Using Flexi Rods for Stretching Hair

Good morning everyone!!

I don't know if you all know, but I am a proud type 4 hair girl! What does that mean? Well, according to NaturallyCurly.com:
Type 4 hair can range from fine and thin to wiry and coarse with lots and lots of strands densely packed together. Coily hair has fewer cuticle layers than any other hair type, which means that it has less protection from the damage inflicted by combing, brushing, curling, blow-drying and straightening.

Simply put, it's the most dense and tightly coiled hair. It also doesn't get as much love and representation in larger media, but I have really grown to love my hair.

Anywho, a big thing with any type of natural hair is shrinkage, when your hair in its curly/coily state is much shorter than it would be straightened. Due to summer humidity, I get craaaaazy shrinkage (75% shrinkage, to be exact). And I like BIG hair! So I'm always trying new techniques on stretching my mane. 

Check out my latest try!

Shrunken hair selfie.


What you're going to need: Water (I used steam), a comb or brush (or your fingers), flexi rods, a creme styler, a hair tie to separate sections if needed, and coconut oil.
I used the grey and purple flexi rods, focusing the grey in the perimeter of my head and the purple in the center. This helps with volume.
So first put your hair in about 4-6 sections to work easier. Then, put water on or steam a section of your hair at a time (not a lot! More water encourages more shrinkage). Following the water, add your creme styling product and then detangle to evenly distribute and get rid of tangles/knots. Then smoooooooth on the coconut oil to seal in that moisture. Break each section into about 4 smaller sections to rod. Wrap the hair around the rod, roll the rod until it touches your head, then bend the ends to keep the rod from coming out. Continue this until all smaller sections are rodded.

When I took the rods down! No super definition, but waaaaay more length to work with!

I hope you've enjoyed this picture tutorial, and hopefully your hair will get the same stretch! Keep tuning in as I continue to experiment with this hair of mine.

Until next time,
Si

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