles. And, oh my goodness, curly hair takes PATIENCE to detangle!! That took at least an hour... Also you can see kind of on the left/back part of my head, one of those initial curls that didn't hold too well. But here is day 3 of rag curls, after combing:
https://s25.postimg.org/d75v85gfz/vicragcurlsday3.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/chn2vsfwb/)gif image hosting (https://postimage.org/)
I made it until February 20th before I washed it, obviously killing the curls. But inbetween the 16th and 20th, I combed my hair through twice a day, even a couple of times after dampening a few curls with water to help loosen some of them. A few curls were much looser after a few days, some were still really tight and I wanted them to be more alike. But even with water, they were holding up pretty dang well. This is day 6. On the right in the picture, you're looking at the hair that falls closer to my face, and on the left in this picture, that hair is coming from behind my ear/neck. You can tell that the underlayer of hair got much looser, I'm guessing just from friction.
https://s25.postimg.org/cix0p7hq7/vicragcurlsday6.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/52xr3eu0r/)gif image hosting (https://postimage.org/)
Anyway, I hope those were fun to look at! I can update with instructions if anyone wants me too, although I'm sure it's pretty easy to find tutorials already for rag curls.
Edit: I am including the two videos that I found most helpful in learning this method, because a few people have expressed interest in trying this out.
First on is by youtube user Loepsie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tudASPjtng
Second is by user Sweetpea Victoria: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LYcmswbjzM
and a few tips that I have learned to make it easy: 1) I use cotton strips because other fabrics won't let my hair dry all the way. 2) make sure your strips are at LEAST 1.5x the length of your hair, otherwise it may be hard to tie them at the top. 3) make sure the sections you are curling are thin enough to dry overnight! Unlike the two videos I posted, I need at least 10-15 sections, not just a few, or else my hair will never dry. If you want thicker curls, cut your rags wider, don't pile more hair into one curl wrap!
Just for the heck of it, I tried a few different styles of rag curls over the summer, and none of them really worked, except for the "victorian era" style - which works WAY better for my hair than I would have ever hoped. Last month for Valentine's day I thought it would be nice to curl my hair, so I did, and it lasted a full six days, even through combing them out. They would have lasted longer if I didn't need to wash my hair at that point.
So now, pictures. This first one is just before I let my hair out of the rags - I was enjoying having some blue "dreads" for a bit, hehe.
https://s25.postimg.org/rb1qgjnnj/vicragcurlers.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/go7xb4fi3/)host image (https://postimage.org/)
This was right after I let my hair out, but before I separated any of the curls. In the back of my head, I think a few of the sections were too thick/didn't dry fully, because you can see that a few of them already weren't holding that well. But that ended up not being a problem.
https://s25.postimg.org/a2v7bcznj/vicragcurlsunbrushed.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/gtboksmt7/)picture host (https://postimage.org/)
Here is my hair a few hours after, curls all separated:
https://s25.postimg.org/yfjjpkuwv/vicragcurlsday1.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/hf0ngwhvf/)free screenshot software (https://postimage.org/app.php)
I didn't comb my hair at all on February 14th or 15th to help preserve the curls, but by the 16th it REALLY needed it. So I combed it all the way through, to the point where I could stick my comb in anywhere and run it all the way through to my ends with no tangles. And, oh my goodness, curly hair takes PATIENCE to detangle!! That took at least an hour... Also you can see kind of on the left/back part of my head, one of those initial curls that didn't hold too well. But here is day 3 of rag curls, after combing:
https://s25.postimg.org/d75v85gfz/vicragcurlsday3.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/chn2vsfwb/)gif image hosting (https://postimage.org/)
I made it until February 20th before I washed it, obviously killing the curls. But inbetween the 16th and 20th, I combed my hair through twice a day, even a couple of times after dampening a few curls with water to help loosen some of them. A few curls were much looser after a few days, some were still really tight and I wanted them to be more alike. But even with water, they were holding up pretty dang well. This is day 6. On the right in the picture, you're looking at the hair that falls closer to my face, and on the left in this picture, that hair is coming from behind my ear/neck. You can tell that the underlayer of hair got much looser, I'm guessing just from friction.
https://s25.postimg.org/cix0p7hq7/vicragcurlsday6.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/52xr3eu0r/)gif image hosting (https://postimage.org/)
Anyway, I hope those were fun to look at! I can update with instructions if anyone wants me too, although I'm sure it's pretty easy to find tutorials already for rag curls.
Edit: I am including the two videos that I found most helpful in learning this method, because a few people have expressed interest in trying this out.
First on is by youtube user Loepsie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tudASPjtng
Second is by user Sweetpea Victoria: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LYcmswbjzM
and a few tips that I have learned to make it easy: 1) I use cotton strips because other fabrics won't let my hair dry all the way. 2) make sure your strips are at LEAST 1.5x the length of your hair, otherwise it may be hard to tie them at the top. 3) make sure the sections you are curling are thin enough to dry overnight! Unlike the two videos I posted, I need at least 10-15 sections, not just a few, or else my hair will never dry. If you want thicker curls, cut your rags wider, don't pile more hair into one curl wrap!