Curl Hair with a Curling Iron

A curling iron can be used to create tight, formal curls, big, bold waves, thin spirals, or thick tube curls. From big to small you can have whatever curls you want depending on the curling iron. To curl hair with a curling iron, try one of the following methods. Here is a guide on wikiHow to curl hair with a curling iron.

Steps

Basic Curling

  1. Heat up the curling iron. Turn on the curling iron and heat it to 320 degrees for fine hair and 430 degrees for thicker hair. Experiment to find the right temperature for you. It's best to go with the lowest temperature that does the job. This is going to damage your hair less.
  2. Brush your hair thoroughly. Make sure there are no tangles or your curls won’t form properly. Your hair should be completely dry before you curl it. Blow dry any damp sections.
  3. Apply a heat protectant to your hair. This product is usually sprayed onto dry hair. The heat protectant will form a buffer between your locks and the iron to add shine and prevent damage at high temperatures.
  4. Separate your hair into sections. Sections should be about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} wide and there should be about three-four sections from the bottom to the crown of your head. Separate the sections using clips so that the only hair hanging has either been curled already or is the next section of hair that is going to be curled.
  5. Working in sections, curl your hair. Using just the wand (and not the clamp at the bottom of the wand that "holds" the hair as it curls), wrap your section of hair around the barrel. Be sure not to overlap your hair, as this will reduce heat and result in limp sections. Use your fingers to hold the edge of the section of hair close to the barrel without burning your hair. Doing this rather than using the clamp will prevent crimps in the curls.
    • Be sure to alternate the curling direction between clockwise and counterclockwise for a more natural effect.
  6. Once a curl is down, quickly pin it up. Grabbing the bottom of the curl, compact the curl to create a perfect curl. Use a bobby pin or a similar hair clip to fasten the circle of hair to your head.
  7. Continue until all of your hair is pinned up. then wait until the curls are no longer hot before you take off the clips.
  8. After the hair is cool, take off all the bobby pins. Shake out the curls and fix any curls that are messed up
  9. Manipulate curled hair, if desired. Unless you want to leave it in its current, more formal arrangement, tousle it with your fingers or tease it slightly. Tousling large curls is a great way to create waves.
  10. Lightly spray hairspray to give your curls hold. Do not over-spray, as this will make your hair crispy and/or weigh it down.

Top-to-Bottom Curling (Spiraling Curls)

  1. Grab one strand of hair to curl. For tighter curls, grab smaller sections.
  2. Squeeze the curling iron open and place it near the top of a section of hair. Keep the iron squeezed open for now.
  3. Manually wrap the entire section of hair around the iron rod.
  4. Clamp the hair inside the iron for approximately 10 seconds. Your actual time may vary depending on your curling iron and heat settings, so if you need to experiment, on the low side in the beginning.
  5. Loosen your hair and repeat on the next section. It will help to unclamp and clamp the iron as you loosen, but be careful not to touch the iron in the process.

Bottom-to-Top Curling (Tube Curls)

  1. Grab one section of hair to curl. For tighter curls, grab smaller sections and for less tighter curls take bigger sections .
  2. Squeeze the curling iron open and place it near the bottom of a section of hair. It may help to loosely clamp the hair higher up and then slide it down. Angling the iron slightly will make your hair easier to curl and prevent the curls from sticking too far out from the side of your head.
  3. Clamp the curling iron shut and twist it so that the hair spirals around it. The flatter your hair spreads out beneath the clip, the more heat each strand of hair will receive. For full-length curls, twist the iron until it approaches your scalp, being very careful not to touch the curling iron. Curl your hair away from your face not towards.
  4. Hold the hair inside the iron for approximately 10 seconds. Your actual time may vary depending on your curling iron and heat settings, so if you need to experiment, on the lower side in the beginning.
  5. Loosen your hair and repeat on the next section. It will help to unclamp and clamp the iron as you loosen, but be careful not to touch the iron to your skin in the process.
  6. Finished.



Tips

  • Letting your hair fall (with no brushing afterwards) and tousling it with your fingers creates the most natural result. Tousling hair throughout the day can prevent individual curls from combining into big curls.
  • Curl away from your face for more natural-looking curls.
  • You can get a tighter curl using a smaller-barrel iron, and a looser, more wavy curl if you use a larger-barrel iron.
  • Use hairspray afterwards to keep the curls in if you don't have curling cream.
  • Before you use hairspray use a spray that's a curl booster that holds your curls in long.
  • Use a ceramic curling iron for less damage on hair.
  • If you don't feel very confident with a curling iron, always use gloves to protect yourself from burns.
  • If you spray hairspray on the outside of a curl when curling so the curl is more secure, but make sure you don't apply too close or the hairspray (depending on brand) will get the iron sticky.
  • Curling cream applied after a shower will help hold the curl; do not, however, use mousse, which is too heavy for the curl to hold.
  • After your hair is cooled, flip your hair over then comb back up to get it in its natural position.
  • If your hair is very thin and fine , the curls might appear frizzy.

Warnings

  • Don't plug in your curling iron near water: it could fall in and electrocute someone.
  • Make sure to always unplug the curling iron after you're finished.
  • Gently pull the iron away from your head as you curl to both protect your scalp and add volume.
  • If you curl a section for too long, you will cause heat damage, possibly even causing hair to fall out.
  • Don't put in hair spray before you use a curling iron, hair spray is extremely flammable and will set your hair on fire!
  • The curling iron is hot. Do not move it too close to your scalp or bump it with your free hand.
  • These directions can work in two ways: achieve fabulously kinky natural looking curls, or cause your hair to frizz up like a ball. If your hair tends to frizz, use anti-frizz serum.
  • Read the safety instructions before using a curling iron. This will also give you a sense of how long to curl each section of hair for.

Things You'll Need

  • Heat protectant
  • Curling iron
  • Hairspray
  • Optional: curl-enhancing spray or shampoo, smoothing serum
  • Hairbrush

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