Creating curls with my heat cap

[julliams]

I tried this today and it really worked for me.

I have been trying out Diamond Eyes' method of achieving heat free curls . http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/blog.php?b=99317 The problem for me with the method is that, try as I might, I can't sleep in these things without having an awful night. I have been experimenting with ways to achieve it without sleeping in them.

I had done the curls the day before (only in curlers for an hour and a half) and they had mostly fallen out I had to be somewhere in half an hour so I tried something different and hoped for the best.

I put some Nightblooming Summer Panacea through my dry hair, wound my hair back up into 7 flexi rods (mine are 2cm wide). Then I used my heat cap (wondercap). http://www.thread.co.nz/index.php?page=/news/2420/15//d,thread-article Mine is the old style - the big wheatbag type thing that you heat in the microwave, put on your head and then cover with the terry-towling cap. I just shoved all my curlers up under the heated wheatbag) and then positioned the towel cap on the top. I left it up for about 10 mintues, then took it out and let it cool as much as possible. I took the curlers out and it curled really well. This is a pic on my couch 6 hours later. It's been a really windy day so they got a little messed up since I went out this afternoon.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8146/7186752140_3f17be5977.jpg

These are the kind of curls I really love, big and soft. I usually have some hint of curl the next day, but as you can see, it only takes around 20 minutes to revive them. I could see myself incorporating this method into my morning routine. I think you could do it all before a shower, shower, then remove the heat cap, go about normal morning business and then take them out just before walking out the door. A quick fluff of the curls to break them up seems to work well.

The biggest tip I can give is to wind from the top down - gives that ringlet look that seems to stay.

So I guess these are NOT heat free curls, but I'm convinced that since the heat is more like warmth it shouldn't be damaging to my hair. I mean, you can put your hand on the heated wheatbag and not get burned at all.

What do you think? Damaging or not? Post your results if you try it.

[Alacris~]

Really pretty!!! I have to try it.. (And I don't think it is damaging and a lot of people use heated towels and caps for oiling too:)) And I can't help but notice the Cello in the background:inlove: Do you play?:D

[julliams]

I got to about 4th grade and then I was pregnant with my son so it became impossible to play. Once I had my son I simply didn't have time as I had a 3 year old as well. So now it's a piece of art in my home. I love it and it represents that it's never too late to start something you love. My son is 10 now but I haven't picked it up again. Maybe one day...

[kidari]

Beautiful! Thank you for sharing with us. I get the best results from those foam rods but I cannot sleep in them either no matter what. I don't have a heat cap but have been wanting to get one for deep conditioning and such- now I'll have another use for it when I get one! I don't think it's all that damaging. When I tried to sleep in mine it would sometimes tug really badly on my scalp in some places; I think that's probably more damaging. Also, the heat from the cap would help the ingredients in the panacea penetrate the hair better, right?

[Alacris~]

That is a real inspiration! I just started and I am 21. It most definitely is never to late to start! (My dad is 59 and just started the piano) so you still have the time whenever you like to start again.:)
And it works as a piece of art too:D

And on topic:
How do you revive your curls the next day or thoughout the day, just scrunching?:)

And I second the heat working positively because it makes the ingedients penetrate the hair better!

[julliams]

Oh I meant just doing the method I wrote about above - putting the Panacea in my hair, winding the curlers in, putting the heat cap on for 10 minutes, taking it off and letting hair cool, then taking them out. That's what I meant by reviving. The fact that it only took 20 minutes is a real plus for me!

Scrunching wouldn't work for me unless I was to re-wet my hair - and then I think my normal wave pattern would want to take over. It's nice too, but it's not the look I'm liking at the moment.

[julliams]

When I tried to sleep in mine it would sometimes tug really badly on my scalp in some places; I think that's probably more damaging. Also, the heat from the cap would help the ingredients in the panacea penetrate the hair better, right?

I agree - I get some awful tugging that is so painful that sometimes I end up pulling out the offending hair just to get some relief. And I agree that the heat cat is getting the panacea to penetrate as it looks a little greasy going in, but once the heat-cap comes off, it's not greasy looking at all and I'd be happy to put more in if I had to. It's working really well for me. Having tried all these overnight options to no avail, it's great to find something that works in such little time that I don't believe is damaging to my hair.

I also sleep on a silk pillowcase which I think helps keep the basic curl in there until the next day.

[Littlewing13]

Wow looks amazing! I want! So wondercap huh? I was thinking that might work... Did you have any trouble getting the curlers all in there? I thought it might be too small since its only made for treatments. I don't think it would damage at all (I think sleeping in rollers is more likely to tear out/break hair) & if you oiled or left some conditioner in it would only help that to penetrate.
Thanks for the post!

[julliams]

Well, my Wondercap is the original one. The one they have now is a gel version and I don't know if they would fit inside. The original one has a grain insert. It looks like a quilted piece of calico - a big flattish circle that you microwave. I just roll the curlers from the ears down, then flip them up so that they pile on top of my head. Then I plonk the heated calico heat thingy on top to hold them down. Now at this point, I just put the terry towel cap on top and it does fit if I clip it to my hair. Alternatively I have a mircofibre towel that I could just wrap around turban-style to get the same effect. If anyone wants a blow-by-blow tutorial I could work on it.

I would think that if a person could find out what kind of grains are inside this thing, and is handy with a machine, you could simply sew two circles of calico together and quilt it so that bits of the grain are evenly dispersed over the inside. Then I think you could use a large microfibre towel or even a big showercap to hold it all together on your head.

Hope I'm making sense!

[rock007junkie]

Looks really pretty.

[Hollyfire3]

Very pretty and such aneat idea! i agree that with overnight curling, my hair is pulled and yanked, I'm convinced it is not helping one bit for my hair! I just received this thing called a topstyler: http://www.topstyler.com/ and although it is heat, I used it last night and it never really even got that hot. maybe with small enough sections it would work like your idea? I don't really think its damaging (not just because the website says so, but because I used it last night) but I have yet to be able to section my mess of hair into small enough sections to get the heat to curl...

[seaj]

This post reminded me of of a similar product that is made just for heating and setting curls. I've never used it, but I always wanted to because it basically turns any set of curlers in Caruso curlers because this cap uses steam to curl the hair.

http://www.microwavescorp.com/index.htm

The curls look great by the way!

I think this might be the original tutorial.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=833vPVnmBxc

[Diamond.Eyes]

Your curls are so beautiful! If I can't stand the bendy rollers being near my scalp while I sleep, sometimes I only roll the curlers up to about chin length. This really gets rid of the discomfort associated with sleeping on them. While you won't get as much volume on top if you sleep with them rolled up only to chin-length, you will end up with some very gorgeous curled ends. :flower:

[julliams]

Thanks Diamond Eyes - and thanks so much for posting your tutorial on the heat free thread. If I hadn't found that tutorial, I would never have tried these.

I have been experimenting with them and I find that I get best results when I roll them a couple of inches from my head, so similar to what you are suggesting but I still can't sleep with them. I have only had one successful night in them - and when I say successful I mean they stayed in all night without me going crazy and taking them out. That particular time I didn't have any hairs pulling and I was able to tuck my pillow underneath the curlers so that I couldn't feel them. Normally though I'm such a light sleeper I wake continuously and it makes for an awful night. My daughter, however finds a comfortable position and goes to sleep without any trouble. So for her it works brilliantly.

I've woken up this morning and the curls you see in the picture are still there so I'm really pleased with this method for me and posted it because I thought it might help someone who, like me, is trying everything to get the perfect method.

Seaj - that was the product that made me think that my wondercap could be used in the very same way. For me to order that steam cap, it will cost me almost $70 with them charging me $40 shipping to Australia so I just tried something else - and it worked!

[jacqueline101]

Your hair is lovely.

[julliams]

Just wanted to update this thread that I purchased the new Wondercap (the one with gel in it) and I use it in the same way. I have found that by putting my terry toweling cap over the top of it, it stays warmer for alot longer. I think the trick is letting the curls completely cool before taking them out.

[TheWhiteRabbit]

I love this method

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qW9n4zyDjk

[MaryO]

Your hair looks amazing! Gorgeous curls and awesome colour!