Hey Katie /images/graemlins/wave.gif
I'll give you my advice, but I've seen some girls hair come out great so maybe they'll offer their tips as well (e.g. dreamssold) /images/graemlins/smile.gif
If your hair is past your shoulders (assuming it's relaxed) it shouldn't have shrunk up that much. When I first started doing them I would get a little shrinkage too, but it was always because of the following reasons:
1) Didn't allow hair to dry partially (should be about 50% dry when you start making knots)
2) Didn't apply some type of leave-in conditioner (I use Salerm 21) before/after making knots
3) I left the knots in too long and they got too dry before taking them down- if you want to leave them in for a while (like maybe overnight), just remember to spray w/water or leave in cond. an hour ar so before taking them down so they're not too dry. This will also relax the curl a bit.
4) I made the knots too tight- this is the main culprit for them being too curly! I make my knots really loose and I only do about 8-10 knots all over. Another trick is that if you leave a big section out in back, just make one big loose knot for that area. That way the hair in back is not curled too tight and it makes it look longer all over. You can also opt for using two large rollers to set this part of your hair.
If you try it again using my "troubleshooting" steps above and they still come out too curly, when you get ready to shower, cover your hair with a plastic cap as normal. When you step out, while it's still steamy, take off the plastic cap and wait a few seconds. Your curls should fall nicely then! I'm not kidding- I've done this myself. The same works if it's really humid outside. Don't forget to run a small amount of oil through your hair after the style is set.
Keep me posted!
SG /images/graemlins/kiss.gif
