5 Benefits Of Roller Setting Instead Of Flat Ironing Your Hair

One of the hardest parts of a hair journey is length retention. You spend so much time moisturizing, sealing, deep conditioning* and protecting all so that your hair can be healthy and ultimately get longer.

As if there weren’t enough challenges to retaining length those of us who prefer straighter styles have to square off against heat styling tools which, when used too frequently, cause more harm than good.

This begs the question: how can I get my hair straight without the use of direct heat?

Although nothing will ever take the place of your beloved flat iron, blow dryer* or favorite straightening tool for sleekness, roller setting comes in at a very close second providing straight-er locks at half the cost to your hair.

It’s almost like getting a designer bag you love at half the price. Of course there are some cons to that; you had to wait longer for it to go on sale and maybe it wasn’t the exact color that you wanted, but you still got your bag.

Obviously, roller setting will not get your hair as straight as direct heat would, but it does the trick. Plus, it is healthier for your hair.

It’s worth a mention that for highly textured natural hair,  roller setting won’t be enough to achieve flat iron straight results, however it is a great way to stretch our your curls without resorting to using heat. Looser textured naturals, texlaxed and relaxed ladies should be able to get straight hair with roller setting alone.

If you’re reading this and still aren’t sold on the benefits of roller setting as opposed to using direct heat, here are the top five reasons to choose roller sets:

1. It reduces the risk of heat damage

Direct heat is any heat applied right onto your hair like a blow dryer* of flat iron. It can be potentially damaging because your strands are directly exposed to these high temperatures at close range.

With or without a heat protectant* too much direct heat exposure is a big no-no. Roller sets provide an indirect method of heat usage.

While hot air is still technically blowing onto your hair if you choose to sit under a hooded dryer* after applying the rollers, it is an indirect more diffuse source of heat which means that when said heat hits your hair, the temperatures are cooler and as such your strands are more protected.

2. Better moisture retention

The reasoning behind using heat to deep condition or for oil treatments is that by lifting cuticles this allows the product to penetrate your hair shaft. Unfortunately, this cuticle lifting is also basically what makes direct heat styling so drying to your strands.

Direct heat from blow dryers* and flat irons* will lift your cuticles allowing moisture to escape as you dry and style. This leaves your hair more brittle and as such more prone to breakage.

Bottom line is that hair that’s dried via roller set versus direct heat styling is almost always softer because of the superior moisture retention.

3. There is a no heat option

While many of us will prefer to sit under the diffuse heat of a hooded dryer* after we add rollers our hair, roller sets also work great with air drying.

As long as you master the technique of applying the rollers themselves and getting the right amount of tension to smooth your hair, having an actual hooded dryer* doesn’t really matter.

For everyone who wants to cash in on roller setting’s promise of healthier hair without having to empty their bank accounts buying expensive equipment, this is great news.

It’s cheap and, dare I say it, even healthier!

4. Styling is built into the method

Picture this. It’s wash day. You’ve done your pre-poo treatment. You’ve washed, conditioned and deep conditioned your hair and now it’s time to style.

There’s not enough time to air dry so you turn to your blow dryer*. That alone takes you about twenty minutes and after you’re done all you’ve achieved is dry hair. There’s still styling to be done. Doesn’t that sound completely exhausting?

With roller sets you can cut out even more work out of your wash day regimen because once your hair is dry it is also styled. You’ll have beautiful, bouncy curls to strut around with all week.

5. Style lasts longer

Spending time curling your hair only to have the curls drop in a few hours is a downer. This is the downside to using heated curling wands* or flat irons* to curl your hair. With roller sets you can achieve tighter curls that last longer.

This is all to do with the fact that your hair is being curled as it dries which resets your hair’s bonds in a new position as opposed to styling already dried hair.

Styling hair when wet then allowing it to dry is a better way to make certain that your styles last longer. This is motivation enough to roller set because who wants to waste a wash day on hair that won’t last through the end of the week anyway?

Tips for roller setting

If you want to try out roller sets for yourself there are a few things to remember.

► First, your results will be based on how you apply the rollers in your hair. Hair should be smooth and tight on the roller.

► Very little product is needed when roller setting because the hair can get weighed down easily.

► Always let your hair dry completely before taking the rollers out. This can make or break your results.

► The last thing to remember is that roller setting takes lots and lots of practice. It will take patience and a gentle touch to master your roller sets, but once accomplished the benefits will be plain to see.