Help me - big curls?

[Bloodheart]

Big curls are my hair holy grail.

I have thin, medium, slightly wavy hair - between 1C to 2B depending on whether it's a good hair day or not. I'm going out for my birthday, and I want curly hair!!

Normally my hair is just there, it's never styled, not even a ponytail. So I need to find a styling method that is easy to follow, and ideally with as few styling products as possible...whenever I try curling (big velcro rollers, straighteners, braids) it goes wrong some way or another, and I really don't want to risk doing something and ending up with my hair looking bad for my big night.

Any ideas, instructions or tips?

This is the closest thing I've found to what I'm looking for;
http://community.livejournal.com/vintagehair/3414.html but do you think I'd need some sort of styling product for this, and I'm assuming there is no brushing afterwards (yes, I am completely and utterly clueless).

I'm sure if I was to try this either my hair wouldn't stay in the curler or it'd come out twisted and messy - any tips?

To give you an idea of what sort of curl I'd like;
http://1.2.3.11/bmi/www.longhairloom.com/pics/longhairanythingbutboring.jpg The "bun curls" is my dream hair.

[camillacamilla]

The tutorial in the link you posted in a good one. It states very clearly to finger comb your hair to break up the curls(which would mean NO hairbrush). The Wrap, Snap, and Go rollers that Sally Beauty carries would be great for those type of curls. The snaps help them stay in your hair too.

[lora410]

My suggestion is a big barrel curling iron. Be sure to spritz with hairspray when the hair is curled aroudn the iron. That will insure you curls dont fall out :) I am working on big curls myself for my wedding but I have to much hair to curl with an iron.

[FrannyG]

The tutorial is not only cute as a button, but very good. If you can get curlers like that, you won't go wrong. Just make sure to put the dumb look on your face at the appropriate times. :wink:

Practise it on days when it's not your big night out. I think you'll be pleased with the results, especially with your hair type. This method even works for me, with my pin-straight hair.

Look into magnetic rollers perhaps, and also you might want to try end papers so that the ends don't get crimped.

Let us know. :)

[spidermom]

I'd stay away from the big-barrel curling iron if I were you. You have to clamp your hair into that thing for a number of seconds to get a curl, which will damage your hair. Guaranteed.

[Shermie Girl]

I agree with Spidermom. Skip the curling iron if you don't want to damage your hair.

I use jumbo Caruso rollers to get big, bouncy curls. I set fairly large tresses and don't torque on them too tightly. After they are in for however long I feel like leaving them in, I just take them down, run my fingers through them and I have my big curls.

Caruso rollers work wonderfully and they are very, very gentle and hair friendly. With different roller sizes, you can create a lot of different kinds of curls. :D

[mellie89]

Those spongy roller things work really well for me, and my hair is pretty straight naturally. I just put them in when my hair is wet with a little product and let my hair dry or blow dry it on low. The curls hold up really well for me, and I can NEVER get curls to stay with a curling iron.

If you're gentle with them, there's no reason why they should be damaging.

[Qadupae]

I know this is old, but thank you Bloodheart for posting this since I've been wondering the same thing lately now that my hair is getting longer. I want smaller curls, but the suggestins everyone is putting up relates to small curls also and is helpful since several of you are also straighties like me ^_^

[christine1989]

That's a great link and the directions should work on your hair well if you spray it with a little water before you do it. If you have medium hair then it should hold curl well (my corse hair refuses to hold curl :() but you can always add a curling mousse or hairspray to be sure.