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On the JJ Barnes Blog, I’ve always been jealous of curly girls, so I am exploring the best ways to curl your hair so I can enjoy the amazing curls so many of my friends enjoy naturally!
For years, I’ve watched my curly-haired friends with a mixture of envy and bewilderment. While they’re busy taming frizz and embracing their natural texture, I’m here struggling to coax even a hint of curl into my stubbornly straight hair. But no more! I’m on a mission to unlock the secrets of the curl and finally experience the joy of bouncy, voluminous hair. Join me as I explore the best techniques, tools, and products to achieve those coveted curls.
Best Ways To Curl Your Hair
Automatic Curlers
Automatic curlers are a revolutionary hair styling tool that takes the guesswork out of creating beautiful curls. These innovative devices feature a motorized barrel that automatically rotates, wrapping your hair around it for you. This eliminates the need for manual dexterity and makes achieving salon-worthy curls incredibly easy.
Top Tips
Prep Your Hair: Start with clean, dry hair. Apply a heat protectant spray to minimize heat damage.
Choose the Right Settings: Most automatic curlers have adjustable heat settings. Select a temperature suitable for your hair type. Lower temperatures are generally recommended for fine or damaged hair, while higher temperatures are suitable for thicker, coarser hair.
Section Your Hair: Divide your hair into manageable sections to ensure even heat distribution and prevent tangles.
Feed the Hair: Gently feed a small section of hair into the curling chamber as instructed by the device.
Release and Cool: Once the curling cycle is complete, the device will automatically release the curl. Allow the curl to cool completely before touching it to set the style.
Alternate Directions: For a more natural look, alternate the direction of the curls (clockwise and counterclockwise) as you work your way through your hair.
Finish with Hairspray: Lightly mist with hairspray to hold the curls in place.
Curling Wands
Curling wands have become a beloved hair styling tool for their ability to create effortless, natural-looking curls. Unlike traditional curling irons with clamps, wands allow you to wrap your hair around a heated barrel, resulting in beautiful waves and ringlets.
Top Tips
Embrace Versatility: Experiment with different wrapping techniques, such as wrapping away from your face for classic curls or towards your face for a more romantic look. You can also try alternating the direction of the curls for a more natural, beachy wave.
Prep Your Hair: Start with clean, dry hair. Apply a heat protectant spray to minimize heat damage.
Choose the Right Wand: Select a wand with a barrel size that suits your desired curl size. Smaller barrels create tighter curls, while larger barrels produce looser waves.
Section Your Hair: Divide your hair into manageable sections using clips. This ensures even heat distribution and prevents tangles.
Wrap and Hold: Wrap a small section of hair around the barrel, holding it in place for a few seconds. The holding time will depend on your hair type and desired curl intensity.
Release and Cool: Gently release the curl and allow it to cool completely before touching it. This helps set the curl and prevents it from dropping.
Set with Hairspray: Once all sections are curled, lightly mist with hairspray to hold the curls in place.
Ripple Waving Irons
Ripple waving irons, also known as French wave irons or crimping irons, are unique styling tools that create a distinctive, textured wave pattern in your hair. Instead of smooth curls, they produce a series of alternating ridges and valleys, resulting in a look that’s both modern and vintage-inspired.
Top Tips
Section Your Hair: Divide your hair into manageable sections to ensure even heat distribution.
Prep Your Hair: Start with clean, dry hair. Apply a heat protectant spray to minimize heat damage.
Clamp and Release: Clamp the iron down on a section of hair, holding it for a few seconds. Release the clamp and move down the section, repeating the process until you reach the ends.
Alternate Directions: For a more natural look, alternate the direction in which you clamp the iron (e.g., clamp from left to right, then right to left).
Set with Hairspray: Once you’ve created the desired wave pattern, lightly mist with hairspray to hold the style in place.
Hot Rollers
Hot rollers are a classic styling tool that deliver beautiful, voluminous curls. They work by heating up the rollers and then wrapping your hair around them, allowing the heat to set the curl.
Tips for Using Hot Rollers:
Set with Hairspray: Lightly mist with hairspray to hold the curls in place.
Prep Your Hair: Start with clean, dry hair. Apply a heat protectant spray to minimize heat damage.
Heat the Rollers: Heat the rollers according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Section Your Hair: Divide your hair into manageable sections.
Wrap and Secure: Wrap each section of hair around a roller, starting at the ends and rolling towards the scalp. Secure each roller in place with clips.
Cool Down: Allow the rollers to cool completely in your hair. This usually takes 15-20 minutes.
Release and Style: Gently remove the rollers and run your fingers through your curls to loosen them up.
Flat Irons
While primarily used for straightening, flat irons can also be surprisingly effective tools for creating beautiful curls. This technique requires a bit more practice than traditional curling methods, but the results can be stunning.
Top Tips
Set with Hairspray: Lightly mist with hairspray to hold the curls in place.
Prep Your Hair: Start with clean, dry hair. Apply a heat protectant spray to minimize heat damage.
Section Your Hair: Divide your hair into manageable sections.
Create a Twist: Take a small section of hair and twist it tightly.
Clamp and Glide: Clamp the flat iron near the root of the twisted hair and slowly glide it down the length of the twist.
Release and Cool: Gently release the twist and allow the curl to cool completely before touching it.
Repeat: Repeat this process on each section of hair, alternating the direction of the twist for a more natural look.
Self-Gripping Rollers
Self-grip rollers, also known as velcro rollers, are a user-friendly option for creating beautiful curls. As the name suggests, these rollers feature a textured surface that grips your hair without the need for any additional clips or pins.
Top Tips
Style and Finish: Run your fingers through your curls to loosen them up and create a more natural look. You can also use a wide-tooth comb to gently detangle. Finish with a light mist of hairspray to hold the style in place.
Prep Your Hair: Start with slightly damp hair. This will help the curls hold better.
Section Your Hair: Divide your hair into manageable sections.
Roll and Go: Wrap each section of hair around the roller, starting at the ends and rolling towards the scalp. The velcro will grip the hair, holding it in place.
Set and Cool: Allow the rollers to set for at least 15-20 minutes, or longer for tighter curls.
Release and Style: Gently unroll each roller, starting from the bottom to avoid disturbing the curls.
Heatless Curling Headband
Heatless curling headbands are a popular and gentle way to achieve beautiful, bouncy curls without the use of heat styling tools. These headbands typically consist of a soft fabric band with a flexible wire or rope running through it.
Top Tips
Set with Hairspray: Lightly mist with hairspray to hold the curls in place.
Prep Your Hair: Start with slightly damp hair.
Place the Headband: Position the headband on your head, like a traditional headband.
Wrap Your Hair: Take a small section of hair near your face and wrap it around the headband, away from your face. Continue wrapping sections of hair around the headband, incorporating each new section into the previous wrap.
Secure the Headband: Once all your hair is wrapped, secure the headband in place with a scrunchie or clips.
Set and Style: Leave the headband in place for several hours or overnight. Gently remove the headband and unravel your hair. Run your fingers through your curls to loosen them up and create a more natural look.
Sock Curls
Sock curls are a fun and budget-friendly way to achieve beautiful, bouncy curls without the use of heat styling tools. This simple technique involves wrapping your hair around clean socks to create soft, natural-looking waves.
Top Tips
Prep Your Hair: Start with slightly damp hair.
Prepare the Socks: Cut the toes off of a pair of clean socks. This creates a hollow tube for your hair.
Section Your Hair: Divide your hair into two sections.
Wrap the Hair: Take one section of hair and wrap it around the center of the sock, starting from the ends and working your way towards the roots. Continue wrapping until all the hair is secured on the sock.
Secure the Rollers: Tie the open end of the sock to create a “bun” around your hair.
Repeat: Repeat steps 3-5 with the other section of hair.
Set and Cool: Leave the sock curls in place for several hours or overnight. The longer you leave them in, the tighter the curls will be.
Release and Style: Gently untie the socks and unravel your hair. Run your fingers through your curls to loosen them up and create a more natural look.
Set with Hairspray: Lightly mist with hairspray to hold the curls in place.
Conclusion
So there you have it! With a variety of tools and techniques at your disposal, achieving those coveted curls is more accessible than ever. Whether you prefer the convenience of heatless methods like sock curls and headbands, or the speed and precision of curling irons and wands, there’s a perfect curling solution for everyone. Don’t be afraid to experiment and find what works best for your hair type and desired style. Happy curling!
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