How to Curl Your Hair

Guide Note

For anyone who was not born with naturally curly hair but wishes they had been, good news! You can get your own beautiful curls by following these steps.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Step 1: Choose a Curling Method
• Step 2: Prepare Your Hair
• Step 3: Curl
• Tips for Making Your Curls Last
• References for How to Curl Your Hair

Curling Your Hair Tips

1. Choose a method of curling your hair that works best for your schedule.
2. Use a pre-heat styling product to protect your hair from heat damage before using hot rollers or a curling iron.
3. For extra shiny and smooth curls, straighten your hair before curling it.
4. Make sure your hair is completely dry before using a curling iron.
5. Brush your hair thoroughly before curling to minimize the brushing necessary after the curls are finished.

• by Brigitte g

Introduction

(Creative Commons photo by Garrett and Kitty Wilkin)

• Do you want a head full of beautiful curls even though you were born with straight or wavy hair? It's a dilemma that people have been facing for centuries. Luckily, various methods of curling hair have been perfected over the years.

• The information in this page can help you learn the best method for getting those curls. Keep in mind that the more layers your hair has, the more shape curls will be able to give your hairstyle. Also, be prepared to experiment with a few different combinations of methods and hair products before you find the one that works best for you. ¹

Step 1: Choose a Curling Method

• Choose a curling method according to the type of curls you want and how quickly you need to get them.

Curling Iron

• A curling iron is an electrical appliance designed to curl your hair. Curling irons are a popular way of getting curls fast, while also giving you plenty of control over where each curl falls. Curling irons are available in a variety of barrel sizes for different sizes of curls.

Hot Rollers

• Hot rollers are a set of curlers that are heated by electricity before you put them in your hair. They combine the fast results of heat with the benefit of not having to hold each curl individually like you do with a curling iron.² Because of this, many people say hot rollers are the fastest way to get a head full of curls.

Traditional Curlers

• There are many varieties of curlers, from Velcro to foam to plastic and metal.³ They are also sold in varying sizes. Smaller curlers yield tighter curls, while larger curlers create more of a soft, wavy effect.

• Traditional curlers are generally a more time-consuming way to curl your hair, but don't require an electrical outlet and are also less damaging to your hair.⁴ Many people put in their curlers before going to bed at night and remove them in the morning for a fresh set of curls.

Rag Rollers

• Rag rollers are similar to traditional curlers, but are an even more "homemade" way to get curls. Rag rollers are simply strips of cloth used to twist and tie your hair into a curl shape.⁵

• Many people who sleep on their curlers prefer rag rollers because their lack of bulkiness makes them more comfortable to sleep on than traditional rollers. Rag rollers also can create a more natural, tousled looking curl than other curling options because they create curls of different shapes and sizes.⁶

• You an easily make your own rag rollers by creating of any kind of absorbent material that are eight to ten inches long and one inch wide. Many people tear up old sheets to make rag rollers.⁵

Step 2: Prepare Your Hair

Brush before you curl. (Creative Commons photo by Klaus Post)

For the Curling Iron Method Or Hot Rollers

1. Make sure your hair is completely dry before using a curling iron to minimize damage to your hair.
2. Thoroughly brush your hair before beginning to avoid as much brushing as possible after the curls are finished. (Brushing your curls could turn them frizzy and undefined.⁶ )
3. Apply a styling product especially made for pre-heat treatment styling. Avoid applying the product to the roots of your hair to avoid a flat, weighed-down look on the top of your head.⁶
4. Optional: For especially smooth and shiny curls, try straightening your hair before you begin curling it.
5. Choose the size of your hot rollers or curling iron barrel wisely.
   • Shorter hair works best with a smaller barrel of curling iron or smaller hot rollers.
   • The larger the size of curling iron barrel, the more wavy and less tightly curled your final look will be.
6. Be sure to preheat the curling iron or hot rollers before beginning.⁶
7. Separate your hair into five sections as follows, using elastic hair bands to secure your locks:

• 1. One section of the crown area (the top of your head)
  2. Two equal sections for the right and left sides of the front of your head
  3. Two equal sections for the right and left section of the back of your head

For Traditional Curlers or Rag Rollers

1. Thoroughly brush your hair before beginning.
2. Get your hair slightly damp, either from washing, or from a light misting of water.
3. Let your hair air dry slightly if it is soaking wet, otherwise your curls will take an especially long time to dry and set. ⁵
4. Avoiding the roots, apply a styling product especially made for use with curlers for extra hold and less frizz later on.
5. Gently separate your hair into five sections and secure using elastic hair bands.

• 1. One section of the crown area (the top of your head)
  2. Two equal sections for the right and left sides of the front of your head
  3. Two equal sections for the right and left section of the back of your head

Step 3: Curl

Curling iron. (Creative Commons photo by Corey Ann)

Using a Curling Iron

1. IMPORTANT: Whenever you're using a curling iron or other electrical appliance, be sure to follow its included safety instructions to avoid electrocution or burns.
2. Unfasten one back section of your hair and begin near the nape of your neck, working up and out.⁷
3. Grab the end of a one-inch section of your hair with the curling iron (you may need to use slightly smaller or larger sections depending on the thickness of your hair.)
   • Make sure the very end of the hair is tucked into the curling iron.¹
4. Twirl the curling iron to roll the hair around it until you almost reach your scalp, being careful not to burn yourself.
5. Hold the curl tight for about 30 to 45 seconds, depending on how well your hair takes curl and how strongly you would like the curls to be set.⁷ Keep in mind that holding the same curl for over a minute can severely dry out and damage your hair.⁴
6. Release the tension on the curling iron handle, and slide the curl off the end of the curling iron.⁶
7. Continue to curl one one-inch sections of hair at a time, undoing more sections of banded hair as you need to.
8. When you're finished curling all of your hair, gently comb through the curls for more subtle waves, or just use your fingers to slightly separate the curls for a more distinct curly look.

Using Basic Curlers

• REMEMBER: The thickness and length of your hair will affect how long it takes for your hair to dry in the curlers. This can take a very long time if you apply the curlers when your hair is completely wet.

1. Curlers should be applied when your hair is slightly damp, either from water or a light application of styling product.⁷
2. Release one part of your five sections of hair.
3. Wrap a small section of your hair (half an inch to an inch) around a curler, starting at the ends of your hair and rolling up towards your scalp.
   • The amount of hair you can wrap around each curler will depend on how thick and long your hair is.⁶
   • If the hair becomes too thick for the curler before you can roll it all the way to your scalp, use a smaller section of hair.
4. At your scalp, tightly fasten the curler.
5. Continue rolling sections of hair around the curlers and securing until all your hair is in curlers.
6. Let your hair dry completely, which may take several hours.
   • Keep in mind that the outside hair on the curler may feel dry when the inside hair is still damp.
   • If you want to speed the drying process, you can use a hair dryer on low setting.
7. When you're sure your hair is dry, carefully remove each curler. Don't pull—if the curl won't slide off the end of the curler, try spinning the curler in a circular motion to unwind it.⁶

Using Rag Rollers

1. Release one section of your divided hair from its elastic band.
2. Begin by taking small sections of hair and wrapping it around the cloth strip, then twirling towards your scalp to roll the hair like you would with a traditional curler.
3. With rag rollers, you can control the size and tightness of your curls by how tightly you wrap the hair around the cloth strip.⁵
4. When you reach your scalp, take the two ends of the cloth strip and tie them together.
5. Continue until all of your hair is wrapped in rag rollers, releasing sections of your hair as you need to.
6. Be sure to let your hair completely dry before untying the rag rollers.⁶
7. After removing the rag rollers, break up the curls with your fingers to keep a tousled, naturally curly look.

Using Hot Rollers

1. Loosen one section of your hair in the back of your head.
2. Take about a one inch section of your hair and, being careful not to burn yourself, roll it into a hot roller starting at the end and finishing as near to your scalp as possible.²
3. Secure the hot roller tightly.
4. Continue the above steps until all of your hair is in hot rollers.
5. If your hot roller kit includes a mix of sizes, use the smaller rollers on the crown of your head and towards the front, working up to a larger size in the back and underneath for the most natural look. The smaller the curler, the tighter the curl.
6. Leave the hot rollers in your hair for 10-20 minutes. The longer you leave them in, the curlier your hair will be.¹

Tips to Make Your Curls Last

What to do with those curls? (Creative Commons photo by Laura Billings)

• Once you've got your perfect curls, here are some tips for keeping them curly as long as possible:

1. When you first remove your curl from the curling iron, hot roller, curler or rag roller, don't let it unfurl right away. Hold it in a tight curl while you spritz it with high-hold hairspray before releasing.
2. If you're done curling your hair and have hours to wait before you need your curly look, you can bobby pin your curls in their curl shape until you're ready to show them off.¹
3. The weather definitely plays a part in how long your artificial curls will last, so use a bit of extra hairspray on especially humid days.
4. Hair that has not been washed for a day is likely to hold curl longer due to its higher amount of natural oils.⁷
5. Healthier hair does a better job of fighting off frizz than dry hair because it doesn't absorb as much moisture from the air. So, condition your hair before curling it to help keep your curls frizz-free.⁸
6. If you find yourself curling your hair with one of these methods almost every day, you may want to consider a chemical perm, which is a permanent curl to your hair.²
   • There are also shampoos which claim to add curl to your hair, but their effectiveness is questionable.⁹

References for How to Curl Your Hair

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Free Beauty Tips: The Best Way to Curl Your Hair
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} eHow.com: How to Curl Your Hair with Hot Rollers
3. ↑ Wikipedia.com: Velcro
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Wikipedia: Hair Iron
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} HairBoutique.com: Curling Your Hair: Pin Curls and Rag Curls Made Easy
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7} wikiHow.com: How to Curl Hair
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3} HairBoutique.comProm Styles #4: Creating Gorgeous Spiral Curls
8. ↑ MarieClaire.com Hairstyles: How to Get Volume Shine and Curly Hair
9. ↑ TheBeautyBrains.com: Do Curling Shampoos Really Work?