The 411 on flexi-rods. Cause I’ve been experimenting with flexi-rods this winter and I’ll tell you what I learned from setting flexi-rods in different ways in my 4c hair.

Products used for this style:
Flexi Rods
Design Essentials Curl Enhancing Mousse
Mielle Organics Babassu Mint Deep Conditioner
Cantu Sturdy Detangle Comb
Cantu Sturdy Double Lift Pick

If you’re feeling extra:
Hooded Hair Dryer

The Process – takes about 1 hour total (20 min if you’re a pro)

Make sure to deep condition your hair. My current fav is Mielle Organics Babassu Mint Deep Conditioner. My 4C hair soaks up the moisture and stays hydrated for days.
You can do a flexi-rod set on detangled wet or dry hair. It’s up to you and your final goal. I can’t decide if I usually prefer my sets on blow-dried hair or wet hair and under a hooded dryer. Regardless, I’m loving the style since it’s winter and my 4c hair needs to retain as much moisture as possible.
To begin I usually detangle my hair with the Cantu Sturdy Detangle Comb and if needed I’ll follow up with a detangle brush.
I saturate my hair with the Design Essentials Curl Enhancing Mousse and then hold it taught (not tight).
I use a total of 25-35 flexi-rods depending on how much volume I want and I start wrapping the ends of the hair to onto the rod up to the root.
When I get to the root, I bend the rod to secure it and then move on to the next section of hair.
After I have wrapped all of my hair in the rods, I then put on a silk scarf and leave the rods in to airdry ususally overnight.
The drying situation:
- Air-dry overnight: I sleep with the flexi rods in for about 7 hours and by the time I wake up in the morning, my hair has a great curl pattern without frizz!
- Since it takes a really long time for my hair to dry, I just recently purchased a hooded hair dryer. I sit under it for about 1-1.5 hours while it’s on medium heat and that’s usually perfect for my thick 4c hair to set in beautiful bouncy curls.
The Takedown: Before I start to manipulate the curls the next day, I make sure I have I have 2 options the next morning, I can take the rods out and either unravel the curls or leave them as is. If I leave them as is, they ususally last for a few days and if I unravel them and pick them out for volume with the Cantu Sturdy Double Lift Pick, the style lasts about 2 days depending on my climate and how much I manipulate my hair.

Flexi Rod Curl Maintenance

You have options:

Sleep with a satin bonnet and silk pillowcase to preserve your curls. That’s all I have to say about that. Do your best and simply rest and be well.
If some of the curl didn’t dry properly or got frizzy or flat during the day, you can always re-rod the curl before you go to bed and when you take the rod out in the morning the curl should be as good as new. That’s one of the pros of using flexi-rods. Everything is fixable.

I hope these tips help a first-timer! I’ve been rocking these for the past few weeks and I really like the way they look and hold up. Let me know in the comments if you tried this style and what you think!