Does anyone know how to do rag curls?  I've noticed it posted a few times in other topics.  Would this work on shorter hair?  I currently have just above the shoulder length...if I twisted it tighter because it's shorter..?

I have a daily battle with my hair...it's super fine, super straight and super soft,,,,which means it does nothing!!  I'd love to grow it long but between it's texture and volume and the fact that I have a square face I'm afraid it would "just hang there" with no body and emphasize my jaw.  Every day a small battle goes on in my head....should I cut it? should I grow it? should I perm it?....arrrgh.  Especially since summer is coming up...it's been so humid these past few years and having any hair around my face drives me nuts!!  Unfortunately I also have a large, bulbous forehead so I prefer to wear bangs...which refuse to do anything but lie flat and limp across my forehead (add to that a stubborn cowlick) so even if I pull it back I still have to deal with the bangs some how.

I guess we're never really happy with our hair, no matter what we get!! 

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Superfine;
Another suggestion for creating a little lift to your hair and keeping it off your face would be to put just the front/top section of your hair into a barrette, ponytail or braid.  This allows you to show off the length, but keep it out of your face.

You might try doing twists with the front hair (sort of like cornrows only not braided) to bring the hair to the back.

The rag curls work with all different lengths of hair.  And you are right, the tighter/smaller the wrap, the tighter the curl.  I have waist length hair and use a favorite cotton crew sock (or socks) to curl my hair.  One sock gives me nice waves, two socks a bit more bounce and curl, 4 socks and I have large ringlets!  The curling works best if your hair is damp when rolled. 

Have some fun and be creative! 

Superfine:Not an answer to your original question(I´ve no idea how to do rag curls ),but I wouldn´t worry about growing your hair longer!Your hair sounds identical to mine-I have lots of super fine/straight/slippery hair too-and it is at 41 inches now.It took a bit of patience,and the growing-out phase(especially around mid-back lenght) is a bit trying,but there is so much more one can do with long hair.A different hair accessory(hairsticks!!) in some kind of updo every day almost always looks good.
My hair also just hangs there when I leave it down,but I don´t mind, since I wear my hair in an   updo almost 99% of the time.I once also had a chin-length bob,and all I can say is that my hair is much easier to handle nowadays.So,don´t despair!

FYI... you can correct typos or any other errors by clicking "Modify" on your post.

Yours in the "I make a lot of use of that function" (as you can see) devolution,

Hey guys...thanks for all the suggestions!!  As for braiding my hair....it still has quite a few layers in it and would be frustrating...plus, I've never braided before...I've had a co-worker french braid it when it was longer but that was over 10 years ago!!  

Anne-Marie....thanks for the encouragement.  I'm just afraid that I don't have the right facial features for long hair....I have a really strong jaw and I've had hairdressers comment that long hair (shoulder length) makes my face look too long.  The other problem is that volume-wise I don't have alot of hair, plus thickness- wise it's fine so it's a double-whammy.  At least if you have fine hair but you have alot of it, it looks like something, you know??  

Well, next week I have my 8-week hair appointment...and I'm agonizing on a daily basis if I want to go short or grow it out.... ???  The thing is I hate using styling products in it cuz it's so fine and I can literally feel the products in my hair...it feels like I need to wash it again....so I can't do much in the way of styling...I curl it in the morning but it doesn't last...so it pretty much hangs down...unless I pull it back everyday it'll drive me nuts!!  But the whole point of having long hair is to enjoy it and admire it...if it's up all the time it's not the same....anyway, I'm sure you've all gone thru this stage of contemplating long hair...

I guess I could always wear a head band it keep it off my face....you know the ones you can buy to tie around your neck? I don't know....arrrghhh!!  I actually just colored it this weekend...a dark brown..using Herbatint (semi-natural product)...it turned out really nice and soft and the color is exactly what I wanted.  You have to leave it in for 40 minutes, but hey, for the results it's okay.

Actually it's funny you mention it, Bikerbraid....when I was younger and had longer hair (just slightly longer than shoulder length) it did have a slight curl in it.  Not any more....although I haven't had it to that length in a while.  I'd be curious to see if it would come back....I just naturally assumed that after all the torture I had put my hair thru (perms, colors, washing twice a day sometimes, etc) that it was punishing me.   

Does BSL = Below Shoulder Length??

Another silly question, you know how some women's hair falls into a "v" pattern in the back rather than straight across?  Do you have to have it cut like that or is that a natural thing?  I think it looks cool....like a cascade of hair.

I thought the v-shape could only be cut into the hair. Hm.

Yep - spraying the hair so it is damp can work. 

My hair does not like to curl easily, so I've found the more damp my hair is when I wrap it, (and the longer left wrapped up), the better the curls will last.

Hmmm, let's see if I can help.....

When I do rag curls, I start wrapping my hair around the strip STARTING at about half the length of my hair.  Once I have the ends wrapped around the fabric, I 'roll' the rest of my hair onto the fabric, bringing it to my scalp.  I then twist my hair into a mini bun (if necessary to keep the hair closer to the scalp), then tie the ends of the fabric to hold the roller in place.

I really must get hubby to take some pictures of this being done - it is so hard to describe.

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I had better luck getting them in tonight then I ever have before.  (I actually have 2 rag curls in my hair)  I did have to pin one of them up, and we'll see how it looks tomorrow morning.   

I split my hair into 4 sections, did 2 wrap snap and go curlers and 2 rag curlers.  I liked the effect of the rag curls better, but I wrapped dry hair w/ no gel, so it wasn't curly enough.  I'll keep trying though.  Now that I've figured out the basics, it can only get better.   

It's been a while since I was on. The rags curls sounds great, I'll have to give it a try.
Brad

Sounds great, but I'm not sure whether I should use strips of fabric or socks. Socks sound ssoooo much easier, but I"m having trouble understanding how to use the sock method. Any more info would be great. By the way my hair is knee lengh and thin. Don't hold curl very good.

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Anais' sock curling instructions work great, by the way.  (tried the sock curling about 5 days ago on the last wash) but for the me the rags are a little bit easier to manage... (maybe because I was using tired old socks? *giggles*  ahh well)

Rapunzel mentioned something about only doing a few (4) rag curls on your head, and I think I'm going to give this a shot.... but I'm still going to do the vertical-twist thingy Anais has in her instructions... it makes the hair SOOOOO much more easier to roll!

FOUND IT! It was right under my nose, lol. Seems easy enough, next wash I'm gonna try. I only was twice a week so I still got a few more days to go.

Your hair does not have to be wet to sock curl!  In fact, it is best if your hair is only slightly damp.  If you have really thick hair, you may want to just spray the hair with water. 

At night, I will roll my hair up on a sock or two with it dry and still have lovely waves in the morning. 

Well, I did try the sock curling and it was a disaster. I know I probably didn't do it right but I am afraid I am going back to the staighteners - for now at least. I did leave my hair to dry a bit first but with my hair being so thick I wore the sock curls overnight and they were still damp in the morning. I even tried drying them in and my husband took a picture of me with the hairdryer and a plastic bag over my head, not a pretty siight.