An African American's Experience with Caruso Steam Rollers

A few weeks ago I was searching the Internet trying to find something new and exciting in hair care. As of December 2006, I made the decision to find products that would no longer damage my hair, because it was in a truly horrid condition. As I scanned every site that appeared on the search engines, a strangely shaped white and red machine caught my eye. I followed the link to Folica.com, a very reputable hair supply company, and read the information provided. This set of hair products, the Caruso Steam Rollers, was not only appealing, but also quite affordable. I read a few reviews trying to find another woman of color that could attest to having success. Fortunately, I found a few that seemed to enjoy their Caruso, and I decided to try it out myself. At this point I realized that these steamrollers were not anything new, I was just slow getting the message.

It took about two weeks for my order to arrive even though I paid for priority shipping. When I actually opened the box, I was so excited that I read the entire instruction manual immediately. I am really glad that I did because it includes all of the information on cleaning and handling the machine. It also includes a guide that tells you all about timing and styling with the rollers. After reading the manual, I filled the container with the suggested amount of water and plugged it into the wall. Within a minute, I could hear and see the steam rolling out of the top. Then, I took my dry hair and sectioned it off. I placed the roller over the steam for the designated amount of time, and the foam absorbed the moisture given off. When I removed the roller, it seemed dry and immediately I felt that I had been ripped off. That wasn't enough to convince me not to keep styling, however. I kept rolling my hair with the various sizes provided in the kit until I had finished. I didn't expect for my thick hair to be tamed by these wimpy, dry rollers. After waiting about ten minutes, as instructed, I began to take down the sections in the very front. WOW! My jaw dropped. I was never so amazed. In about fifteen minutes I had a hairstyle that would've taken me three hours to get at any beauty salon. It also felt conditioned and appeared thick and healthy. I had beautiful bouncy curls shining all over my head. I just combed out my curls and was good to go.

A few things that I learned about styling my hair with the Caruso are usually necessary for African American use. First of all, if you have shorter hair, there are clips provided with the set to hold your hair on the rollers. More may need to be purchased depending on how long your hair is. Second, women of color may need to use a light hair setting lotion in order to hold the curls longer. If you just set dry hair it will usually fall quickly, especially in humid areas. Third, do not expect to have super crispy curls like those from a wet set. The curls will be soft and full of body. Fourth, I cannot be sure of its effect on natural hair because textures differ. I can only speak for those with relaxed or texlexed hair. Overall, I would recommend this product to anyone who doesn't have much time on (his or) her hands but still wants to look good. This is a great product to own at any stage of life.