How to Use a Curling Iron?

Remember that poem we’ve read in our childhood about a girl with curly hair? Every woman wished for curls at some point in their lives. Curls are the real cool! Be it curly as a whole or just some part of the hair, it is always stunning. Most of us envy people with natural curls. Not anymore! We’ll now know how to use a curling iron at home!

How to use a curling iron?

When we initially heard of curling iron that sounded great as it can save my money and time! We tried it immediately without wasting a moment, and after that, we couldn’t wait to share it with you guys! Here we are to tell you how to use a curling iron? step by step and all the necessary things we need to know.

Before Starting to Use

Whenever we think about how to use a curling iron? by ourselves, most of us hesitate, for we don’t have the proper knowledge. It isn’t always necessary for us to visit a salon or parlor to get curls done. The following information guides us with some pre-prep and tips before heading about how to use a curling iron step by step.

Before Curling

• Dry hair is a must for curling hair as applying heat on damp hair could cause more damage than the former. The hair’s cuticles are delicate and exposed when it is wet. So, strictly avoid curling on damp hair as curling iron directly applies heat to the hair.
• Various factors like dust, sunlight, etc., damage our hair. Our hair needs proper protein to bind together and stay healthy. Abnormal frizz and dryness are indications of damaged hair. If you face this problem, avoid curling as it would cause more harm than good.
• Hair experts and professionals suggest against using heat elements too frequently. The heat produced strips off our hair’s natural oils and makes it dry. If you cannot avoid using curling iron daily, take good care of your hair by naturally drying it, etc.
• Know your size before grabbing one. Curling irons come in different barrel sizes, each with different results. For example, a 1.25-inch barrel iron gives large and softer curls, whereas a 1-inch barrel gives short curls.

During Curling

• We already mentioned that heat causes so much damage to our hair. So, try using the least possible temperature available from curl iron. Well, this temperature also depends on hair’s volume. Fine hairs require less heat than thick hair. Not all curl irons give us the flexibility of changing temperature. If possible, grab one that allows variations.
• Never skip using an appropriate heat protectant for any heat treatment. Probably, there is nothing that harms our hair more than heat. Each heat protectant comes with specific action conditions like maximum temperature protection, etc. Choose accordingly.
• Based on intended results, we could hold the curling iron in different directions. But for best results, hold the iron vertically with the narrower end downwards. As a thumb rule, the horizontal direction gives more volume at the roots while the vertical gives loose curls.
• The immediate question following curl iron usage is how to use a curling iron with a clip. If you are curling from tips to roots, the clip closes near the roots. Hold the clip open if you’re curling the hair around the barrel.
• Hold the curls for at least 5 to 8 seconds but not more than that. Don’t pull off the iron as the curls may fall. Instead, hold them with your hands until the hair cools down.

After Curling

Brush your hair only after the hair is entirely cold and finish off with a hair spray. Curls followed by hair spray work better than without a spray. The spray gives a bouncy and soft look to curl. But don’t use sprays before curling. We cannot imagine the damage happening due to that!

Steps to Using Curling Iron

Here’s how to use a curling iron with a clip in general. These steps on how to use a curling iron by yourself help save us from damaged hair and burning our hands.

Step – 1: Make sections of hair before starting to curl. Large sections give loose curls, and shorter ones give tight curls. Decide how you want them to be and divide sections accordingly.

Step – 2: Close the clip near the roots while you curl the ends and open it while you curl the hair around the barrel.

Step – 3: Wrap a section of hair around the barrel without overlaps by holding the wand. Hold the hair edges near the barrel with your fingers if you wish to avoid clamps.

Clamps give crimpy curls. So, it is best to avoid them. But be very careful while holding the hair section’s ends near the barrel, as mentioned in the above step. It might burn our fingers.

Step – 4: Start curling your hair by altering between the clockwise and anticlockwise directions. Hold the curl for 5-8 seconds and not more than 10 seconds.

Step – 5: Compact the curl by grabbing its bottom to create a perfect look. Pin these circles to the head and finish off all the sections.

Step – 6: Wait until your hair is cold, and then release the hair. Gently shake out your hair and fix messed-up curls, if any.

Step – 7: Tousle or tease your hair slightly with your fingers for a wavy look, and this works the best for long curls.

Step – 8: Finish off with an appropriate hair spray to hold the curls and have a bouncy look. Don’t do too much spraying, as the hair turns crispy.

These are the steps for how to use a curling iron in a general way. We can follow the same steps for how to use a curling iron on short hair as well. These steps are quite commonly used by many and give us traditional curls. These steps about how to use a curling iron on short hair or in a general way fit in for short to medium hair length. What do we do for very short and long hair? We have methods for them too!

Curling Styles for Long Hair

The steps for how to use a curling iron on long hair are almost the same as above. The advantage here is the hair’s length. We could play with curls as the hair is longer. Either curl from roots to tips or just the tips or half the length, either way, it is beautiful! Here are some stylings based on how to use a curling iron on long hair.

• Flat Wrap Curls

Before starting to curl, it is best to experiment by taking sections with various thicknesses. Small sections give short curls, and thicker sections will have long curls. Decide the way you want them, and then begin with the process below

Step – 1: Take a section and decide the curls’ direction, i.e., towards the roots or the ends, or curls towards the face and away from it.

Step – 2: Keep the section flat while wrapping it around the iron and ensure that you don’t twist your hair around it.

Step – 3: Continue wrapping your hair until you reach the ends. If you wish to have natural-looking curls, stop wrapping when you are nearing the ends.

• Spiral Curls

Spiral curls usually fall off as they either aren’t given enough heat or aren’t cooled. Balance these properly to slay in style. Here’s how to use a curling iron on long hair and get spiral curls

Step – 1: Divide the entire hair into smaller sections.

Step – 2: Take a section and twist or braid it till the ends.

Step – 3: Wrap the entire twisted section around the iron and wait for it to heat up.

Step – 4: Remove the iron and let the hair cool.

Step – 5: Finish off curling all the remaining sections in the same way.

A tip here is to keep the twisting and wrapping direction the same for better curls. If you want the curl away from your face, keep the direction outwards and vice versa.

Curling Iron for Very Short Hair

Very short hairs are slightly on the harder side of curling. As the hair’s length is smaller, we need to be extra careful while using curl irons. We’ll be needing a 1-1/4” barrel curling iron here. Let’s see how to use a curling iron on very short hair after finishing similar steps, i.e., washing, drying the hair, and dividing sections.

Step – 1: Choose the direction of curls and begin with the hairlines.

Step – 2: Proceed further until you reach the ends and finish off all the sections.

Step – 3: After finishing, gently shake the hair near the roots as it creates some lift to the curls.

Curling shorter hair in different directions works the best instead of sticking to a single one, and this is how to use a curling iron on very short hair. Simple, right!

As we now know how to use a curling iron? we can save so much time and money! Also, we can play around with different styles! Here are some tips for you on how to use curling iron beginners.

• Begin by choosing the appropriate curl iron suiting your hair. Keep a heat protectant handy whenever you use the iron.
• Always start with sectioning your hair and then proceed further. You can divide the sections based on the curls you want.
• Don’t forget to use a heat protectant before beginning to use a curling iron.
• The easiest way to curl is to start from the roots, as the ends are fragile.
• Never twirl the iron. We need to twirl our hair but not the equipment.
• Let the curls cool down completely, and don’t brush them immediately.

This is how to use curling iron for beginners and maintain them for quite some time. Slay with your curls whenever you want to!