Curling hair is a bit like riding a bike, tricky to master at first, but once you’ve got the hang of it you’ll have the skill for life—particularly if you've got a great curling wand on hand. There are a few ways to curl hair with various tools (from wands to straighteners), depending on your hair type and desired result. However, it can be confusing to know where to start if you’re a bit of a hair curling novice.
To help make hair styling simple, we’ve called in the help from the best experts in the industry to break down exactly how to curl your hair with each hair tool. Plus, the products that’ll give you the best waves of your life effortlessly at home.
Here’s what you need to know before curling
There are a few things you need to know before you start curling. The first is to choose a heat protecting spray, this is really important to make sure you don’t cause unnecessary heat damage. We love Tresemme Care & Protect Heat Defence Spray, Living Proof No Frizz Smooth Styling Spray and Maria Nila Cream Heat Spray.
The next is deciding what type of curl you actually want. As you’ll see later, different tools will give various outcomes. For example, a big barrel curler will give you loose waves and a beachy look, whereas a small curling wand will give tighter, bouncier curls.
Finally, consider what heat setting you need. You don’t always have to whack the heat up as high as it goes. Fine hair only needs a temperature of about 175/180 degrees to do the job well, whereas you might find that thicker hair needs a temperature of 200 degrees.
How to curl hair with a barrelled curling wand
First up is the barrel curlers, which come in various sizes. As mentioned before, the thicker the barrel the looser the curl so choose according to what you want the final result to look like. You can also get two types, one with a lever and one without — this is all down to preference.
“I personally prefer to use a tong (marcel) with a lever instead of a wand,” says Diego Miranda, session hairstylist and Maria Nila ambassador. “They take a little longer to get used to but they will give you more versatility in terms of curl shape; whether it’s a ringlet or beachy wave,” he adds.
When it comes to the actual curling, section out your hair into manageable strands and then carefully wrap your hair around the wand. Hold it for 5-10 seconds and release. For a tighter curl, hold the hair in its curled shape in your hand after releasing until it cools slightly so that it doesn’t drop completely.
“Most people curl the same way with each section, so my best tip is to alternate the direction in each section. Wrap one section towards your face and the next away from your face—this will create a more natural distribution of curls,” Diego says.
If you like to switch things up, opt for something like the BaByliss Titanium Conical Wand (which is tapered meaning each end produces a slightly different curl) or the Mark Hill Pick 'N' Mix Handle (which has alternate heads that can be swapped out).
How to curl hair with a thin curling wand
For tight and incredibly bouncy curls, choose a thinner wand. The easiest way to work with these wands is to take much smaller sections and point the tip downwards when curling.
These smaller wands are great for those with curly hair who just want to refresh and redefine curls in between wash days. Simply choose out small strands that need a little definition and focus on wrapping those for a few seconds. For tighter curls, we recommend the Chopstick Styler No1 and BaByliss Tight Curl Wand.
How to curl hair with hair straighteners
Now onto curling with straighteners. This is definitely the most tricky to perfect but the results are worth it. There are two main ways of doing it, you can either twist your hair as it is clamped into the iron, which creates a bouncy curl. Or, you can feed the hair into the iron and clamp it into an ‘S’ shape for more beachy waves.
“Straighteners can also be extremely versatile if you spend some time getting to know the different types of wrist movements and how this affects the curl,” says Diego. We love the Dyson Corrale and GHD Unplugged Cordless Hair Straightener.
Other ways to curl your hair
You can also curl using rollers, which is where you blow dry your hair and then set them in place using velcro rollers. This is a super cheap and effective way of creating more of a bouncy blow out versus tighter waves.
You can also opt for heatless curls (my current favourite option!). This is where you wrap your hair around a satin ribbon in two sections and sleep in it. Usually this is done with damp hair but I find that makes frizz worse, so I dry my hair all the way and spritz Arkive The Prologue Primer through it. You’ll wake up with loose, beachy waves without the use of heat. This technique using a satin ribbon works best on those with finer hair types, but it’s a case of trial and error to see how it works with your hair.
If, after all of that, you still can’t get the hang of curling your hair. Get a tool that does all of the work for you, like the BaByliss Wave Secret Air. For those with straight or wavy hair, this styler automatically grabs the hair and curls it in the tool’s chamber and releases perfectly curled strands. It’s seriously impressive.
How to make curls last
There’s no point going to all of the effort of curling your hair if they drop out in a matter of minutes. “Preparation is absolutely key when it comes to styling curls, that will prevent them from coming out quicker,” explains Adam. Use a heat protector and primer on the hair first “to seal the hair” says Adam. Then, depending on what style you’re going for, use a mousse or smoothing product.
Syd echoes this, “I will always finish using a creme on the ends, my current favourite is Sam McKnight’s Happy Ending Balm, which has an amazing scent. “You can also lock in the curls with a hairspray but nothing too sticky or crunchy such as R+Co’s Outer Space Flexible Hairspray.”
For the ultimate long-lasting curls, “take a small hair clip and secure each curl in place until it’s cooled down” Diego says. “Then, spray with hairspray before releasing the curls. It takes time but it will be worth it when your curls are still holding at the end of the night.”
