tips and tricks for rag curls for fine hair?
August 18, 2012 8:18 PM Subscribe
i feel like everytime i do rag curls i'm doing it wrong - my hair ends up like i used my crimper from the 80s, instead of hypercurly. advice? (hair is well-conditioned and naturally wavy.)
Oops, link fail. Here is the tutorial.
posted by two lights above the sea at 8:50 PM on August 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by two lights above the sea at 8:50 PM on August 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
Yes, that's pretty much the method my Mom used on my sister and me Saturday nights so we'd have proper curls for church the next morning, and we had fine, waist-length, stick-straight hair back then, too. The only difference was that she used folded "man-size" Kleenex instead of cloth (I think I'd prefer cloth) and she didn't dampen our hair.
If you try the tutorial and your hair is still too tightly curled, maybe try dry rag wrapping instead.
posted by maudlin at 9:11 PM on August 18, 2012 [2 favorites]
If you try the tutorial and your hair is still too tightly curled, maybe try dry rag wrapping instead.
posted by maudlin at 9:11 PM on August 18, 2012 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: i was looking for "big hair" - tighter curls closer to the roots.
but your fyi is kickass - will definitely use that for days i just want to curl up the ends - thanks!
posted by jambina at 9:11 PM on August 18, 2012
but your fyi is kickass - will definitely use that for days i just want to curl up the ends - thanks!
posted by jambina at 9:11 PM on August 18, 2012
I imagine trying to get closer to the roots causes your sections to get smaller. So bigger sections, maybe by flipping your hair over, with thicker rags?
Or you could try the sock bun.
posted by two lights above the sea at 9:24 PM on August 18, 2012
Or you could try the sock bun.
posted by two lights above the sea at 9:24 PM on August 18, 2012
How short/long is your hair? For pretty awesome curls on short-to-medium length hair I can recommend two alternatives to rag curls that give really good results: 1) soft spikes and 2) curl formers. Internet video tutorials for both abound.
posted by skye.dancer at 9:30 PM on August 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by skye.dancer at 9:30 PM on August 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
Oh I'm sorry, I think I misunderstood. Do you want the very tight, 'fro curls? If so, my tutorial is crap for that!
I once got that by doing a TON of sectioning on fairly wet hair and rolled all the way to the roots. Not sure what fabric you are using, but I use flannel. I think the curling method is important--tuck in the ends smoothly and curl in one direction (I go upward).
posted by two lights above the sea at 9:30 PM on August 18, 2012
I once got that by doing a TON of sectioning on fairly wet hair and rolled all the way to the roots. Not sure what fabric you are using, but I use flannel. I think the curling method is important--tuck in the ends smoothly and curl in one direction (I go upward).
posted by two lights above the sea at 9:30 PM on August 18, 2012
Response by poster: normally i do a lot of sections close to the roots - but maybe i'm doing them too small, and that's why i'm getting el crimpo instead of curls?
posted by jambina at 9:30 PM on August 18, 2012
posted by jambina at 9:30 PM on August 18, 2012
Are you rolling them really tightly? My "rags" are always kind floppy.
posted by two lights above the sea at 9:33 PM on August 18, 2012
posted by two lights above the sea at 9:33 PM on August 18, 2012
Is there a chance your hair is too conditioned? I have curly hair that has flipped from needing loads and loads of moisturizing to not needing a great deal. Over-conditioning it led to it become a droopy limp mess and it sure didnt respond to the usual products and whatnot. Took me ages to figure out what was going on and to correct it (as much as I, a lazy hair person, can correct it)
posted by pymsical at 12:03 AM on August 19, 2012
posted by pymsical at 12:03 AM on August 19, 2012
What kind of curly look are you going for? I do rag curls all the time and typically get a retro 50's-ish flip by separating into 4-6 sections rolling from the bottom and tying it at the hairline. (Usually 4 cause I'm lazy!) Any more than 8 and they do start to get really crimpy looking. The few times that I've tried rolling higher to get to the roots on my crown, it's always come out kind odd so I don't bother now. In the morning I just unroll, flip my head upside down and loosen the curls with my fingers, then voila! Big wonderful curls!
posted by platinum at 3:26 AM on August 19, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by platinum at 3:26 AM on August 19, 2012 [2 favorites]
lovemaegan.com has a tutorial here--basically, try twisting sections of your (slightly damp) hair, and then twisting that twisted coil onto itself into a little bun. Smaller sections=littler, tighter curls.
She repeated it here (with bigger sections, and the curls pulled apart more for a "big hair" styling).
posted by neda at 4:54 AM on August 19, 2012 [1 favorite]
She repeated it here (with bigger sections, and the curls pulled apart more for a "big hair" styling).
posted by neda at 4:54 AM on August 19, 2012 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: after looking at the links posted, i'm totally rolling them too tightly around the rag, so i'm getting tight corkscrew curls instead of fun bouncy curls.
thanks all!
posted by jambina at 4:14 PM on August 19, 2012
thanks all!
posted by jambina at 4:14 PM on August 19, 2012
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I've done this tutorial before and it's perfect. My hair sounds about the same texture as yours. Never do it on dripping wet hair. I usually just wet it at the ends as the tutorial instructs. And roll the hair upward as smoothly as possible. I have toofo BIG sections, though. Like one in the back and one on each side.
posted by two lights above the sea at 8:49 PM on August 18, 2012