You leave the hair salon with the most beautiful curls. They seem to last forever and your hair looks better than ever before. You then wash your hair and attempt to curl it the way they did at the salon, only to quickly find out your attempts aren’t giving the same results. You’re left wondering how to curl your hair the same way they do it at the salon.
If this sounds like a situation you’ve been in before, you’re not alone! There’s a reason you hire the pros to make your hair look its best. They’re the experts when it comes to your hair and making it look its best.
The good news is that we’re happy to share some of our best tips for curling your hair. Whether it’s beach waves or bouncing beautiful curls, certain techniques can help take your curls to the next level!
Before You Curl Your Hair
Before we jump into our tips for curling your hair in different ways, we’ve got a few bonus tips for you to use before you go ahead and curl your hair. These small things can make a big difference in your results, which means you don’t want to skip them!
Prep and protect your hair
Before you curl your hair, you should always ensure it’s prepped and protected – especially if you’re curling your hair using heat. Go for a heat protectant product and brush it through the hair either when you get out of the shower or before you plan on applying heat.
Choose the right temperature
You may or may not be surprised to know that not everyone should use the same temperature when it comes to using heat tools. For more fine or damaged hair, less heat is better. Try somewhere between 180°F to 370°F.
If you have a normal thickness or what would be considered healthy hair, 375°F to 395°F is a good range to be in. However, if you have thick hair, you can go somewhere between 400°F to 420°F.
Pick the right tool for the job
Different tools can create different outcomes when it comes to your hair. If you want looser curls, a larger barrel will be best. Tighter curls will require a small wand.
To be specific, you should use a 1-inch or smaller barrel for smaller curls and somewhere between 1.5-2 inches for looser curls and waves.
Let your hair cool
While it might be tempting to dig your hands into your hair right after you’ve used heat to create your curls, it’s best to let them cool before you touch them. Touching them too soon can disrupt the style.
Once the hair has cooled you can run your hands through it and apply your product accordingly. This will help your curls to set and stay longer.
How to Curl Your Hair: Tips for Different Types of Curls
Now that you’re all prepped for curling your hair, let’s jump into our tips for all different types of curls.
Long hair beachy waves
You can’t go wrong with beachy waves! But it’s important to do the right to achieve a salon-level look.
Start by prepping the hair with a light, even mist of hairspray. Then, brush through the hair with a smoothing brush to help distribute the hairspray evenly and keep your hair from tangling.
From there you’ll curl small sections away from your face using a wand or curling iron. Wrap the hair around the iron and keep moving to avoid any clamp marks. Let the curls cool completely and then give them a gentle brush through. You’ll have beautiful, soft, beachy waves in no time!
Loose curls
For loose curls, it’s usually best to start with either straight or wavy hair. Prep your hair with a heat-protecting product and then divide the hair into three sections as you go: bottom, middle, and the top of the head.
Start with the bottom section and use a 1.25-inch curling iron to wrap your hair in alternating sections. Next, move the iron down your hair as you twist while keeping the iron in a vertical position. From there you’ll release the section of hair from the curler and pull on the end of it to loosen.
Work your way to the top section of your hair and run your fingers through it all once it’s cooled!
Short hair
Curling short hair can be tricky if it’s not something you’re used to. Start with freshly washed hair and begin by curling the front sections of your hair with a 1.25-inch curling iron. Continue throughout your head until all sections are curled. You can twirl the hair in different directions to get a more tousled look.
From there take your hands and muss up the roots of your locks to loosen up the curls. You’ll be left with super fun short hair curls!
Heatless curls
There are tons of different ways to do heatless curls. While you likely won’t find us doing this one in the salon, it can be great if you’re trying to keep the heat off your hair.
You’ll start by twisting a t-shirt into a roller shape and tying the ends together so you have a nice, large halo. Then, take that halo and place it on top of your head.
You’ll then wrap your hair around the t-shirt halo and pin the hair in place as you go. Then, take it out in the morning, leaving you with incredible, bouncy curls!
Tight natural curls
Tight curls can be so cute when done correctly! First, make sure your hair is clean and detangled, and apply a styling product to your hair to help hold the tight curls. If your hair is wet you can use a blow dryer diffuser to get tight curls.
If you don’t have naturally curly hair and find that the diffuser doesn’t give you tight enough curls then you might try using a smaller curling wand and wrapping small pieces of hair around it. Keep it on a lower setting as you’ll be using smaller sections and will want to prevent heat damage where possible.
Fake blowout waves
A fake blowout with a curling iron? Sign us up!
Lightly mist the hair with a fine hairspray on the section you would like to curl. Curl the section by running a large curling iron down the section of hair and finishing the end by curling it under. Clip the section in a loop right after removing the iron to hold the curl for longer.
Once your hair has cooled you can remove the clips and lightly brush through your fresh, bouncy blowout!
Flat iron curls
If you’re a big fan of your flat iron, then you will want to try flat iron curls. You’ll start by taking a small section of your hair and clamping your straightener down on it towards the top of the section.
Pull the straightener down the section of hair as you normally would when straightening the hair. When you get to the part of the section you would like to curl, you’ll stop and pivot the straightener 180 degrees away from your face. Continue to pull it down the rest of the section and you’ll have a beautiful curl!
Bouncy curls with hot rollers
Hot rollers are back in a big way! Grab your rollers and start by rolling from the top of your hair. This will help you to create big bouncier curls rather than a heavier curl at the bottom.
Place the roller vertically on your head to get a softer, more tousled look and roll them to the right then brush them out on the left. Try using texturizing spray rather than regular hairspray to get a more bouncy, modern curl.
The Perfect Curls Await
Take these tips on how to curl your hair and you’ll get the best curls possible any day of the week! And don’t forget that practice makes perfect. The more you try out these different ways of curling your hair the better you will get and the closer your curls will be to the ones you get at the salon.
If you find yourself having trouble getting the hang of these curly hairstyles, or if you feel like getting beautiful curls without the hassle, we’re here to help! You can book in for styling here at Anuska Salon, or get a haircut with one of our stylists, complete with a full styling at the end of your appointment.
Your stylist will walk you through all the different ways to style your new haircut so you’re not left wondering what will look best. They can even provide you with some tips for curling it on your own and recreating your favorite look.
Click here to book your appointment with Anushka Salon in West Palm Beach today!
