If you go to the Hairveda site, you will see some products there you can use instead of gel that will still help your hair to lie flat. I've personally used the "Gelly" and that does a good job, especially on freshly relaxed hair. They have some other gel substitutes also. If you don't want to do that, then rollersets are another good idea. That's what I'm doing with my hair today in tiny tiny curls. It looks like a 'fro. This lasts for as long as I want it to, I don't have to comb it, and it is off my shoulders and neck.