I am so excited today to review my favorite loc curling products - Soft Spikes! Here is some info for you straight from the Soft Spike website:
www.softspikecurlers.com
About Soft Spike Curlers
Soft Spike Hair Curlers are the Original self-locking hair curlers. Soft Spikes are designed to handle all types of hair, including heavier locs. Made from a closed cell foam material, Soft Spike Curlers don't absorb moisture or hair products, are easy to clean and will not dry out your hair.
Note: Pink, purple, lime, and teal made from softer foam and may not be suitable for heavier types of hair.
Soft Spike Curlers are specially designed with a self-locking loop that will not slip out after your have set in your curls. What's more, they are soft and smooth, making them easy to sleep in without damaging your hair or causing discomfort.
Now that you know what Soft Spikes are, I will tell you everything I have learned from using them on B's Beautiful Braidlocs! Watch this video for all of the details about Soft Spikes and for a demonstration on how to put them in. If you prefer reading, I have restated all of the key info under the video:
Size: Soft Spikes come in 3 sizes, Small, Large and Long. For B's length of hair the SMALL spikes are plenty big enough! I think even if your locs were twice the length of B's the short ones would work, but I guess it depends on how many you put on each loc. I didn't know which to buy so I got small and long. The long are WAY longer than necessary - maybe I should cut them?
Quantity: One set of Soft Spikes actually comes with two packages. Their are 30 spikes per package so a set is 60 spikes. The first time I did B's locs I used 72 spikes, but I was putting more locs per spike on that time. The next time I used the spikes I used close to 100 spikes. I would recommending getting TWO sets, which would be 120 spikes and you will have plenty! Unless you have a lot more locs than B. She has 188.
Locs per Spike: The first time I used the spikes I was putting 2 to 4 locs on each spike. I decided that I preferred to only use 2 locs per spike because the hair dried better with less per spike and the curls were tighter. The more locs you put on each spike, the looser the curls will be. So now I do 2 locs per spike for her whole head.
End Papers: The first time I used the spikes I put end papers on half her head and no end papers on the other half. Turns out that with locs, the end papers are just an unnecessary hassle! They actually made taking the locs off the spikes HARDER instead of easier! And it made it take longer to put them on, so totally not worth it. If you are using the spikes with locs than I don't recommend purchasing the end papers.
Curling Spray Gel: I also do not find this necessary for those with locs. I am super picky about what touches B's locs since I don't want anything causing buildup or getting trapped in them! I have found that B's curls only last a day or two, so maybe the gel would help them last longer, but I am thinking of finding a product that is meant for locked hair to try instead.
Wet or Dry Hair: I first tried them with very wet hair straight from the shower. We put the spikes in before bed and she wore them all night and some of them were still a bit damp when we took them out in the morning. So the next time we started with dry hair that I lightly dampend with our usual Taliah Waajid spray that is watered down. This worked much better.
Sleeping in them: Not To Bad! B is not one to complain a lot about sleeping with stuff in her hair. But these things look like they are going to be really uncomfortable to sleep in so I was expecting B to put up a fuss! NOPE! The first few times B used them she didn't have a problem, this last time she got a bit uncomfortable but I think it was because she had them in too long! Of course there is no way I was going to fit a sleep cap over those crazy spikes so she has to sleep without one. But I figure that one night without a cap isn't the end of the world.
Time to Put In: It took me less than an hour to put them in B's whole head of locs!
Time to Take Out: It only took me 15 minutes to take them out! This worked really well on Easter morning when we didn't have a lot of time, but she was still able to go to church looking FABULOUS!
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| B hunting for eggs on Easter morning! We used a lot of long Spikes, shorter ones don't look as crazy! |
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| Remove spikes, add a white bow - Ready for Easter! |
Cost: One set of (60) Small Soft Spikes is only $19! I think that is really reasonable! The Large cost $20 and the Long are $21. You can buy them with End Papers and Curling Gel for more money or you can buy the End Papers and Curling Gel separately. The spikes are also sold in large quantities for less!
Overall Impression: I give Soft Spike Curlers TWO THUMBS up for a great product! They are fun and easy to use and create adorable curls! I have yet to try them on any of the other hair types in our house, but when I do, I will be sure to update you!
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| Right after removing the Soft Spikes |
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| After shaking out the curls and adding a double cornrow headband. |
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| Gorgeous! |
*I was not paid to do this review. I already owned this product and decided to share it with you. Soft Spikes IS donating some products for a giveaway. Better check back here tomorrow!*
Katie
Wow! It's beautiful! You didn't mention how long the curls last. Just wondering. Thanks for the great review!
ReplyDeleteThese look really cool. Do you think they would work on AA hair that is not loced?
ReplyDeleteHer hair turned out pretty..
ReplyDelete@Shellylori - They only last for a day, the second day there is just a bit of curl left at the end. In the video I talked about how I didn't use any kind of setting gel or lotion. I think the curls might last longer if I did. But I want to find something that is meant to be used on locs first. I pretty much reserve this style for special occasions. It is easy to put the spikes in and out, but the curls don't last that long.
ReplyDeleteKatie
@Lee - Yes I think they would work on any box braids or braids coming out of a ponytail. I am not sure, but I think you could also use them on natural hair that is not braided, but you might need to flat iron it first.
ReplyDeleteCute! I might have to try these, too :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for this super detailed post! I think I'll be purchasing some of these soon so I've been researching. This is the best review I've come across so far.
ReplyDeleteI also didn't realize they were such a good bargain! Even more reason for me to give it a go ;-)
I've seen people use pipe cleaners to curl braids or dreads. You can use black, to match the hair color. The hair should be damp when you roll them, and you can roll 2 locs at a time. You can leave the hair rolled for a day or two, to let the hair dry completely. Once you take them out, the curls last up to a week, and they loosen more slowly.
ReplyDeleteThere are some vids up on YouTube, if you want to get an idea of what they look like.