Roller Sets: Sizes, Sectioning and Results

A roller set is built in the sectioning and the placement, not in the product. Two people can use the same rollers and the same lotion and get a smooth bouncy set or a flat one with dents, and the difference is how the hair was parted, how it was wound and where each roller was parked relative to its own section. None of it is difficult, but it is fussy, and the fussiness is the skill.

Which rollers to use

Magnetic rollers are smooth plastic and need a clip or a pin to hold them; they give the sleekest, shiniest result because nothing grips the hair surface. Mesh and wire rollers let air through and dry fastest, at the cost of a slightly rougher finish. Self-grip rollers hold without a clip, which is convenient on dry hair for body, but they catch on textured hair and tangle. Foam rollers are soft enough to sleep in and give a looser, less defined curl.

Sectioning the set

The section you take should be no wider than the roller is long, and no deeper than the roller is thick, or the hair cannot wrap evenly and the curl comes out loose in the middle. Work in rows: a center panel from the front hairline to the nape, then a row down each side. Keep the parts clean with a tail comb, because a ragged part shows as a gap in the finished set. Pin each roller as you go rather than balancing several.

On-base or off-base

Where the roller lands decides the volume. Wound and set directly on top of its own section, a roller lifts the hair at the root and gives maximum volume. Set slightly behind the section it came from, it gives a softer lift. Set well behind, the root stays flat and you get movement only in the length. Front rollers on base and the rest progressively further back is the usual recipe for a set with height at the crown and a smooth fall behind it.

End papers and the fishhook problem

The single most common flaw in a home set is a bent, crimped end, called a fishhook, which happens when the very tip of the section folds over as the roller starts to turn. A paper end wrap folded over the ends keeps them flat and straight until the hair is wound. Hold the section taut at a right angle to the head as you start, and check that the ends are lying flat before the first revolution rather than after it.

Taking it down

Let the hair cool completely before a single roller comes out; a set unrolled warm drops within the hour even when it is bone dry. Unwind rather than pulling, in the order you put them in, and keep the curls intact while you work. Then choose: fingers and a light oil for a defined, separated set, or a soft brush from the ends upward for a smoother, fuller one. Brushing from the roots down is what turns a good set into frizz.