You love luscious curled hairstyles but any attempt to pull off the style at home finishes with old-fashioned baby doll ringlets? Do not despair. We have prepared an easy tutorial on how to curl hair that will help you create perfect natural curls with a straightener or a curling iron.
Get step-by-step instructions to 7 hair curling techniques and do not miss images of each curl type you can get along with handy tips for salon-like results.
What Hot Tool to Select?
You may curl your hair with a curling iron, a wand, or a straightener. As you might have seen from the video tutorial, each tool works fine for creating natural, trendy curls; it’s all about the technique that you use to curl your tresses. Thus, what we recommend is practicing with what you already have.
If you do not have any hot tools and you do sometimes straighten your hair, investing in a good flat iron for straightening and curling your hair would be a great idea. If curling is part of your regular styling routine, do investigate the best curling irons and wands, which are designed for curling hair in the first place.
The difference between the curling iron and a wand is that the latter doesn’t have a clip. The wand is often easier to use and creates looser curls. However, you can achieve the same effect by not putting the clip of the iron down, as we did for the first two curling techniques. The size of the barrel is very important too. We are using a 32mm curling iron to create full clumps; smaller barrels will help you achieve tighter coils.
Hair Curling Techniques
Using a curling iron is meant to be a no-brainer task: you wrap the hair around the barrel, let it heat up, and release the strand. Still, you can achieve different results by twisting the strand, clipping the curled lock to let it cool, or rotating the iron. At the same time, it might be difficult to figure out how to use a straightener to curl your locks.
Below are 7 excellent techniques for the two tools that are worth trying. To master a new curling technique, be sure to practice with a cold tool first. This is not to damage your hair and get consistent results throughout your mane.
1. Flat Wrap with a Curling Iron and Pinning
Take a small section of hair and wrap it around the barrel. Don’t twist the strand, making sure it lays flat on a rod, and give your hair enough time to form a curl.
After you release the strand, cup the coiled curl in your hand, clip it near your head, and let it cool down in this position. This creates a tighter curl and is a great hack to use if you have long, thick hair that wouldn’t hold a curl.
2. Spiral Curls with a Curling Iron or a Wand
Another method is to wrap the section around the wand, while also twisting it. If you are using a curling iron, don’t put the clip down. This technique creates nice spiral curls, which you may stretch and separate a bit for soft and loose curls that are so popular now.
3. Ribbon Curl with a Curling Iron
For the third technique, place the section on the barrel and secure it with a clip. Slowly rotate half a turn and slide down, releasing the wrapped section from the iron. This way you can achieve beautiful ribbon curls with a beach wave effect.
4. Nice Ringlets with a Curling Iron
One more method to curl your hair is to wrap the section around the barrel, secure it with a clip, and rotate the curling iron. You may want to curl the end of the strand separately to create a finished look.
5. Ribbon Curl with a Flat Iron
For technique number five, use a straightener. Secure the strand in the middle of the heating plates, rotate half a turn and slide the flat iron down the section, maintaining a tension. For beautiful and uniform curls, make sure you curl away from your face and slide the iron down at the same speed.
6. Soft Wave with a Straightener
Another type of curl you can get with a flat iron is a soft wave. Secure the strand between the plates and slide down, rotating the iron half a turn all the time. Move slowly and maintain tension to get the desired texture.
7. Curling Long Hair with a Flat Iron Full Turn Rotation Technique
The following technique with a flat iron is the best way to curl long hair. Secure the strand between the plates, rotate a full turn, and slide the straightener down as long as you can. Then, release the strand and secure the next part of the section between the plates to repeat the same process. Straighten the ends for a natural look.
Essential Tips for Curling Your Hair
There are several important rules that help you create a flawless curled hairstyle without ruining your hair:
- Sectioning is vital. The final look largely depends on how well you section your hair. It is best to divide hair into three or four layers, separating hair above the ears and, then, near the temples. If you have very thick hair, do even more layers. To make the process more comfortable, start with the lower layers and pin up hair you are not working on yet.
- Always heat protect. Heat protection is not a nice-to-have stage of curling your hair. It is a step that ensures your hair will not look dry and dull after repeated heat styling. Apply the spray to each section of hair separately (better yet, to each strand you are going to curl) and brush hair over to distribute the product evenly.
- Pick comb for more natural curls. To make the curls look natural, use a pick comb to separate the curled clumps. If you don’t have one, comb hair with your fingers.
- Set the right temperature. To get beautiful and lasting curls, it is important to set the right temperature, which should let the curls set without frying your hair. If your hair is colored, the optimal temperature would be 150-170 degrees Celsius. If not, go for 180 to 200 degrees. A soft hold spray or a salt spray will help increase the definition and the hold without increasing the temperature.
- Curl away from your face. It is best to curl away from your face, so, obviously, you cannot always hold a tool with one hand. You may also want to curl a few strands towards your face for a more natural look; in this case, make sure you alternate the direction each time.
Last but not least, do give your hair breaks when you do not use heat to style your hair. If you still want some waves in your hair, consider getting some heatless curls. Also, a good thing would be to let your hair dry naturally more often.
Getting flawless curls at home is possible! Nurture your locks and get the knack of your favorite curling technique to boast off your hair structure and color.
