Have you ever seen someone with perfectly smooth ringlets and wondered how they achieved that definition? Well, some people are just lucky to have naturally perfect tornado ringlets without any manipulation. But you’ll be pleased to know that smooth, defined curls are achievable on any curly or wavy hair, no matter your curl pattern. One of the best ways you can achieve perfectly uniform curls is through finger rolling.
What is finger rolling and what are the benefits?
Finger rolling is slightly more complicated than finger coiling, but once you learn the technique, it becomes quite easy to do. In finger coiling, you simply twist a curl clump by holding the end between your finger and thumb and twisting the curl around and around itself until you can no longer twist it.
Watch @curlswithkeish‘s tutorial on how to do it!
Finger rolling is where you take the end of the clump and roll the curl around and between your fingers up towards your scalp. The tension on the curl, as it rolls between your fingers, causes the curl to hold tightly – a bit like the tension you get when you brush style – and the rolling motion makes the curl smooth and sleek.
Are there any cons?
Pictured: @curlswithkeish
There’s no getting away from it: It’s time consuming! At least if you do your whole head. I would recommend finger rolling a couple of curls at the front and crown of your head so your smooth ringlets sit on top of the rest of your curls.
Another con can be that the curls turn out so uniform and sleek that you might end up looking a bit like a china doll! But with some fluffing of roots and flipping your part about, you can avoid this if it’s not your desired look.
How Do You Finger Roll Your Curls?
Step 1: Start with wet hair
Firstly, make sure hair is fairly wet, rather than damp. You need hair to be quite slippery to achieve smooth finger rolls, so deep conditioning first or applying a leave-in should help.
Step 2: Section your hair
Section hair and take a clump roughly the size you want the curl to be – remember it will expand when dry. If you wish to do your whole head, complete in sections starting with the underneath layer and finishing at the crown.
Step 3: Brush the section
Brush or comb through the clump so it’s smooth. If you ever get into a muddle or your hair becomes tangled while using this technique, release the curl carefully, brush it through, and start again.
Step 4: Coat your fingers with styler
Image Source: @curlswithalexa
Apply a small amount of styler – cream or gel – to both forefingers and your right middle finger. Make sure you have enough product on your fingers to keep the curl smooth.
Step 5: Roll from end to root
Take the end of the curl between the end of your right index finger and your right middle finger and create tension by pulling it straight away from your head.
Begin to roll the curl towards your head. As you do, remove the right index finger and replace with the left index finger so the curl roll between your left index finger and your right middle finger.
Keep rolling the curl all the way up to the scalp.
Step 6: Release the curl
Image Source: @pujitamirwani
It’s essential to release the curl carefully; slowly remove the index finger from the middle of the curl allowing the curl to spiral down from your scalp. Repeat!
Once you’re done, glaze over the top of the curls with a final layer of gel for hold. To speed up the drying process, hover diffuse over the curls to as not to disturb them.
Do you use the finger rolling technique in your styling routine?
