How to curl your hair

Waves or curls can really add life to your hair, and they’re not too hard to achieve. Whether you’re looking for loose curls or the perfect bounce curl, here’s how to make your hair curly in four different ways.

How to curl your hair with a curling iron or wand

If you want quick, loose curls or waves, a curling wand should be fine. If you want your hair to have a little more bounce, curl it with a good-quality curling iron, such as the StyleCare Curler. A smaller barrel will result in tighter curls.

Whatever your curler, check and follow the product’s how-to-curl-hair instructions. Usually, though, the technique for how to curl your hair is something like this:

How to curl your hair with a curling iron or wand

Your hair should be dry before you start curling. Comb it and treat it with heat protection spray.
Turn the curler on and let it heat up. You’ll generally want around 140°C for fine hair, 170°C for medium hair and 190°C for thick hair. Be careful not to burn yourself.
Take a section of your hair, maybe an inch across. Narrower sections mean you’ll get more curls overall, but wider sections will mean it’ll take less time to curl all your hair.
Wrap the section around the barrel, working from the root to the tip. If you’re using a curling iron, hold the clip open for this step, and close it once you’ve finished wrapping. If you’re using a curling wand, keep it pointed down and wrap from the handle towards the tapered end. Make sure you’re moving along the barrel, rather than just wrapping your hair around itself.
Leave your hair wrapped around the curler for five to ten seconds. You’ll risk burning it if you hold on for much longer.
Slide the curler out of your new curls and move on to the next section.

Using hairspray once you’re done can help to hold your new style.

How to curl your hair with a straightener

When you’re thinking about how to make hair curly, your straightener might not be the first place your mind goes. It’s called a straightener, right? So it straightens hair..

Well, not necessarily. You can actually use your straightener to put loose curls in your mane. Here’s how to curl your hair with a straightener:

1. Comb your hair. Treat it with heat protection spray, and, optionally, a quick blast of hairspray to help it keep the curls.

2. Clamp a section of your hair near the root and twist the straightener around in a half-turn: 180 degrees. It’ll force your hair to twist as it passes through the straightener.

3. Holding the straightener at its new angle, slowly draw it down your hair. The slower the pull, the tighter the curl.

4. Curl the rest of your hair, section by section, until you’ve got the look you want.

As you might be moving the straightener a little slower than usual, making it easier to damage your hair by overheating it, you’ll want a good-quality straightener that reduces the risk. The Philips SplitStop’s UniTemp sensor, for example, allows you to get the same result with less heat than some other straighteners.

StyleCare Curler

BHB864/03

One wrap away from perfect curls

Easily create perfect, classic curls with our new curler. Tourmaline ceramic coated barrel makes sure your hair is protected, frizz-free and shine with perfection. 200°C high heat allows you to create beautiful curls in one wrap.

See all benefits

Unfortunately this product is no longer available

How to curl hair without a curling iron: using rollers

Here’s the classic method for how to make hair curly. You can get a serious bounce curl without any heat at all by using hair rollers, if you’re prepared to leave them in for a while. The narrower the roll, the tighter the curl. Here’s how to do it:

1. Wash your hair and comb it out.

2. While your hair is damp, roll it securely around the rollers from tip to root, section by section.

3. Leave the rollers in for a few hours, or ideally overnight.

4. Take the rollers out and use some hairspray to help the curls stay in.

5. Comb through the curls with your fingers until you like how they look.

How to curl hair without a curling iron: using a hairdryer

If you just want loose curls or you want to know how to make wavy hair, you can use a hairdryer with a massaging diffuser. Here’s how to make wavy hair after a wash and make your hair a little less straight.

1. Wash and partly dry your hair. Comb out any tangles.

2. If your hair’s prone to heat damage, apply heat protection spray.

3. While your hair is damp, wrap a segment of it along a pencil, or another stick-like object that won’t be damaged by heat. Or you could use hair rollers, of course!

4. Blow dry the wrapped area until it’s almost dry.

5. Repeat for the rest of your hair.

And that’s how to make your hair curly! Enjoy your new look.

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