Many of us have been there: attempting to curl bob-length tresses, only for them to outright refuse to hold, leaving nothing but an odd, limp-looking kink – thankfully, Michael Douglas has the answer.
As has been the case in recent years, bob haircuts continue to dominate the list of 2026 hair trends, proving their chic and timeless nature. However, for those with said haircut (or debating it), wondering how to style shorter strands for maximum effect, celebrity hairstylist Michael Douglas has shared his expertise on how to curl a bob - and make it stay.
While Douglas reaches for one of the best curlers for short hair, if your tool arsenal doesn't make home to a curling wand, he also shows us how to achieve the same look using one of the best hair straighteners – handy, right?
How to curl a bob, explained by Michael Douglas
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"I get a lot of questions [from] people saying, I've only got a bob with fine, flat hair, I can't really do anything to it. Look at this, I'm going to show you a few hints and tips on how to get some cool looking hairdos," Michael Douglas tells us.
No matter your hair styling tool of choice, Michael demonstrates how to achieve bouncy, voluminous curls using both a curling wand and a hair straightener. He says, "I've got two different curling devices we can use, so I'm going to do both of them so you can have a little look, see what might be easier for you."
Not to mention, we've put together an edit of essential buys you might need to recreate the look, as per Michael Douglas' recommendations.
RRP: £119
Boasting long ceramic tourmaline plates with ionic technology, these mdlondon straighteners are designed to make the styling process simple, delivering salon-worthy, frizz-free results in no time at all. Its floating plates move with your hair to ease tension and minimise damage, plus its lightweight design prevents tired hands. While this device is great for creating sleek, straight strands, its bevelled edges allow for easy waves and curls too.
RRP: £129
Equipped with four interchangeable attachments, this curling wand from mdlondon can be used to create anything from natural flowy curls and tight ringlets to voluminous blowouts. Forget the frustration-inducing complex tools; this right-angle handled tool allows for an easy and comfortable styling experience.
RRP: £15
Texturising spray meets dry shampoo with mdlondon's 'The Five', a volume-boosting mist that adds instant body, texture and lift. This hybrid spray is part styling spray, part dry shampoo to refresh strands, lock in volume and deliver lived-in volume – making it the perfect finishing touch to your look.
1. Section the hair into rows as you curl
When it comes to styling a bob, Douglas recommends sectioning the hair horizontally from the hair at the nape of your neck and working towards the crown of your head to ensure you don't miss any strands. The hairstylist explains: “We've done one row, another row, probably three rows, and that's it, we're done.”
2. Curl away from your face and leave the ends out
"The first thing I'm going to use is called the MDLondon Curl, and what we're going to do here is wrap this one in particular forwards," advises Douglas, while curling one strand in front of the ear towards the face, before curling the rest of the locks away from the face.
"The one [strand] in front of the ear goes forward, and everything else will go backwards, explains Douglas. "As for how many times you wrap the hair around the wand, Michael adds: "You can see what we're doing there, we've wrapped around literally one and a half times, leave the ends out. There's two different reasons for that. One, it creates just a very modern feel, but the other thing is you maintain the shape of the bob."
To create a tight and defined curl, the hairstylist also recommends we "bring it lower", meaning to bring the wand lower down the strand of hair, towards the roots.
For those using a hair straightener, Douglas recommends pointing the tool upwards before curling away from the face: “Now, if you're doing this yourself, I would have a tendency to have the iron going upwards like this, right? So you put the iron in, it's going up, and then I would curl away from the face and pull down.”
3. Finish with a texturising spray
As the pièce de résistance to the hairstyle, Douglas recommends finishing with a spritz of texturising spray: "We've now got all this lovely movement and texture in the hair. Then I would use texturising spray. [It] is really good and it creates this really lovely messy kind of texture."
4. Play around with it
Once completely styled, don't be afraid to play around with the hair, whether that be tucking the hair behind the ears or flipping strands over. As Michael explains: "It's worth having a play around with it once you've done all this, just slightly flip the hair over the other way and just see what you get." This is an excellent tip for those seeking an immediate boost of volume, giving the hair a bigger, fuller appearance.
