You don’t need to have a certification or train with Oribe to curl your hair like a professional stylist. All you need is a good curling wand and some simple but helpful tips on how to curl your hair easily. There’s nothing more frustrating than spending hours curling your hair only for it to frizzle like a party clown’s hair or, worse, go limp after only a short while. Learning how to curl your hair properly is the only way to prevent such disasters.
What You’ll Need
Here are some useful hair curling tips as well as things that you need to have before you can begin curling your hair like a pro:
- Dry hair
- Hair protector
- Curling wand
- Setting spray
- Curl enhancing mousse, cream or gel
- Hair spray
Preparing Your Hair for Curling
Dry hair: You should never curl hair with hot tools when it is wet or even damp because this could cause considerable damage to your hair. Make sure that your hair is thoroughly dry before curling it. Wet or damp hair isn’t going to hold a curl.
Protecting hair: Use a curl enhancing mousse, cream or gel before your dry hair or curl it; do this on the third day after you shampoo for best results. Use a small amount of mild hairspray or setting spray on each hair section before curling to protect hair from excessive heat and to hold curls longer after curling.
Clips or clamps: If you have a curling wand or iron with clips or clamps, try wrapping hair around it without the clip or clamp to have more natural-looking curls. Alternate the way you wrap your hair on the curling wand or iron using either a backward or forward process to achieve different looks.
Holding curls: Use double pronged clips or bobby pins to hold formed curls firmly into place; the former are more versatile, easier to use, and less expensive. Clip curls in place as they cool, this will keep them out of the way as you curl the rest of your hair as it also allows curls to set.
Styling: After your curls have cooled, you can now style your hair. As mentioned, you need the right kind of curling tools to get the results you desire.
How to Choose the Right Curling Tool
You should already have the right curling wand or iron on hand. If you still haven’t got one, here are some guidelines on how to choose a good curling tool:
Barrel: barrel size makes a whole lot of difference when it comes to results in curls. Curling wands or irons that measure an inch or even smaller will result in smaller curls while those measuring 1.5 inches or even larger will have the capability of creating larger curls or waves.
Material: curling wands and irons come in various materials such as tourmaline, ceramic, titanium, chrome, and gold:
- Tourmaline and ceramic: your best choices because of the frizz control and even distribution of heat that they are capable of; all in all, tourmaline and ceramic are healthier for your hair.
- Chrome: the least expensive amongst the materials but the quality of curls that result from its use is below par. Your hair has a tendency to frizz and your curls won’t hold for long. Additionally, chrome curling tools can cause your hair to become fragile and become damaged eventually.
- Titanium and gold: these materials are excellent heat conductors and will therefore give you intense heat while curling your hair. Although the resulting curls will be top rated and hold longer, your hair could also be exposed to excessive heat and become frizzy and damaged in the long run.
Heat: the intensity of heat emitted by the curling tool determines the varieties of curl which it can create. Most curling tools come with a switch or dial for adjusting the heat level you desire such as high, medium, and low as well as actual heat settings. You can always change the setting to your hair’s required kind of curl; just remember that hair shouldn’t be exposed to higher heat levels for a long time because it could then be damaged.
Having trouble choosing the right curling tool for your hair? See our guide: Choosing the Best Curling Wand or Iron.
How to Use a Curling Wand to Create Different Kinds of Curls
You have the items you need, your hair has been prepared for the curling process, and you have the right kind of curling wand or iron at the ready. Now it’s time for you to learn how to curl hair:
1. Preheat your curling wand or iron between two and four minutes of your desired temperature instead of using it immediately after you plug it in.
2. Use a heat-resistant glove as a safety precaution. Most curling wands and irons come with these single gloves but if yours doesn’t go get one. Curling wands have no clips or clamps, the reason it’s necessary to use a gloved hand because you will have to use your fingers in holding your hair in the correct place on the barrel.
3. Pick up a section – not any wider than an inch — of hair. Never curl too much of your hair all at once. Hair strands with too much width will easily layer up and be difficult for the heat of the curling wand or iron to reach. This will result in saggy and limp curls. On the other hand, hair strands which are less than an inch thick will create tight curls.
4. Wrap sectioned hair strands around the curling wand or iron barrel, holding hair at its section end at the barrel’s base. Remember to always curl your hair a considerable length away from the rest of your face and try to avoid wrapping hair sections at the tip or center of the barrel.
5. Keeping hair strand sections flat will create curls that are loose and wavy while twisting the strands before you wrap their sections around the barrel will create spiral curls.
6. Wait between five and ten seconds to allow the heat to curl your hair strands. Curling wands curl hair faster than curling irons. And ensure than you don’t curl more than 15 seconds for each hair section lest you damage your hair.
7. Allow your curls to cool: holding your curls in spiral shapes after you remove them from the wand will create tight curls while they cool down. If it’s loose curls you want, just drop them while they are still hot and let them cool like that.
8. Repeat steps one to six to work your way through your entire head. Finish your styling by using a light mist on your hair either with a mild hairspray or setting spray.
Recommended Curling Wands
You can always use a curling iron but curling wands make the best kind of curls. Here are two of the best rated brands for curling hair:
1. Conair YOU CURL Curling Wand by Conair
Conair YOU CURL Curling Wand – Available Now at Amazon!
Conair YOU CURL Features:
- Unique conical barrel: this can create tight, small, and bouncy curls when you wrap smaller hair sections as well as loose, wavy, and softer-looking curls if you choose to wrap larger hair sections around it.
- Tourmaline ceramic technology: provides heat distribution that’s even and consistent static-free curls with sheer and shine to them. This is possible with the release of a large number of negative ions which keep curls stay locked in and hold for longer periods of time. You can find more details in our Conair YOU CURL review.
- Quick heat: the built-on quick heat mechanism enables instantaneous heat production in as fast as 30 seconds so you don’t have to wait long to start curling your hair.
- Four heat settings shown on LED indicators: choose how much heat your hair would need for kink-free and flawless curls as displayed on the LED indicators.
- Instant heat recovery: reheats instantly to maintain steady temperature after each curl has been set to give your curled hair a “uniform” look.
- Clampless: this innovative feature prevents unsightly crease or mark lines from forming on your hair after it has been.
- Automatic shut-off mechanism: a safety mechanism to prevent potential accidents from occurring.
2. Remington Ci96w1 Silk Ceramic Slim Styling Wand
Remington Ci96w1 Styling Wand at Amazon!
Remington Ci96w1 Features:
- Tapered design: measuring an inch at its base and ½ inch at its tip, the tapered design enables you to create professional-looking curls.
- Ceramic barrel: infused with silk proteins, this ceramic barreled-curling wand provides curls that are both smooth in appearance and silky to the touch.
- Adjustable heat with temperature lock: two buttons for increasing or decreasing the amount of heat you desire has a built-in temperature lock which prevents the possibility of overheating while you curl your hair.
- Silk ceramic technology: with authentic silk proteins in its coating to distribute heat evenly, this wand enables fast styling without damaging your hair while giving you longer-lasting curls.
- Digital display: with this innovative feature, you can monitor the curling wand’s temperature as it heats up with the digital display. It pulses and beeps steadily until the triple bars on its screen indicate the target heat level has been reached.
- Heat-resistant glove: safety for your fingers, hands, and facial skin are assured with the use of this heat-resistant glove.
- Quick heat up: no more waiting time with this curling wand with its quick heat up of 30 seconds.
- Automatic shut-off mechanism: your assurance of safety even if you leave it on after use.
Click Here for Hair Styling Girl’s Top 5 Curling Wands & Irons.