Hair Rollers

Will using a hair roller damage your hair?

Styling their hair is always a challenge for people with thin hair, which is prone to damage. You might be knowing that one of the last things your hair needs is heat. But, you don't have many options when your hair looks dull without proper heating. In such cases, leaving your hair to air-dry is not going to help. Similarly, blow-drying your hair and using straighteners and curling irons on them are equally bad.  

Another popular hair styling tool is hair rollers. In this article, we will look into various facts concerning the use of a hair roller and will see if they are a safe tool to smoothen, add volume, and curl your hair. In most cases, answers to such concerns largely depend on the type of rollers you use and how you use them.

How to use a hair roller without causing damage to your hair?

All hair rollers put your hair under stress, which can be very severe if you already have fragile hair. Therefore, you should use extra care while using hair rollers. Make sure never to wound hair too tightly around hair rollers because it will cause breakage in the hair shaft. In some cases, hair may even break off from the root itself. Also, note that using hair rollers on a daily basis can cause traction alopecia and even permanent hair loss if your hair follicles get damaged due to their use. 

To avoid such problems, make sure not to use them daily and never wrap them too tightly around your hair. Also, avoid sleeping in them even if they are designed for that purpose because this will increase the tension in your hair roots severely, which in turn can cause further hair loss.

Different types of hair rollers

Some of the different types of hair rollers available these days are described below:

1. Heated rollers

When compared to curling tongs, heated rollers are certainly a better choice for your hair because they use lesser heat to style your hair. Moreover, curls made using heated rollers are found to last longer when compared with those created with tongs. Due to this, you don't need to use heated rollers as often as you might require to use hair tongs to achieve the same results. Even then, using heated rollers can make your hair dry because heat is still involved in the process. If heated rollers are something you can’t avoid, make sure to select ceramic coated heated rollers because they operate at a lower temperature and heats up more evenly. Most importantly, make sure your hair is entirely dry before putting in heated rollers in them so that you can minimize the damage caused to your hair.

      2. Steam rollers

Steam rollers have become popular recently. These work differently from heated rollers. Here, the rollers are briefly set over a steam vent for warming them, before putting on your hair. As the steam heat is more gentle when compared to dry heat, steam rollers are easier to handle and more gentle on your hair. Like heated rollers, steam rollers should also be used on dry hair only.

      3. Sponge Rollers

Sponge rollers are generally super-gentle on the hair and can be put in when your hair is wet. The sponge in them will absorb the moisture, and your curls will get set as your hair dries. If you don’t like to wait for your hair to dry you can try a short blast with a blow-drier as they are less harmful when compared to tongs and heated rollers.

In case you don’t want to use heat on your hair, you can try using sponge rollers on dry hair. Keep in my mind that if used on dry hair, the results will not be as perfect or long-lasting as compared to their usage on wet hair.

     4. Satin covered sponge rollers

If you prefer to be very gentle with your hair, you can also opt for satin covered ones which are even recommended to use overnight. But as mentioned earlier, it is always good if you avoid using hair rollers overnight to minimize the unnecessary hair damage due to the tension applied to them.

     5.Velcro Rollers

These are very easy to use and don't require any clips to hold them in place. There is no need to use much heating also. Just a quick blast with any good blow drier is enough. But sadly, these rollers are the ones which cause the most damage to your hair. Therefore, never use them if you have fine hair which could be easily damaged.

The irony of the whole thing is that what makes these hair rollers so easy to use is their ability to ' grip ' on to the hair and this very thing makes them cause severe damage to your hair while you pull them out. It is almost impossible to remove them without some significant hair loss. If they get thoroughly entangled with your long hair, you may even need a scissor to remove them.

In a nutshell, hair rollers are certainly kinder to your hair when compared to flat irons and tongs except for velcro rollers which cause too much hair damage. The best option which protects your hair and gives you the desired curls are satin covered sponge rollers, especially if you use little or no heat. In cases where you can't avoid the application of heat, make sure to use a heat protector spray before it.