How To Do A Flexi Rod Set On An Old Braid Out

A common misconception for natural newbies is that you have to wash your hair every time you’re about to attempt a new style. While it’s true that washing your hair is like hitting the reset button and you don’t want to keep layering products on your hair causing product build up, it’s okay to attempt a style on old, dry hair. A full flexi rod set is definitely a style that needs some practice, but it can look soft and bouncy if done on an old braid out.

What You Need:

Spray bottle (filled with water)

Leave in Conditioner*

Styling cream

Styling gel

Flexi Rods*

Pick

In the video Kia does this style on an extremely old braid out that pretty much lost all curl definition. Start by separating your hair into sections. Lightly spritz the first section with water (enough to dampen, NOT drench) and apply leave in conditioner*. Use the product to help gently finger detangle your hair.

Grab a small to medium sized piece of hair from the section before applying your styling cream and gel. She uses Shea Moisture* Curl Enhancing Smoothie and Eco Styler gel*, but you can use whatever works for your hair. Place the flexi rod at the end of your hair and roll upwards. She makes sure to use as much of the flexi rod as possible so that the hair doesn’t overlap and her curls won’t be as tight as they could be. Repeat all over.

Flexi rods are in the top 5 list of ‘Hardest Hairstyles to Sleep in’ (right after bantu knots), and if you can’t take the discomfort then use a hooded dryer* to dry your hair. Otherwise let it set overnight before unraveling the style. As always, apply oil to your finger tips before the take down to avoid unnecessary frizz. Separate your curls with your fingers and use your pick to fluff out the roots.

The biggest difference between this flexi rod set and one done on wet hair is that hair is more elongated this way. It’s done on dry hair, which means that hair is already stretched.

Curls won’t be as springy, but they also won’t shrink as much. This fluffy flexi rod set is a great way to switch your hair style between washes and it totally transforms the look of your curls. Once you learn how to properly install flexi rods*, this style becomes a piece of cake and you can do it whenever you’d like!