The Ultimate Guide to Velcro Hair Rollers

Big hair—and velcro hair rollers, more specifically—is having a moment. One scroll through TikTok and Instagram and you’ll see everyone from influencers to celebrity stylists flaunting voluminous blowouts. Blame it on the ‘90s fever that’s completely dominated beauty trends the past year (blue eye shadow and scrunchies, anyone?), but bouncy, polished hair now reigns supreme in a beauty world once owned by messy beach waves. 

Celebrity hairstylist Priscilla Valles—who styles the hair of Kim Kardashian, Hailey Bieber, and Dua Lipa and has her own extensions line with Glam Seamless—has noticed an uptick in clients asking for volume and is embracing the revival. “I’ve been encouraging [the look] a lot too,” she tells Glamour. “Not everybody wants that styled, curled look. I feel like I talk about [velcro hair rollers] in every interview. We’re bringing them back. I love that look. It’s soft ’90s glam.” 

Of course, not all of us can afford to get blowouts on the regular or shell out the cash for a Dyson Airwrap, but velcro hair rollers can achieve the exact same look at a fraction of the price. They’re also accessible—you can easily pick them up at the drugstore or Sephora. The only problem? If you aren’t experienced with velcro rollers, they can be pretty intimidating. As someone who has leaned into the blowout trend, I got my own set of velcro rollers hoping to recreate the bouncy magic. They’ve been sitting in my closet collecting dust ever since. 

But Valles assures us that using it isn’t as scary or difficult as it seems. Her only warning? Make sure the rollers aren’t too small. “You really want to have that natural look,” she says. “If you think of the little ladies with their roller sets, they are so small. They have so many of them. You want the opposite of that.”

Ahead, Valles breaks down how to use velcro hair rollers, along with her best tips for achieving bouncy beautiful hair. 

Start at the top of your head.

It turns out, sectioning your hair is pretty easy. Valles recommends starting at the top of your head and working your way down. “I always like to start with on top because I want that to get the most heat and sit the longest, because it’s usually where you want most of the volume,” she says. You don’t have to be exact with the sectioning, just make sure the sections have a good chunk of hair (more on that later). “We’re going to do big sections here, because we’re not trying to have a really curly look.” 

Go big or go home. 

Valles recommends using the biggest rollers in your set for the back of the head and one size down for the sides. “These are three inch, two inch, three inch,” she says. “I go for the biggest ones, just because I really just want the volume at the root with a little bend on the ends. Obviously the tighter you go, the tighter the curl is. But I don’t really want a curl.” 

Drybar High Tops Self-grip Rollers

Kitsch Pro Ceramic Hair Rollers

Prep the hair.

If you are working with damp hair, use a volumizing mouse or spray to get that extra oomf. Apply the product to the roots and run through the ends. Make sure the hair isn’t too damp—it should be 90 percent dry.