Collection: Hair Rollers

What Hair Rollers Actually Do

A roller holds a section of hair in a curved shape while it dries or cools. The hair sets in whatever shape it was held in, and the width of the roller decides how tight that shape ends up.

Wide rollers give bend and lift. Narrow rollers give a defined curl. Nothing else about the tool matters as much as its diameter.

Where you place them matters almost as much. Rollers at the crown lift the root; rollers through the mid-lengths shape the body of the hair. Most people want both and only ever do one.

Velcro Rollers and Thermal Rollers

Self-grip velcro rollers cling to the hair on their own. You roll the section up, the surface catches, and nothing else is needed to hold it. They are the faster option and the one to use when you want lift rather than a defined curl.

Thermal rollers have a ceramic core that takes heat from your dryer and holds it. You roll damp hair, warm the roller through with the dryer, then let everything cool completely before taking them out. Our Ceramic Thermal Roller Variety Pack covers three widths so you can mix sizes across the head.

Both set without a curling iron touching your hair. The difference is that a thermal set gives you a firmer hold and takes longer, and a velcro set is something you can do in ten minutes while you finish getting ready.

Choosing a Roller Size

Match the width to the result, then to your hair length.

XL Thermal Rollers are the widest we make. They are built for long hair and for a loose blowout shape rather than a curl, and four of them will cover a crown section comfortably.

The Ceramic Thermal Roller Variety Pack is the better buy if you are still working out what you like, since it gives you large, medium and small in one go. The Hair by Chrissy x Kitsch Ceramic Thermal Rollers are an eight-piece set built with the stylist who uses them.

Mini Spa Rollers are the small ones, for face-framing pieces and short layers that the larger rollers slip straight out of.

Short hair generally wants smaller rollers and fewer of them. Long hair wants wider rollers and more sections, because a long piece wrapped around a narrow roller is a lot of hair for the roller to hold.

How to Use Hair Rollers

Start with hair that is around eighty percent dry. Soaking hair will not set in the time you have, and bone-dry hair has nothing to set with.

Take a section no wider than the roller itself, comb it smooth, hold it straight out from your head, and roll from the ends down to the root. Keep tension even the whole way. For thermal rollers, warm each one through with the dryer once it is in, and use a heat protectant before anything warm goes near your hair.

Velcro rollers hold themselves, but hair with any weight to it will pull them loose. Volumizing Roller Clips pin the roller flat against the head, which is what keeps the root lifted rather than letting the whole thing sag forward.

Leave them until completely cool. This is the step people skip and it is the reason a set drops out within the hour. Warm hair is still setting.

Take them out by unrolling, not pulling. Then break the sections up with your fingers rather than a brush, unless you want the whole thing to read as one shape.

Volume or Curl

For volume, work in rows from the front hairline back, rolling each section straight up and setting it on its own base. Everything after the crown is optional. Four rollers along the top of the head do most of the visible work.

A root lifting spray at the roots before you roll holds the lift longer than the set alone will.

For curl, roll the whole head in smaller sections, including underneath, and keep the direction consistent. A texturizing sea salt spray after you take them out gives the shape something to hold onto.

Rollers or a Heatless Curling Set

Rollers are the daytime tool. You put them in, they work in under an hour, and you take them out before you leave the house.

A curling rod is the overnight tool. You sleep in it and wake up with the set already done. If that is the routine you want, start at heatless curling sets instead of here.

Plenty of people own both and use them for different occasions. The rest of the tools sit in styling tools.

Hair Roller FAQs

How long do I leave hair rollers in?

Until the hair is completely cool and dry, which is usually twenty to forty minutes depending on thickness. Taking them out while there is any warmth left is the most common reason a set falls flat.

Should my hair be wet or dry?

Around eighty percent dry. Damp enough to take a shape, dry enough to finish setting in the time the rollers are in.

What is the difference between velcro rollers and thermal rollers?

Velcro rollers grip the hair on their own and work cold, which makes them fast and best for lift. Thermal rollers hold heat from your dryer, take longer, and give a firmer set.

Do I need clips if the rollers are self-grip?

Not always, but thick or long hair will pull a roller loose from the root. Volumizing Roller Clips hold it flat against the head, which is where the lift comes from.

Which roller size should I buy?

Wide rollers for bend and volume, small rollers for defined curls. The variety pack covers three widths if you are not sure yet, and the XL set is the one for long hair.

Can I use rollers on short hair?

Yes, with smaller rollers. Mini Spa Rollers hold short layers and face-framing pieces that slide out of anything larger.

Can I sleep in hair rollers?

These are not built for it. Rollers press against the pillow and come loose or leave dents. For overnight, use a heatless curling set, which is designed to be slept on.

Why did my curls drop out so fast?

Usually one of three things: hair that was too wet, rollers taken out before the hair cooled, or sections wider than the roller. More on why a set will not hold