Ask Me Mondays: Wrapping Hair

Q: I'm not African-American, but I have very thick, coarse, curly hair that I straighten. A friend of mine told me that I could avoid the flat iron every day by wrapping my hair, but I don't know what that is. Help!

I love it when my readers force me to learn new things! I have thick, coarse hair that requires constant straightening too, and I didn't know anything about it. However, an hour spent on the intertubes and asking people that I know paid off! I have a new beauty routine to add to my evening.

Basically, wrapping your hair is just that: taking your (usually longer, but not always) hair and literally wrapping it around your head, then tying it with a scarf before bed. It seems like everyone does this differently, and there is no real "right" way to do it.

Before you begin, you might consider having the following items on hand: wide-toothed comb, stiff (but not plastic) bristled brush, duckbill clips, a glossing spray, and a silk scarf.

To begin, spray hair with glossing spray or spray-in conditioner, and make a part down the back of your head, as if you were making pigtails. Starting on one side (whichever side you choose), start combing your hair clockwise around your head, gathering hair as you go. Depending on how thick your hair actually is, this might start looking like a beehive - that's totally fine. No worries, since you're not going out for the evening. Keep wrapping your hair around your head literally in a circle. If you need to, use clips to keep hair in place. Some people will clip hair at the hairline to keep strays where they need to be.

Next, grab your scarf and tie it tightly around your head, making sure no strays are poking out. Pull any clips out (if you're like me, and can't stand anything pushing into your head when you're sleeping) and take yourself on off to bed. In the morning, you can unwrap your hair and find that it doesn't need any straightening whatsoever.

I hope this helps!