If you don’t have an old pillowcase or towel, any large piece of fabric will do. People usually use cotton or terrycloth for the material, but you can use any fabric that you have. Old t-shirts work well for this purpose.
If your hair is very knotted, spray it lightly with a leave-in conditioner or detangling solution to get the knots out.
If you don’t have sea salt spray, you can use plain water instead. Sea salt helps the curls set better, but your hair needs to be damp before you start rolling regardless of what you use. Alternatively, you can use a little mousse or setting lotion to help your curls set.
If you like, you can clip the sections of hair you’re not using right away to keep them out of your way while you curl 1 of the sections at a time.
For very large, loose curls, don’t separate a new section. Just take the whole front section of 1 side to roll up. Be sure that the section is still damp before you start to roll it. If it has dried out, apply more sea salt spray or water.
To curl just the bottoms of your hair, stop rolling about halfway up the length of your hair. For curls that go all the way to the top, roll your hair around the rag until you reach your scalp.
Don’t make the knot so tight that it will be difficult for you to untie in the morning. However, your knot should be tight enough that it doesn’t come out and cause the rag to unwind. If you do happen to tie the knot too tightly, you may need to cut the rag to release your hair. This means you won’t be able to reuse the rag in the future.
If you don’t mind a mixture of tight and loose curls, you can make some sections of hair thinner and others thicker as you roll them up. Check that each section of hair is still damp before you roll it up. If the section has dried, apply more sea salt spray or water before you roll it.
Silk scarves can be purchased at beauty supply stores, department stores, and online. This step is optional for the most comfort and best results; if you don’t have a silk scarf, you can still go to sleep with your rag rolls in without wearing one. A silk pillowcase also works as a way to reduce friction between your curls and the pillow. If you already sleep on a silk pillowcase, you don’t need to cover your hair with a scarf. Regardless of what kind of pillowcase you use, a scarf can help minimize frizz and tangles if you tend to toss and turn a lot at night.
If a specific curl is extremely uncomfortable or hurts when you lay down, the rag may be tied a bit too tight. You can loosen the rag by untying the knot then re-tying it looser. Make sure your hair is completely dry before you remove the rags, or your curls will not set properly. If your hair is still a little damp when you get up, you can either leave the rags in a little longer or speed up the drying process with a hair dryer.
Set your curls with a volumizing hairspray for best results. If your hair is very fine, avoid using too much hairspray so you don’t weigh the curls down and make them fall out. A light layer of spray on all of your curls will be sufficient to hold them.
