Though the Curl Secret Conair Curler is a few hundred dollars less than the Bayless, it isn’t the best way to curl your hair. Even the slightest overlook can get chunks of your hair ripped out. The curls are thin and relatively limp, no matter what heat setting you use. Using heat on your hair can also really damage it. Here are a few cheap and heatless alternatives to the Curl Secret Conair Curler.
Big Bouncy Curls
I think it’s safe to say that we all are chasing those lush, bouncy curls that some people are have naturally. Coming from someone with long, fine hair that doesn’t curl, finding something that works can be a real struggle. I have found that the headband curl method has been consistently successful for me. Before you can get optimal results, you need to know your hair. What works best for your hair and my hair might be a little different, so I would suggest trying this method two or three times with different materials or varying levels of dampness in your hair.
Materials:
- Headband, bandana, or tights (I like to use a headband because you can untie it and it makes taking out your curls faster)
- Spray bottle with water (optional)
- Bobby pins (optional)
- Comb or Brush
- Hairspray
Instructions:
Step one
Before you go to bed, brush out your hair and part it as you would normally
Step Two
With your spray bottle, slightly dampen your hair. You DO NOT want dripping wet hair. It will not dry, and your hair will be a half curled mess. Some of you will be able to skip this step; it all depends on your hair type. Don’t be afraid to play around with the level of moisture you add to your hair
Step Three
Take your headband, bandana, or tights and put it around your head on top of your hair in a “hippie” style. If you are using a bandana or tights, you will have to tie them to fit your head
Step Four
Now you’re going to start wrapping. There are a few ways you can wrap your hair, either in individual strands or as one continuous strand. If you wrap individual strands, you can choose how you want to curl the strand, and it will give your look more texture. For individual strands, just take a section and wrap it around the headband until you get to the end of your hair. You want to wrap it pretty tight because your curls will loosen as you sleep.
The other way to wrap your hair is in one single strand. So you take a strand of hair, and every time you wrap it, you add a little more hair, like you would with a french braid. This style offers a bit more uniformity. For looser curls, wrap your hair so that it spans the length of your headband, for tighter curls, wrap your hair close together. Don’t be afraid to let your hair overlap
Step Five
Make sure that all your ends are tucked in, if your hair is stubborn like mine, you can secure them with bobby pins
Step Six
I always just leave this overnight and sleep on it, but if you are going to an event in the evening, I would say leave this in for about five hours for optimal results
Step Seven
When you are ready to take the curls out it’s pretty easy. Before taking out your curls, I would suggest giving them a spritz of hairspray. If you used a headband and did one continuous strand, you can just carefully unroll the headband; but if you used a headband and did singular curls, you have to take them out, one at a time. If you used tights or a bandana, you can just untie the knot and slip it out of your hair.
Step Eight
Carefully go through your hair and check for bobby pins
Step Nine
Run a comb or a pick through the top section of your hair to touch up the sections that weren’t curled, like your roots
Step Ten
Hairspray your hair until you are satisfied that it will stay
Finger Waves
Finger waves are not exactly curls, but they are still a beautiful way to dress up your hair. This method can be tricky for short hair, but I have done it before with pretty good results.
Materials:
- 3-5 Bandanas (you want the ones that are a rougher material, not the silky kind)
- Rubber Bands
- Spray bottle with water
- Hairspray
- Comb/Brush
Instructions:
Step One
Comb or brush your hair so that there are no tangles, and part it the way you normally would
Step Two
With your spray bottle, moisten your hair. You do not want it to be dripping wet because then it won’t do anything. Not everyone will have to do this step; you can play around with it
Step Three
Take your bandana and fold it in half diagonally, so that it is a triangle. From here, neatly roll the triangle so that it becomes a long and skinny rectangle
Step Four
Separate a strand of hair out, it can be as thick as you’d like
Step Five
Fold your bandana in half so that the length is now half what it was, and place it so that it is sitting on top of the strand you have separated out with the two halves straddling the piece of hair. The bandana should be at about level with the top of your ear
Step Six
Now you are going to wrap your strand of hair around the bandana. You are essentially weaving your hair, so keep the over under pattern in mind. Start by taking a strand of hair over and around one piece of the bandana, then over and around the other piece of bandana
Step Seven
Continue this process, all while pushing your hair up the bandana. You want to keep your wrapping pretty tight
Step Eight
Use your rubber bands to secure your ends in place, and tie the ends of your bandanas together
Step Nine
I usually leave these in overnight, but if you are using this method for an evening event, I would suggest leaving this in for four or five hours
Step Ten
To take these out, just untie the bandana, remove the rubber band and carefully unwrap your hair
Step Eleven
Spritz your hair with hairspray, and you’re ready to go!
Tips for Touching up:
The only problem with overnight heatless curls is the frizz that is always an outcome of sleeping. Some ways you can combat frizz are:
- After taking down your hair from your heatless curling method, take a pic or a comb and gently go through the top of your hair that is affected by the frizz.
- You can also put a little hairspray on a toothbrush and gently work through your hair.
- Adding a little mouse can also cut down on frizz and prolong the life of your curls
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