Beachy waves, tight curls or loose curls, curly hair can surely amp up your look for any occasion. But not everyone is blessed with those natural ringlets.
Nonetheless, this should not stop you from adding oomph and volume to your style.
You can certainly morph your straight poker hair into curly locks for a day or two. If you are ready to up your styling game, here are several ways to curl your hair – with or without heat.
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Curling Your Hair With Heat
Curling irons or flat irons can give you really neat curls and make them last longer. However, be mindful of the frequency of using such heated tools, as they tend to take away the moisture from your hair and make it brittle over time.
Since every hair texture responds differently to different temperatures, opt for styling tools with temperature control.
Also, you should always use a heat protectant to create a buffer between your hair and the styling tool to prevent damage.
Method 1: Use a Curling Wand
Not everyone is fond of Disney princess curls. Hence, curling wands are the most sought-after styling tool these days to get natural waves rather than well-defined ringlets.
Things you’ll need:
- Curling wand
- Tail Comb
- Styling spray
- Partition clips
Step 1. Partition your hair into multiple sections
- Plugin the curling wand and allow it to heat up.
- Brush your hair to remove any tangles.
- Partition your hair using a tail comb. Twist your hair and secure each section with a clip.
Step 2. Curl small sections with the wand and apply a styling spray
- Hold the wand in an inverted position and wrap a 1-inch wide section of your hair around its barrel.
- Wait for 5 to 7 seconds, then release the curl.
- Repeat the process for all sections of your hair.
- Use a styling spray on the curls to make them last throughout the day.
Method 2: Use a Curling Iron
If you want more polished and bouncy curls, you can opt for a curling iron instead of a curling wand. It has a clamp attached to the barrel that holds the locks in place while you curl them.
Things you’ll need:
- Curling iron
- Clips
- Styling spray
- Tail Comb
Step 1. Partition your hair into three sections
- Use a tail comb to partition your hair into three sections.
- Tie up the crown section into a bun.
- Separate the lower section into two halves and secure one section in place using a clip.
Step 2. Curl small sections with the curling iron
- Use narrow sections to create tight curls and wide sections for loose curls.
- Hold a section of your hair between the iron and the open clamp. Keep it 1 inch away from the roots to avoid damaging the roots with the heat.
- Wrap your hair around the barrel of the curling iron. Do not overlap the hair, as this will reduce the effect of the heat.
- Put the clamp down and wait a few seconds, then release the curl from the barrel. Hold the curl for another 2 seconds in your hand until the hair cools off.
- Repeat the process for the other two partitions until you’ve curled all your hair.
Step 3. Apply a styling spray and open the curls with your fingers
- Apply a styling spray to the curls to make them last longer.
- Open the curls with your fingers to add more volume.
Method 3: Use a Straightener
You can also use a straightener to create curls. You can either wrap your hair around the flat iron, as shown in Step 2(A) or add the use of a pencil for tighter curls, as shown in Step 2(B).
Things you’ll need:
- Straightener
- Clips
- Tail Comb
- Pencil (for tighter curls)
Step 1. Partition your hair into multiple sections
- Brush your hair to remove any tangles.
- Partition your hair into multiple sections using a tail comb and secure each section with a clip.
Step 2(A). Use the twist technique to create ribbon curls
- Take a 1½-inch wide section of your hair and clamp it in the iron, halfway down the length of your hair.
- Lift the loose end and wrap it over the flat iron to make a loop.
- Hold the loose end tightly and twist the iron backward toward your scalp applying pressure at an angle. You can twist it twice to get tighter curls.
- Slowly work your way down the length of your hair.
Step 2(B). Use the pencil technique for tighter curls
- Wrap a small section of your hair tightly around a pencil.
- Press the hair-wrapped pencil with your flat iron, covering the entire length of the pencil.
- Continue to press for a few seconds, then release the hair.
- Repeat for the remaining sections of your hair, then open the curls with your fingers.
Curling Your Hair Without Heat
If you are wary of using heat frequently on your delicate mane, there is nothing to fret. You can still curl your hair without applying heat. All you need to do is … sleep on it!
Method 1: Braiding Overnight
It couldn’t get easier than this. You can wake up to beautiful crumpled hair by simply braiding it and leaving it overnight.
Step 1. Partition your hair into two sections
- Brush your hair to remove any tangles.
- Partition your hair into two sections using a tail comb and secure one section with a clip.
Step 2. Dampen your hair and make multiple braids
- Spray water on your dry hair to dampen it.
- Starting with one partition, divide your hair into multiple sections. You can make more braids for tight curls or just two for loose curls.
- Starting near the crown, braid each section tightly with even pressure and secure the end with a band.
- Spray more water on your hair as needed while you work through all the braiding.
- Leave the braids in to dry overnight.
Step 3. Open the braids and loosen the curls as desired
- Open each braid carefully to release the curls.
- You can loosen the curls with your fingers or a comb.
- You can also use hair spray to make the curls last through the day.
Method 2: Use Socks
If you want loose curls but don’t want to bother with a curling iron, just grab two pair of socks.
Things you’ll need:
- Socks
- Clips
- Tail Comb
Step 1. Dampen your hair and partition it into two sections
- Use a spray bottle to dampen your hair.
- Partition the hair into two sections using a tail comb and secure one section with a clip.
Step 2. Roll small sections up in a sock
- Roll a 1½-inch section of your hair around a clean sock.
- Tie the sock in a knot to hold the hair in place. Make sure that the knot is not extremely tight to avoid creases in the hair.
- Repeat the process for the other sections until all your hair is rolled up.
- Now, go and get a good night’s sleep.
Step 3. Untie the socks in the morning & open the curls
- One by one, untie all the socks.
- Run your fingers through the curls to open them up and add volume.
Method 3: Use Bobby Pins
Bobby pins are the essential tools in hair styling. They can also be used to create pin curls by making small loops and securing them on your head overnight.
Things you’ll need:
- Bobby pins
- Tail Comb
- Clips
Step 1. Partition your hair into multiple sections
- Brush your hair to remove any tangles.
- Partition your hair using a tail comb and secure each section with a clip.
Step 2. Twirl up small sections of hair and secure them with bobby pins
- Dampen your hair with some water.
- Twist your hair to make a coil of a 1-inch wide section of hair around your finger, all the way up to the root.
- Neatly secure the curl in place with a bobby pin.
- Continue the process until you’ve finished all the sections of your hair.
- You can either wait for a couple of hours or leave them in overnight.
Step 3. Remove the bobby pins and loosen the curls with your fingers
- Carefully remove the bobby pins from each curl.
- You can either leave them as is or run your fingers through the curls to open them up.
Method 4: Use a Headband
It couldn’t get simpler than this! Just fasten a headband over your crown area and wake up to beautiful curls.
Step 1. Secure a headband over your head & wind your hair around it
- Dampen your hair and use a comb to detangle it.
- Place a headband horizontally around your crown area.
- Take a small section of the hair and twist it till the end.
- Coil the twisted strand around the band. Then continue to do so for the rest of your hair.
- You can also secure the loops using bobby pins.
- You can either wait for a couple of hours or leave it overnight.
Step 2. Un-loop the coils and open the curls with your fingers
- One by one, un-loop the coils and remove the headband.
- Open up the curls by running your fingers through your hair.
Method 5: Use Rollers sit Flexi Rods
Using plastic rollers (shown in Step 2) is an old-school way of achieving Victorian locks. Flexi rods (shown in Step 3) are essentially a modern twist on traditional rollers.
Neither require heat, and you can just put them in and continue with your daily chores, while your hair sets into beautiful curls.
Things you’ll need:
- Plastic rollers
- Flexi rods
- Water in a spray bottle
- Tail Comb
- Clips
Step 1. Partition your hair into multiple sections
- Brush your hair to remove any tangles.
- Partition your hair into two sections using a tail comb and secure one section with a clip.
Step 2. Roll up your hair on the rollers
- Spray some water on a 1-inch wide section of hair to dampen it.
- Place a plastic roller at the end of the section of hair and roll it up close to the scalp.
- Secure the roller with its cover to hold it in place.
- Continue rolling up the other sections of hair.
- Leave the rollers in for 4 to 5 hours.
Step 3. Loop sections of hair around the Flexi rods
- Dampen a 1-inch wide section of hair with water.
- Coil the section around the Flexi rod.
- Secure the rods in your hair by bending and twisting them.
- Let your hair set for 5 to 7 hours.
Step 4. Unravel your hair from the rollers and/or Flexi rods
- Remove the cover of the rollers and unravel your hair slowly. Do not rush to pull the rollers out or you may end up with tangled hair (tangling the hair will ruin the curls and make the hair frizzy).
- If using Flexi rods, uncoil the rods and release the curls.
- Run your fingers through your hair to loosen the curls.
Additional Tips
- When using a curling iron or wand, curl the right side clockwise and the left side counterclockwise to open up your look (i.e., curl away from the face).
- If using a curling iron with temperature control, maintain 320°F (160°C) for fine hair and 430°F (220°C) for thicker hair.
- If you regularly use a blow dryer to dry your hair, keep it on a cool setting.
- De-tangle your hair before using any styling tools to prevent split ends or breakage.
- Always use a hair protectant to make sure hair isn’t damaged by heat. This will protect the texture of your hair as well as the color. Burnt hair will feel brittle and look lighter than the rest of your hair.
Summary of How to Curl Your Hair With and Without Heat
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