It used to be that sleek, straight locks were the “in” look, but curly hairstyles are sweeping the style world, and with that comes the tools that create those curls. While you can certainly use curling irons and wands to get your desired look, the other option is hot rollers.
You’ve probably seen hot rollers in older movies where the woman is seen running around the house with her hair in them, or you might have seen your grandma using them to do her hair.
Hot rollers are wireless barrels you manually use to curl hair. They require sitting to “set” the hair in the shape of the barrel. But while hot rollers can be a great tool for curls, are they better than curling irons? Find out here!
The Benefits of Using Hot Rollers
- They’re Great for a Rush
Hair rollers can do their job in about 12 minutes, but leaving them in longer will give a better result. Check some great hot rollers for natural hair, click here. The plus side of using hot rollers is you can multitask. Do your nails, your makeup, whatever!
- They’re Versatile
Unlike when you have to switch out the barrels of a curling iron to create different sized curls, hot rollers are versatile. Use them for waves, curls, and luscious volume.
- They’re Easier on Hair
Unlike curling irons and wands, hot rollers require less heat and less styling time. So not only are you not exposing hair to hot temps, you’re also using a minimal amount of heat for a minimal amount of time. Your hair will love you for this!
The Caveats of Using Hot Rollers
- Hair Type Matters
Unlike with curling irons and wands, your hair type matters. If you have curly hair, you’ll first have to blow out the hair before using hot rollers. Thicker hair will take longer because the rollers can’t hold much hair.
- There’s a Ton of Choices
Hot rollers are just one type – there’s also plastic and textured, flexi-rods, and many more. Not to mention the different sizes. Sometimes it’s easier to just pick up a curling iron because you don’t need to adjust many pieces.
- More Than One Way to Use Them
If you hate choices and are easily overwhelmed with the different ways to use hair tools, hot rollers will be no exception. Barrel size is something curling irons and hot rollers have in common, but at least you know a curling iron will work great on all hair types.
The Verdict
While the results you get from using hot rollers varies by hair type, familiarity of use, time left in, and other variables, the general consensus seems to be that hot rollers work just as well as curling irons. However, the level of how well they work depends on your effort.
Many women are pros with the curling iron, so learning hot rollers and taking the time to roll hair by hand will be a time cost. If you aren’t in a hurry and have time to spend on your hair, break out the hot rollers! As with anything, the more you use them, the better you’ll be – thus, the quicker your styling time will be since you aren’t having to be too concerned about eye-hand coordination.
The nice thing about hot rollers is they are super affordable. You can pick up a pack at Target for about $20. When you have time on the weekends, spend an hour experimenting with how they work and the looks you can create. That way you’ll know that if you do need to use them, you will still pull out a hot look!