Straw set curls are essentially the frugal woman's flexible perm rod...well, without the flexibility.  Straws just bend.  Straw sets allow you to create curly tendrils using drinking straws.  This style can be done on relaxed, natural, curly hair and even dreadlocks!

To Create This Style You Will Need:

• Plastic drinking straws.  The size of the straws will be determined by your hair length and the end-look you desire.  For shorter hair, cut the straws in half.  Longer hair, leave them be.  Also keep in mind, the thicker the straw, the looser the curl.

• naani's naturals Curly Custard Maximum Definition Hairdress, Twist and Lock Creme or No More Frizzies Alcohol Free Aloe Vera Jelly or Styling Gel.  This will help set your hair while keeping it moisturized.

• Mist bottle.  Have some warm water handy in a misting bottle.  This will help keep your hair slightly damp as it may take you a while to achieve a perfect straw set.

• Perm rod end papers.  Although not necessary, this will help you easily remove your hair from the straws which will prevent damage/split ends.

• Duck-bill or single-prong hair clips or bobby pins.

• Hooded hair dryer

• naani's naturals Moisturizing Hair & Body Mist.  Your straw-sets/scalp may become dry from time to time days after the technique is completed.  Use our Moisturizing Hair & Body Mist to soothe scalp, moisturize hair and add sheen.

How-To Do Straw Sets
Begin by shampooing hair with naani's naturals Sulfate Free or USDA Certified Organic Castile Shampoo.  Then follow with S-Factor Herbal Deep Conditioner.  Allow deep conditioner to process under a hooded dryer for at least 10 minutes before rinsing with lukewarm-warm water.

Divide hair into four or more sections.  Gently detangle each section individually by using a wide-tooth comb.  If you have dreadlocks, twist, palm-roll or interlock your locks prior to beginning this technique.  Doing your root maintenance beforehand will insure that your style looks neat once you remove the straws.

Starting with the first section, divide a smaller section of hair (approximately 1/4-1/2 inches).  The size of the section is up to you.  The smaller the section, the more straws/tendrils and the fuller the end-style.  The larger the section, the looser the curl.

Smooth a small amount of Curly Custard, Twist and Lock Creme or No More Frizzies Alcohol Free Aloe Vera Jelly or Styling Gel onto the section the place an end paper on the ends of the hair.

Roll your hair onto the straws so that the hair does not overlap itself.  The hair will be rolled up and over the straw so that by the time you reach your scalp, you should only see parts of the straw peaking through the rolled hair.

Once you've reached your scalp, secure the hair to the straw with a hair clip or bobby pin.

Repeat until you've finished your entire head.

Process completed style under a hooded hair dryer with a medium to low-medium heat setting.  Processing time will depend on your hair length and/or dreadlocks thickness.  The longer/thicker your hair, the longer it will take to process.  The more hair you place on each straw, the longer it will take to process.  As a good measure, allow to process for at least 45 minutes before doing a test un-roll.  Average time for most is approximately 45 minutes to 1.5 hours and up to 2 hours for very long/thick dreadlocks.


Spritz hair with naani's naturals Moisturizing Hair & Body Mist.

When completed, you can leave the straw sets as is or gently separate them with your fingers.

Sleep with a satin scarf or on a satin pillow to preserve style.

Straw Set How-To Video

Photo at left courtesy of textureshaircare.com

Photos Reprinted with Permission and are Copyright Protected.  Dreadlocks Straw Set Photos Courtesy of http://www.geocities.com/allnaturalchi/.  Lawana's Photos Courtesy of http://www.daezhavoo.com.

For more information on Black Hair Styling, visit http://www.naani.com.