how to hot roller your hair

Think big hair is over?  It's not.  Big hair never really goes out of style, in my humble and informed opinion.

I've been hot rolling my hair since I was a child.  Big, hot rolled, curls used to be the "special occasion" 'do, but then in high school I had to do it regularly for drill team.  Since then I go through phases with it, but mostly I use it as a smoothing time-saver.

I patently HATE dealing with my hair, so if I wash it at night, sleep on it and let all the cowlicks spring up, then all I have to do in the morning is throw it in rollers.  It's way lazier than blow-drying and straightening.

I use the BaByliss PRO hot rollers that my sister got me for Christmas approximately a decade ago.  Hot rollers are not one of those things that need to be fancy. 

My set has three sizes.  I only use the largest two sizes.  I also use the pins that come with the set and not the hot roller clips that you buy separately.  When I've used the clips (which are admittedly easier to deal with), they've left strange dents in my hair.

Here I am with my clean, dry, raggedy morning hair.  I start by spraying my whole head (upside down and all around) with hairspray.  Any old super max hairspray will do for hot roller hair.  I think I was using White Rain or something similar. 

You're basically just dirty-ing the hair up anyway.  My mom claims that dirty hair does better with hot rollers and while that may be, my hair gets too oily for that.  Instead I use massive amounts of hair spray to give the hold something to cling to.

I start at the crown of my head.  I do this because I have a cockatoo cowlick that I need to tame, but hair tends to look better with a little volume at the crown.

I gather a pretty large section, raise it in the air in preparation and...spray.  One shot of hairspray right on the section I'm about to roll. 

Now, my hair is very fine so you'll have to be your own judge for what constitutes a "section" of hair.  I divide it like this: imagine looking straight down on the top of a head and dividing it into four quadrants, with the crown, the forehead, and either side making up a section.  I use the largest roller size on these four sections.  (Currently, since I'm dealing with bangs, I only have three sections that constitute the top of my head.)

For the most traditional look, position the roller underneath or behind the section of hair you're rolling.  For certain retro looks or feathered Farrah-like hair, you'll go the other way.

Roll it all the way down until you're as tight to the head as possible.  (Try not to giggle at your husband who is squatted on the bathroom floor taking pictures for your beauty posts.  That note is just for me.)   

Then use the pin to secure the roller.  This may take a little wiggling.

I continue all the way around the rest of my head.  I do the top quadrants with the largest rollers, then the underneath and back layers with the middle-sized rollers. 

I don't worry about if it's perfect or not.  The best thing about hot rollers is how forgiving the look is.  As long as all the hair gets up into the rollers (without too much hair on each one), then it will look fine.

(Who do I think I am, The Bloggess?)

Once I'm done, I just keep on a-sprayin'.  The key to big hair - any big hair - is lots and lots and lots of hairspray.  It may be the key to life.

I leave the rollers on for about ten minutes while I do my makeup.  I take them out when they're cool to the touch and I start with the bottom and work my way up. 

When they're all out, I resemble an aging Shirley Temple, but before I touch it guess what I do?  Hairspray!  All over.  Then I run my fingers through it, but just a little.  Too much and it will wilt. 

All done!  Spray one more time for good measure, but the whole process means I don't have to think about my hair for the rest of the day. 

On the left, Ready for the day!  On the right, 7pm.  Big hair without being too fussy.

Do you use hot rollers the way I do or are you scared of big hair?