Quick and Easy Natural Waves

All year, I've been growing my hair out in hopes of finally getting a spiffy digi perm a la those oh so trendy Japanese popstars. Exciting, I know! Most of my friends know that I've been teetering between lusting after long, luscious curls or a short, cropped A-line bob. I've pretty much stuck with the same haircut for the past 6 years now, and it was more than time for a change. I was even set on the bob by the springtime. However, after a rather disastrous experience at an Asian salon where the stylist proceeded to razor-blade off chunks of my already thin hair, I realized the only way to save my hair was to let it grow back out.

Fast forward to 6 months later and the thickness and length is finally perfectly ready for a digi perm transformation. After seeing bloggers flaunt their beautiful waves and hearing about the convenience of styling from my friend who's a strong believer in them, I was more than set to head on over to The Hair Epoch in West LA. Digital perms there run about $200 and are supposed to last 6 months. I dreamt of waking up and being able to twist my hair and be rewarded with perfect, natural waves every morning. However, as I did more research, the after-effects of dry, damaged hair just didn't seem worth it. I started doubting my decision and even realized that I might actually get bored with wavy hair after a while. The dream was over--this wasn't going to happen for me.

Thankfully, there's actually a much easier (and cheaper) alternative to getting the same kinds of waves produced by digi perms... HOT ROLLERS! I eagerly purchased a set of Conair hot rollers back in the summer of 2007, but never learned how to really use them. After a few failed attempts (mostly due to lack of the right prep routine), I gave up and tucked the set under my sink... Three years later, here they are:

The rollers heat up in 5 minutes and the red indicator on the center roller lights up when they are ready for use.

I have to admit that I'm still not much of a pro at rolling them the "correct" way (even countless hours of YouTube beauty guru videos has done little to help my clumsy hands). Nonetheless, that's okay because these are fairly easy to use. I first rub the Schwarzkopf Osis+ Styling Creme into my semi-dry hair, making sure that there is adequate coverage over my head. Next, I like to split my hair into two sections and begin rolling from the top of my head, moving towards the front. I then let them sit in while I do my makeup. This usually only requires a quick 10 minutes. You can leave the rollers in longer and blast with a hot blow dryer for stronger curls. When removing each roller, I hold the roller vertically, imitating how you would hold a curling iron, and lightly pull each one out of the curl (don't unroll the hair flat!). I then do a quick all-over spray of the Sunsilk Waves of Envy and use my hands to scrunch the hair afterwards for some extra texture. This stuff really, really works and smells fantastic! I can't believe it's been discontinued. I've tried the Garnier version and it was sticky and useless, so I'll have to think of another alternative for when I run out of my Sunsilk bottle (Sedu, perhaps?).

Anywhoiee, this quick 3-step process literally takes less than 20 minutes and is so completely stress-free compared to the hecticness of trying to individually curl each section with a curling iron. I love the convenience! And the result? Not bad at all. :)

Wish I could've gotten an actual backside view of my full head of waves, but trust me when I say they looked good! Overall, I think this is a great alternative to the digi perm for those who feel less likely to want to be stuck with a style for a few months. The waves lasted me all day and my hair felt soft and natural. I like that this doesn't interfere too much with my morning routine and I can have a few days of decently nice hair at work. My weekly hairstyles consist of (1) messy, unbrushed bedhead waves, (2) side braids, or (3) bobby pinned bangs, so I'm sure this will be a nice addition to the repertoire. I am still on the lookout for a new hair cut, but for now, I'm enjoying the possibilities of longer hair. I will have to share some more of my recently learned techniques soon!