ladies who have used curlformers with great results get in here please!

[stormy07]

what in the world do you use to set and keep the curls in the curlformers?! has anyone just tried using conditioner or do you just use gel? I am so stylingly challenged TIA!

 

[CoffeeBean]

Do these come out any differently than a flexirod set? Are they easy to use?

 

[Keshieshimmer]

I just use a little oil and put then in. I want soft curls so I don't put too much product in it.

 

[msdeevee]

If the ends are sticking out of the curlformers your hair may be too long for the ones you have.

I have a pic of myself with the ends of the ones in the front sticking out they were too short for my hair.

I think these things take time to learn though. I only did them once and will need a lot of time and patience to do them any time soon.

 

[Christelyn]

The beauty of curl formers is that you don't have to put much of anything in your hair to set it, and the curls stay for days. I do, however, use a little Ojon relaxing foam to get a really smooth curl that looks like I just had my hair pressed. HTH.

 

[stormy07]

^^really? interesting...so a polish or something would actually be better? thanks!

 

[NappturalWomyn]

I am curious too, because I am on the verge of putting these things on eBay. It is not working for me...

 

[rhannie8]

I wouldn't recommend gel. When I do mine wet (as opposed to dry), the curl seems to last much longer, and I only use leave-in conditioner and a little oil after I wash. I'm actually prepooing right now so I can get ready to get my curlformer on.

 

[Nonie]

I am curious too, because I am on the verge of putting these things on eBay. It is not working for me...

Don't do the bold! I also had preconceived notions of the results I'd get with Curlformers from seeing other results on the forum, and how well my mom's afro turned out. Now I will confess, I hate the tube look of curlformer curls immediately after you take them out. They remind me of folks who'd wear rollers and then take them out and not bother styling the hair to hide the part, thus looking like they didn't comb their hair. But after my first attempt with CFs, I kinda realized why people might walk around with hair like that and even did it myself The reason I did was my ends didn't get smooth as I thought they would and so trying to separate the curls seemed like it'd leave my hair frizzy. I had to get to work so there was no time to experiment so I went to work like that. *shameface*

Today I decided to experiment again with CFs but only the front of my hair. Once again my ends still didn't smooth out as I hoped they would (And I do have the narrow and long CFs so it's not that they were sticking out of the CFs *shrug*). I didn't use heat. And after looking at the tubal results--which I will admit aren't as smooth as I had imagined they'd be prior to buying CFs--I decided that maybe rather than try to achieve results others might've achieved, I should instead embrace my results as a unique alternative look. I mean, I can get the results I imagined with a curling iron, so why not have a new, unusual look with CFs?

This is that bizarre tube look I hope never to wear in public again:

When I separated the tubes, I didn't get the smooth cascading curls others get, but I got a look that I think can grow on me. Some might call it frizzy. *shrug* I just call it unique.

BTW, this was w/o any product. I tried using a serum, using coconut oil...and the results were not different, so I CW'd and did it w/o any product, starting with wet hair and not using a dryer. I wonder what the results would be with a dryer....

 

[stormy07]

bumping for more opinions!

 

[HeavenlySkies]

Gonna put some on later about to wash and everything now will let u know my results.

 

[sydwrites]

I love curlformers and have found you do get different results with different products. The curls look basically the same, but with a creamy leave-in by it self you get a much softer slightly bouncy curl that looks cute but doesnt last as long in the perfect curls. I actually prefer that when I use the biggest ones because it falls like a regular rollerset. I only do that for my weave, for my hair, natural 4a/b I use my lottabody and a little ic fantasia gel. For my best set yet, i melted some jamaican mango and lime creme wax and mixed it with the gel and the style lasted with mega shine, something my natural hair usually lacks. On my list is the sabino moisture block, I kind of use the wax for that, but since thats a lighter product I bet my hair would fall pretty and swing more. For natural hair, although the curls will still come out formed because the hair is inside of the roller, IMHO it will come out and frizz up really quick without the use of heat. Under the dryer I get that smooth look a rollerset should have that makes people ask me if I got a perm. You definately should get ones long enough to have all your hair in the roller. I have pics in my fotki of both weave sets and natural sets.

 

[nakialovesshoes]

I use a little bit of diluted Lottabody & a leave-in - Giovanni or NTM & that's it. I maintain w/a light oil like coconut or Vatika.

 

[stormy07]

thanks ladies for all of your imput! come on now I know there's more out there that have used curlformers!!! post your tips and tricks please!! I was kinda thinking about just using conditioner since I know that helps maintain my curls by itself thanks to biracialhair.org without heat...cuz well all I have for heat is a hand held hair dryer and an ancient (it was my moms) hood dryer that doesn't even really put out that much heat...

 

[Lanea87]

Nothing but leave in and CHI SI for me....

 

[HeavenlySkies]

Ok I tried it but the results were horrific thanks to that fantasia styling foam my hair was like cement and felt like sandpaper when I took the curls apart so I just conditioned my hair right after guess I'll try that another time most likely it would have turned out ok had it not been for that fantasia.