Hair Care: Conair Hot Sticks

I have very long, thick, wavy hair that resists holding a curl or even staying straight when I use a flattening iron. Over the years I've tried many products with poor to moderate success. I am NOT going to sleep with rollers in my hair. I've used the rollers with the clip to close them: they leave ridges in my hair. I've used rollers with the little velcro-like protrusions; they mangle long hair.

For less than $20.00, I found what for me has been an easy-to-use hot roller that gives me great curls.

For me, after I wash and towel dry my hair, I apply TRESemme's Thermal Creations mousse very generously, then either allow my hair to dry naturally or use the blow dryer. I plug in the Conair Hot Sticks unit and wait until the heat indicater lets me know the rollers are ready for use, usually 10-12 minutes. There are fourteen rollers in the set of two different, but similar, diameters--pink and green.

While I'm waiting for the unit to heat, I apply Tresemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer spray which is also a styling aid. As I said before, my hair is resistant to holding a curl. The rollers have to be grasped at one end or the other as the middle of the roller is hot to the touch. I roll my hair most often for traditional curls, but have used the spiral curl technique with success, too. Taking a strand of hair, I roll it up to my scalp, then grasp each end of the roller and loop the one end over the other.

The rollers can be left in for as long or short a period as you wish, depending on how tight you want the curls to be. I allow the rollers to cool off completely before I take them out, which takes from 10-15 minutes. I use my fingers, a wide-toothed comb, or a pick on the curls to style them as I like, the spray them with hair spray, and I am out the door. I've had the curls last two days without re-rolling.

For my money, and for my hair style, Conair Hot Sticks will remain in my arsenal of hair care products.