Back in the days before blow dryers, flat irons and curling irons, women had only two ways to straighten overly-curly or frizzy hair: chemically or with a household iron. It was not at all uncommon to see a teenage girl with scorch marks on her hair – a result of frying it with the iron while trying to tame it. Setting the hair on rollers tamed the frizz, but left the hair bouncy and curly -- an anathema in an age where stick-straight hair was in fashion. Hair stylists understood that the larger the hair roller, the looser the curl, and came up with the idea of using the woman’s head as the roller. The technique became known as “wrapping,” and, although the first few times you wrap your hair may be challenging, once you learn how to do it, you’ll be wrapped in just a few minutes.
Comb your hair until it’s free of tangles.
Brush your wet hair until it is smooth. If it begins to dry during the process, use a spray bottle full of water to moisten it.
Section off a 1- to 2-inch piece of hair on the top back of the crown of your head. The width should be 1 inch less than the length of the roller.
Roll the hair section onto the jumbo roller and use hair pins to secure it to your head.
Use the comb to create a part on the right side of your head, about an inch above your ear. The part should extend to the middle of the back of your head. Flip the hair above the part over the head, to the left.
Grab the remaining hair – the section below the part – and wrap it toward the back. As you hold it tightly to your head, run the brush through it to ensure it’s smooth, and begin clipping it to your head every 2 inches.
Continue wrapping the section, keeping it below the jumbo roller, until you meet up with the hair on the left side of the head.
Use your left hand to grab the hair on the left side of the head and your right hand to brush it smooth as you wrap it over your head.
Hold the hair tightly with your left hand as you apply the clips with your right.
Wrap the entire head with a hair net or scarf, secured tightly so that it doesn’t move around while you sleep.
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