Yes! Yes, curly girls. You can stretch your hair and smooth the shaft using those hard plastic rollers the hairdressers use when they put you under the dryer for 8 hours while they buy more time juggling the other patrons they’ve overbooked. I tried a couple days ago and got great results. While it doesn’t necessarily “set” curls, carefully smoothing portions of your hair along the plastic from the bottom up smoothes the ends and stretches the hair so you can enjoy some length.

The Routine:

Shampoo and condition with a condition that has gives lots of slip. My favorite is 100% Pure Sea Algae Hair Mask, $35. Make sure you concentrate on smoothing the ends while you work the condoner in. It helps the detangling process and reduces mechanical breakage.

Sea Algae Hair Mask – $35.00 Deeply reparative treatment to restore, moisturize and strengthen dry, damaged hair. Super rich oils and butters blended with nourishing vitamins, antioxidants in a base of hydrating red algae collagen for healthy, strong hair. For Whom For all. Directions for Use Use 1-3 times a week. Apply generous amount onto hair after shampooing. Comb through to untangle and help evenly distribute hair mask. Leave on for a few minutes and rinse off in cool water. Ingredients Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Leaf Juice*, Argania Spinosa Kernel (Argan) Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Vegetable Glycerin, Ceterayl Alcohol, Cocos Nucifera (Virgin Coconut) Oil, Fucus Vesiculosus (Red Algae) Extract, Citrus Aurantium Sinensis (Orange) Peel Fiber, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera (Candelilla Wax) Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Melia Azadirachta (Neem) Seed Oil, Pantothenic Acid (Pro-Vitamin B5), Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Extracts of Lonicera Caprifolium (Japanese Honeysuckle), Origanum Vulgare (Oregano) Leaf, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Flower/Leaf, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/ Leaf/Stem and Hydrastis Canadensis (Goldenseal), Citrus Paradisi Peel (Pink Grapefruit) Essential Oil * Certified Organic Product Size net wt. 8 oz / 236 ml

Use the L.O.C Method. 

This is an acronym of “Liquid, Oil, and Cream application to seal in moisture and reduce the risk of mechanical breakage. For L.O.C. product recommendations, click here.

Styling

Use the largest magnetic rollers for your hair length. The larger they are, the straighter your hair can get. Make sure you hair is still relatively wet, because it’s easier to smooth the ends and control damp, puffy hair and won’t fit into the roller easily. Put some cream on your fingertips to moisturize and smooth the ends so they won’t come out so “crispy.” You can use any type of cream-based hair dressing, but I like to spoil my ends a bit so I splurge on Rahua Finishing Treatment, that continues oils and proteins to reduce breakage and encourage length retention.

Boilerplate Details about Rahua Finishing Treatment

“Rahua Finishing Treatment strengthens hair and provides a glossy weightless finish. It’s perfect for those who love cream-based (and silicone-free) formulas for instant dry hair repair and it also prevents hair from splitting during blowouts, hot-ironing, and combing. The super-fine rahua oil molecules penetrate deep into the hair’s cortex to rebuild even the most damaged tresses. Amazonian Ungurahua oil, rich in omega-9 oleic acids, strengthens follicles to keep strands firmly rooted. Just a dab of this unique formula will repair, protect and revitalize even the most damaged hair. Ideal for those looking to grow hair longer and stronger.”

Once your entire head is rolled, don’t remove them until your hair is 100% dry. To assist, use the power of the sun and do some gardening or read a book while your hair dries.

Here’s the finished product. I don’t keep the curls, but style it in buns or twists. The stretching gives me extra length without all the damaging heat.

What ways do you naturalistas stretch your hair without heat?