Will Hot Rollers Damage My Hair? Pros & Cons

Women have all sorts of assets at hand to improve their aspect and make look changes that make them feel more confident. Since curly hair has always been considered extremely attractive and sensual, there are many ways to turn straight and dull hair into bouncy curls. Aside from the regular curling iron that is the most famous, women can also resort to the help of hot rollers that combine the power of heat with the ease of use of rollers. However, the fact they use heat makes us wonder how safe and healthy they are for the hair. To find the answer, let’s have a look at the pros and cons of these hair curling tools.

How to use them?

If you buy a set of curling rollers, you will notice that they come in a case that serves as a heating platform. You will find a certain number of rollers, usually in two different sizes, and the exact number of clips to hold the rollers after rolling the hair. The process of applying them is not complicated at all and you will soon see that it’s the most comfortable way to curl your hair. If a curling iron requires you to take each strand of hair, roll it on the hot barrel, maintain for a few seconds before releasing, and going to the next strand, you will see that you will get the job done much faster with the heat rollers.
Firstly, you need to turn the case on, meaning to push the ON button to allow the rollers to heat. This process takes around 10 minutes and you should not use them sooner if you want to obtain the best results. High-end sets are advertised to heat in under 2 minutes but you will know when they are ready to use from the light indicator on the case.
Once they have reached the maximum temperature, take each piece and roll a strand of hair on it, starting from the ends if you want tight curls or from the roots if you want volume. Secure them in place with a proper size clip.
Allow the heat to arrange your hair for 15 minutes before removing the rollers. This will ensure you will get strong and bouncy curls that will last for a few hours. When removing the rollers, don’t pull the hair but slowly unroll each strand. Apply some hairspray to fix in the curls.

Tips to prevent hair damage

You should know from the start that the temperature reached by the rollers is lower than the one reached by flat irons or curlers. Also, the rollers are made of a ceramic material and are wrapped in a velvet layer that prevents the contact with the very hot surface. When the hair starts to absorb the heat, the cuticle opens and allows the hair to take the shape of the item it has been rolled on. This change of shape is made by giving up some of the moisture, which is why the hair becomes dry and dull after long-term use of heated styling tools. To prevent the loss of moisture, apply a heat protection spray that locks in the water in the hair cuticle, allowing it to remain hydrated and healthy.
A very important tip is not to apply heated rollers on wet hair because the result will be the absorption of an even higher amount of moisture from the hair. Use some hairspray to fix the curls instead of forcing wet hair to be curled.
To intensify the effect, you can use the hairdryer on the highest speed to increase the amount of heat applied to your hair and to accelerate the curling process.

Pros

• The heating time is very short, although compared to a curling iron, you might think they take too long. The idea is that you leave all 10, 18 or 24 rollers to heat, put them in your hair, and allow the entire amount of hair to absorb the heat instead of one strand of hair at the time.
• Once you have them on, it takes about 15 minutes for the hair to curl, and in the meantime, you can get dressed or put on some makeup.
• Thanks to the clips that hold the rollers in place, there is no chance of getting loose or falling before the curling time is done.
• You can choose between two size barrels because most sets include both small and large rollers so you can alternate the body you give your hair.
• The amount of heat is significantly smaller than the curling iron so the hair will not be drained out of its moisture.

Cons

• You might notice a little line left by the clips on the hair, right at the top of the hair strand. If it’s very noticeable, you can tame it with a flat iron.
• The effect of the rollers is not as strong as the effect of a curling iron so the curls will drop over the day. However, you will be left with some hair volume that will last until evening.
• If you have long hair, the effect might not be as strong as expected because the curlers don’t distribute heat on a long length. They are more appropriate for shoulder-length hair than very long hair.
• Also, the number of rollers in a pack might be too small for the amount of hair you have. Therefore, you might need to use thicker strands of hair or repeat the process several times for all your hair.