C.J. Braden • 2 Minute Read
How To Use Sponge Rollers for Tight Curls
If you lived during the 1980’s like me you will be very familiar with using sponge rollers. They are also called foam rollers. As I’ve written in another post about how to create big curls with sponge rollers, I explained how I used to sleep on them all the time so I could wake up and have long banana curls in my long red hair.
I was successful in creating big curls with my sponge rollers before, so naturally I wanted to try to create tight curls too. Read on to learn how to use sponge rollers for tight curls.
My best sponge roller tutorial
In late 2022, during our Hurricane Ian evacuation time period with my husband’s parents in Indiana, I bought a set of Conair neon sponge rollers in various sizes. I didn’t evacuate with many hair tools, as I tried my best to only grab necessities, but to occupy my mind during this traumatic time, I knew focusing on creating, even if with my hair, would be therapeutic.
Using a Tangle Teezer brush pre-hair roll
I got my self gripping foam rollers for just under $10 at a local grocery store, but they are for sale in many stores. There are many varieties of foam hair rollers but because I wanted small, tight curls for this tutorial, I opted to use the medium and small rollers in the pack on all of my hair.
Start with clean, wet hair
I washed my hair and allowed it to air dry for about 15 minutes. If you have more fine, straight hair (mine is thick and wavy), you may not need to air dry at all. You could alternately sponge roll clean, dry hair, but to make a curl last, you should spray your hair with a water bottle before rolling to dampen it.
I used Conair sponge rollers for tight rolled hair
I brushed my hair with a Tangle Teezer brush and started rolling. I started at the front of my head and sectioned out a 1-2 inch wide piece of hair, then started rolling my hair from the end down to the root. I rolled a bit on the tight side to produce small curls.
Watch my tight curls with sponge rollers process in my one-minute YouTube videos below or on my channel @carolynjbraden.
I used a mix of medium and the smallest curlers to roll my entire head of hair. My hair is past my shoulders, so it took a little bit of time to roll it into the smaller sponge rollers. If you are in a hurry, this may not be the best curling option for you.
Sponge rollers are actually comfortable
The rollers clip together and stay in place fairly well. If you have shorter hair, I’d recommend wrapping the hair tighter around the curler than I did to help them stay in your hair. Some I had to open and re-roll to make them lay right, but this is typical of sponge rollers.
I ended up using three sized rollers for this look
I ended up using three sizes for this tight rolled hair look, but if I had more of just the tiniest size, I would not have had to mix the sizes, but the mixed sizes worked to create the look I was going for.
How I use a dryer bonnet
The sponge part of the rollers makes them soft and cushy, so you could sleep in them. My thick hair would take the entire night to dry, so if you do not have the overnight amount of time for these curls to set, you could try drying your curls using an alternative method. If you choose to sleep in the sponge rollers, you could wrap your hair in a silky bandana to help prevent frizz.
A bonnet hair dryer can dry curls fast
For this tutorial, I didn’t have my mother-in-law’s vintage bonnet dryer, so I bought my own dryer bonnet to use with a hair dryer and tested it out as a method to dry my sponge roller curls. My bonnet came with curling rods, which was around $17. You can get just the bonnet for less money.
The dryer bonnet has a nozzle that fits over your hair dryer (I used my Dyson dryer) and when you use it on a low heat setting, it works very well! It took my hair over an hour to dry using it, so if you try a dryer bonnet, sit down in a comfy space with a good book or a movie to watch. All but two of my curlers were dry when I decided I was done, so I used a hair dryer with a diffuser to quickly dry the two stubborn curlers.
I added my bow head wrap to my curled hair style
I then removed the sponge rollers (slowly remove them or else you will pull hair out!) and revealed very tight rolled hair! I shook my curls with my hands to loosen them. Then I calmed my curls using a Spornette boar bristle brush, gently brushing the curls in a downward motion. This made the curls a bit frizzy looking, but I knew it was part of the process. To tame the frizz, as I do with all my curled hair styles, I smoothed some Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream through my curls to smooth them.
After my sponge roller curly hair tutorial
I could have left my sponge roller curled hair loose, but I decided to style it a bit further. I placed my no-sew bow head wrap on over my hair, which made the style look very 1980’s. See how to make my no sew bow head wrap here.
Use this look as an 80’s costume idea
Overall, I like the look of sponge rolled hair. These tight curls are a little much for me for daily wear, but if you have an 80’s costume party to go to, it’s a great style. I didn’t wash my hair to test to see what the curls looked like the second day, and I actually liked it better on day two. The curls turned into waves, making for a pretty second day hair look.
My 1970’s look with the sponge rolled hair
I even created a disco look using the rollers by pulling the front section of my hair back with a pony tail holder. The overall hairstyle can be a great heat-free option if you don’t use a hairdryer. I would recommend you try sponge rolling your hair and see what results you come up with. It may take some practice, but it can be fun.
Disco look with sponge rollers
If you loved this article, we know you’ll love this one too: How to Create Heat Free Wavy Hair or Mermaid Curls
C.J. (Carolyn) Braden is a regular contributor and editor for Carolyn’s Blooming Creations. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Ways To Help You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.