Mastering Finger Coiling: The Ultimate Guide

The piles—and I mean piles—of benefits make the finger-coiling technique irresistible! Discover how to finger coil in this post.

At first, I thought achieving coils with my fingers was easy. It was not until there were bumps in my hair and I had bad coils—some coils at the top, others at the tips, and nothing in the middle, that I knew it takes skills to have bouncy, defined, and long-lasting ringlets.

It can be such a disaster if you don't know what you are doing and how you can go about it. But after mastering this technique, it'll be very easy to get coils and make them look uniform. Just like I did, you can too.

What Tools and Products Do You Need?

There are a few products and tools you need for this technique. Here are some you should gather before styling:

• Leave-in conditioner
• Spray Bottle and water
• Clips
• Wide-tooth comb
• Rattail comb
• Curl cream
• Hair dryer with a curl-friendly diffuser (this is optional)
• And your fingers (smiles)

However, you need to have freshly washed hair to achieve your coils. So, getting washing products is also necessary.

Pick up your shampoo and conditioner.

Keynote: Natural texture is individual. This means everyone's finger coils won't look the same after styling.

Go through the steps below to achieve your finger coils:

Prepare Your Hair

Step1: Wash and shampoo your hair

Enter into the shower and use a sulfate-free shampoo to wash your hair. Make sure you apply as much as you need to cleanse your hair.

Next, go in with your conditioner after rinsing the shampoo to nourish your hair. You should rinse afterward, too, and dry properly.

Although the best time to have bouncy and defined coils is on a wash day, if you don't plan on washing your hair before coiling it, you can just dampen your hair with water.

Step 2: Wet And Detangle Your Hair

Fill your spray bottle with water and dampen your hair after drying. Apply the leave-in conditioner and using your wide-tooth comb, detangle your hair to remove every knot.

You can spray water a few times to make it easier to detangle. However, be careful not to make your hair too wet.

Tip: You need to have control of your hair. So, if you have coily or textured hair that's hard to handle, create some sub-sections. Creating sections will also help to keep your hair organized and detangled once you've combed through.

Step 3: Apply Curl Cream

Now, after you've detangled properly, moving from the tip to the root, apply your curl cream to your hair. Do this in sections to make sure the product is applied to every area of your hair properly.

Method 1: Finger Coil Method With One Finger

Step 1: Finger Coil Your First Section Hair

Divide your hair with a rattail comb, starting from the back. That way, you can coil with no disturbance till you reach the front.

Stretch the section of hair using your finger as the base, then wrap your hair around your finger to create natural coils. This process is to encourage your natural hair to coil once you've set it.

If you want your style to look voluminous, you don't need to wrap your hair around your finger to your roots—leave your natural texture at the root.

Step 2: Repeat The Same Process To Other Sections

Keep sectioning your hair using the rattail comb, then coiling each section with your finger. For longer sections, coil the area around the root first, then move to the middle part and coil before coiling the tip with your fingers. Doing this allows you to have every part of your hair coiled beautifully. This is especially true for those with long hair.

At the front area, if you want some bangs, make sure to coil your hair in that direction. It will fall naturally around your face.

The thing is that the way you part your hair determines what style it'll give. Keep this in mind when dividing your hair.

Tip: Don't re-stretch your hair once you've coiled it. You can elongate it and make it lose its natural shape.

Check the video below to see how it works.

@bettylulseged Replying to @Bukola how to finger coil your hair #fingercoil #hairtutorial #curlscheck #curls #3chair ♬ On My Mama x Pullin Me Back - LMBZMASHUPS

Method 2: Finger Rolling Method

Method 1 may work well with wavy or curly hair, the best part about the method 2 is that it works well with all hair types, even with thin straight hair.

So the process is simple, after preparing your hair, section one piece of your hair with a rattail comb and comb it or use your finger to smooth it.

Then wrap the end of the hair on your finger and add the index finger of the other hand while rolling up the hair and keep rolling to the roots.

Leave a few seconds and loose the waves one by one slowly.

Check the video below to see how it works.

@rayssinharvrs Finger coiling tutorial 💗 #curlyhair #curlyhairtutorial #curlygirl #curlyhairstyles #curlyhairroutine #curlyhairtips #fingercoiling ♬ FUNK DO BOUNCE (Slowed) - Ariis

Dry And Style Your Hair

Next is to dry your hair. This can be tricky for those with natural texture because you want to be sure you're drying the exterior first to lock the definition in place before going to the root.

We encourage you to use a diffuser, as you will be able to channel the heat to different areas and achieve defined and beautiful curls.

However, when it comes to drying the roots, you don't want to scatter the ends and break through to the roots. Instead, you want to be careful and separate gently, then dry using your dryer. If you've dried the ends of your curls, this should be easy as you can separate them without distorting your coils.

Continue until it is about 80 to 90 percent dried before leaving it to air dry.

This is the part where you can style your hair anyhow you like. You can expand if you want more volume by separating your coils using your fingers and combing the roots. Or apply light oil for extra shins.

Go ahead and achieve whatever style you want here.

What You Must Do to Achieve Nice Finger Coils

1. Use Enough Products

You must not be stingy with the products you are using. Whether it's your gel or curl cream, use them adequately, so you can achieve gorgeous curls without frizz.

2. Don't Curl Large Sections

Finger-coiling large sections won't give you the result you want. The chances of having coils that won't hold are bigger. So, go with small sections to have beautiful curls.

3. Curl in the Right Direction

This is different for everyone. But make sure to coil your hair in the direction your hair naturally likes to curl. That way, you will get uniformed, defined coils.

4. Dampen Your Hair

Using water when detangling helps to give exactly what you want. This is also needed if you don't want to wash your hair before you style.

Benefits of Finger Coiling

I must say that there are a lot of benefits you will get. Let's mention some of them.

1. Work on all hair types

Regardless of your hair type, finger coils work. You can try styling it on your 2c or 4c hair. All you need is to have clean, moisturized hair to style it.

2. Volume

The volume you get is amazing and the best part is you can control it.

As I've said, you can leave your roots to achieve a more voluminous look. Making the sections smaller also gives you that advantage. Plus, you can separate the coils for more volume.

3. Lasts Long

Finger coils can last up to two weeks. However, you need to use the right products and use them adequately.

4. Low Maintenance

After styling, finger coils require minimal daily upkeep. This means you can wear a beautiful style without doing so much daily.

5. Versatility

You can style them in different ways. Put them in an updo, ponytail, or middle part, or wear them down.

6. Protection

This style protects your ends from breakage and helps you avoid split ends.

Answers to FAQS about the Finger Coiling Technique

1. Is finger coiling good for your hair?

Definitely! Finger coiling is not only a gorgeous style you can wear, it's a style that gives you definition, protection, retention, etc. It's also a great way to reduce frizz and pop your curl pattern.

If you have wavy or curly hair, finger coiling is quite good for your hair.

2. How long does it take to get finger coils?

You need about three hours to do your finger coils. However, it depends on the length and thickness of your hair and your skill. Some can use an hour, and others may need a longer time.

As a beginner, you will not be as fast as someone used to styling this regularly. So, take your time.

3. Do I finger coil before or after gel?

You are to finger coil before applying your gel. Most hairstylists apply the gel once they are done finger coiling. And what it does is to help hold the style.

Remember that you'll be applying your curl cream before you curl.

However, there are curling jelly gels you can use before you style. You apply them to your hair, then finger coil.

4. Can I finger-coil my straight hair?

Yes. As I have said, there are no hair types you can't finger coil. But if you have straight hair, your curls might not be as defined as those with a natural curl pattern. Though they will be loosed, they should look beautiful. So, no need to be bothered.

You will also need to use a good quantity of products to keep your loose waves for some time.

5. What products should I use for finger coils?

Apart from the products you need to wash your hair, you also need to get a leave-in conditioner, curl cream, gel, and hair oil. There are no specifics, you could even use a curl mousse. It depends on what products work best for you and keep your curls intact for a long time.

Final Words

With the steps here, go ahead and achieve your finger coils. If there are any other concerns you have, let me know below.