Curls For Days: The Ultimate Velcro Rollers Guide

READING TIME: 8 MINUTES

Volume, volume, volume! Whether you’re looking to achieve corkscrew curls, summery beach waves, or voluptuously retro big hair, Velcro hair rollers can help you achieve the desired look without worrying about heat damage.

No matter what your hair type or hair length is, hair rollers come in an incredibly wide selection, ensuring there is a hair roller for the style you’re looking for!

You may think Velcro rollers are an obsolete method (they were popularised by the Baby Boomers after all), but they’re far from it! This timeless hair-craze is all over the internet (and we probably need to thank the recent 60s and 70s revival for that). Besides being trendy, Velcro rollers are a heatless styling method, keeping you fashionable whilst being kind to your hair (both natural and extensions)!

Although they may seem pretty easy and self-explanatory, make sure you follow the right steps to achieve the curls of your dreams with your Velcro hair rollers. To make things easier for you, we put together a step-by-step guide so that you won’t miss out on the elegant experience of having a head full of Velcro rollers, just like a nostalgic Hollywood diva!

When styling your hair, sectioning it is essential. Learning different sectioning techniques will help you achieve many different hairstyles with no stress, and will also play a vital factor in easing the blowout process. When it comes to curling, knowing how to section your hair with Velcro rollers is extremely important: while your hair is still slightly damp, match the same size as the hair roller and finish with a very faint spritz of hairspray. As a general rule, it's best to start with your fringe first - then work outwards from your crown.

Once your section is ready and finished with a light layer of fixer, it’s time to roll. Hold your section straight first, then roll the ends of your hair around the roller. The Velcro fibres will help in securing the hair in position! You should always roll them inwards, working your way up towards your roots. Secure them with bobby pins or styling clips and go onto the next section.

Velcro hair rollers’ magic works over time. Whilst your Velcro rollers are sitting on your hair, there are so many things that you can do! Your nails, your makeup, that task that you’ve been postponing for ages… You choose! If you, like me, are a #noshame individual, then you can also take the trash out and wave good morning to the neighbours whilst you’re at it.

In a hurry? Then you may want to apply some heat. I know, I know: I said this was a heatless method. And it is! But time is money, and sometimes we’re just running a little short… In that case, you can speed up the process with your hairdryer. The amount of time and heat you’ll use is nothing compared to what a full blowout at the salon would take!

You’ve religiously followed the sectioning steps, you went easy on the setting spray, rolled your strands in the right way, painted your nails, and did your Tax returns whilst waiting. Now what? Now it’s time to take your hair rollers out.

This is where things may get tricky: taking your Velcro rollers out improperly may leave you with frizzy tresses and ruin all your hard work. 

As you would with pretty much everything you do when it comes to hair, being gentle is key. Unwind your Velcro rollers slowly, one by one. If you brushed your hair before applying them, they will come out without making a fuss. Pro tip: take the roller out enough to allow you to grab your hair from the root, then gently slide the roller down.

Anything that comes in close contact with your skin and hair needs to be cleaned regularly to prevent protein and bacteria build-ups. This includes your Velcro rollers, even if you don’t use them that often. If there’s any dead hair resting between the bristles of your hair rollers, you can try and brush two of them together so that the hair leftovers will all collect in one point – making it easy to pull out. Then, let the hair rollers soak in warm water with a squeeze or two of clarifying shampoo to get rid of any sebum residues. Give them a couple of swishes every now and then, just to make sure they’re being cleaned thoroughly – then you can either let them air dry or wipe them with a clean towel.

The short answer is: no.

More in detail: any hair accessory can cause damage if used in the wrong way. If you speed up the drying process by applying heat to your hair more often than not, you will have to deal with heat damage (i.e. loss of moisture, dry strands). If you heartlessly yank your rollers out once you’re done with the waiting time, you will most likely face hair breakage.

Absolutely yes! Remember to be kind to your roots – your hair extensions attaching point makes no difference. If anything, you should be extra careful with them! When applying Velcro rollers, it is a common misconception to think that they need to be so tight it pulls your hair. This couldn’t be farther from the truth: anything that feels like pulling is definitely up to no good on your mane.

Shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, hair oil… When it comes to choosing a product, everything needs to be researched properly according to your hair type and the look you’re trying to achieve. If you’re looking for tight, corkscrew-like Shirley Temple curls, then you want to go for smaller hair rollers. If your natural hair is flat but you still won’t give up on wanting to radiate major 90s energy, then opt for big, chunky jumbo rollers that will give you volume for days. Lastly, medium-sized rollers will help you achieve soft but defined curls: you can then play around with a hairbrush to loosen them up a little and turn them into big, romantic waves.

They’re quite similar, but definitely not the same. Think of them as cousins, not sisters. Flexirods are made to be used without the assistance of any other tool – unlike Velcro rods, which will need to be fixed with bobby pins or hairclips. Flexirods are extremely simple to use: all you need to do is wrap your hair around the cushioned rod, which easily bends the way you want it to. This type of hair roller is the best to achieve ringlets or tight curls. For people with naturally kinky hair, flexirods can also be applied to stretch or widen the curls.

Like with Velcro rollers, flexirods are to be applied to damp hair – without forgetting to set them with a spritz of styling product. Depending on how much time you have, you can let your hair air dry or use a blowdryer on a low heat setting to speed up the drying process. Once ready, gently remove the rods and use your fingers to part the curls for a natural effect. You can always finish with a volumizing spray for optimal results.

Velcro rollers are a heatless styling method that will keep you fabulous without worrying about damaging your hair. They’re kind to your strands, and in some cases also to the environment! If you’re looking for some hairstyle inspo, I put together a Velcro rollers video tutorial compilation… You can thank me later (and don’t forget to tag us on your fabulous results on Instagram)!

If you, like me, have been eyeing up these glorious 90s blowouts spawning on your Instagram feed, then run to your closest Boots shop and grab a pack of big hair rollers. It’s your time to shine! Kylie Boyle filmed this amazing tutorial so that you can easily achieve Alicia Silverstone’s signature look. HOW TO GET THE PERFECT 90'S BLOWOUT AT HOME - YouTube

“And what if I have short hair?” – I know, I know. When talking about curls, waves, and many other hairstyles, more often than not people with shorter hair think they won’t be included in the list. But you know I love proving you wrong sometimes… If last year you decided to chop it off and got yourself a peppy bob, you can still spice it up with bouncy, curly locks. Beauty influencer Katherine Rose is using flexirods in this adorable tutorial to achieve this beachy look. How I Curl My Short Hair - YouTube

Type 4 babes, where you at? Keke J is here to bless us with her styling techniques and her soothing, detailed description in the background. As stated on her video, many of her followers requested that she try a roller set on her natural hair – and she listened! Combined with her natural, tight curls, using medium-sized hair rollers brought to life a voluptuous, retro, bouncy hairstyle! My First Roller Set on my Thick Type 4 Natural Hair | Keke J. - YouTube

Last but not least, who said that hair rollers were just for people with straight hair? In this video, Rocio Isabel combines her natural curls with jumbo rollers to achieve this dreamy, wavy blowout that would put any Hollywood hairstyling to shame. If your hair is naturally curly, try this amazing tutorial and get the mane of your dreams! Curly To Straight Hair: Roller Set - YouTube 

Got enough inspo? Go grab your Velcro hair rollers and show 2022 who’s the boss!

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