You don’t have to run to a salon to get beautiful curls. Curling your hair at home isn’t as difficult as it seems. We’ve put together a big guide to curling your hair at home: which tools are less damaging to your hair, what will help you get a beautiful curl, and even how to curl your hair using socks and a hair tie.
Curlers
Hair curlers are special tubes that are used to curl your hair for the sake of coveted curls. Their main advantage is that the styling is gentle. Hot styling tools can damage your hair if you use them often. This is what experts from the American Association of Dermatologists warn about . So, if you want to curl your hair every day, hair curlers are a good alternative .
You can curl both dry and slightly damp hair on curlers. The smaller the curlers, the more elastic and small the curls will be. And if you just need root volume, for example, it is better to take larger curlers.
Here are some general rules on how to curl your hair with curlers:
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Curl clean hair. Before curling, make sure you rinse out the shampoo and conditioner well, otherwise your hair will quickly lose volume.
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Apply a styling product to your hair in advance – spray or mousse for volume.
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Divide your hair into sections and curl each one from the tip to the roots. Some people curl it towards themselves, others away from themselves, it’s a matter of taste. British hairstylist Aaron Carlo believes that it’s better to curl it away from the face – this way the styling will be more modern.
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To secure the curlers, wrap your head in a towel or put on a special bonnet cap.
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Remove the curlers when your hair is completely dry. Otherwise, the curl will fall apart .
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If you curl damp strands, you can dry them with a hairdryer right on the curlers for speed. But you need to remove the curlers when they have already cooled down .
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The finished hairstyle can be sprayed with a fixing spray .
Classic curlers with clip
These curlers are fixed with a special mesh clip. They are usually inexpensive, but quite stiff, and it is uncomfortable to sleep with them. This option is more suitable if you curl your hair during the day.
Velcro curlers
In English, they are called velcro rollers. With such curlers, you don’t need clips: they have a rough surface, and the hairs cling to them securely themselves. The Velcro is quite light, not so hard, and it is a little more comfortable to sleep with them than with classic ones. But you can’t say that you won’t notice them at night.
Papillotes
Or “boomerang curlers”. These are thin long tubes made of foam rubber or foam rubber. They are flexible – they bend in different directions. It is convenient to make small curls with them. You need to curl your hair vertically from the ends to the roots. In this case, no clamps or “boomerang” fasteners are needed. You can fix the curl by bending the tube and crossing its edges.
Soft curlers
They have one main advantage – it is more comfortable to sleep with them. Soft curlers include simple foam tubes with slits. Hair is wound on them and fixed on top with an elastic band (included).
There are also spring curlers. They are flexible and somewhat similar to hair elastics (only disconnected). In the middle of each there are teeth-fixers, to which the hair is caught. And then the whole construction snaps. The curled strand remains inside the ring.
Curling headband
It is made of thick satin fabric, so it is very gentle on hair. The set includes the headband itself, a hair clip for fixing and hair ties. The ribbon can be washed by hand.
The hair is curled on the headband as follows: first, it is divided into a zigzag parting from the back. This is necessary so that the result is neater. Then the headband is fixed on the head with a crab (as if you were wearing a kokoshnik) and strands are wrapped around it. At the very bottom, the hair should be secured with elastic bands. You can put both ends of the headband on the back of your head and secure it there. According to the manufacturer, in one and a half to two hours with this design, you get light waves. And if you leave it overnight, you get elastic curls.
Styling tools
Whichever you choose, do not forget the main rule – heat protection before each styling. Both dermatologists and hairdressers call for this . But it is important to understand that such sprays do not protect 100%. They simply minimize damage to hair.
Curling iron
This styling tool was invented specifically for curling hair. Curling irons (also called tongs) come in different types. It is not easy to navigate among them the first time – you need to take into account a lot of parameters.
How to choose a curling iron
Diameter and length
Hair stylist Elizaveta Morozova advised choosing:
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10 mm – for small curls.
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19 mm – for very short hair (pixie, bob haircuts).
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25mm is the gold standard for medium length hair (mid-neck to shoulder length).
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32 and 38 mm – for long hair. With 38 you will get a relaxed wave.
In general, the larger the diameter of the curling iron, the smoother the wave will be. It is also important to pay attention to the length of the device. If you have long hair, it is better to take a longer curling iron (sometimes manufacturers write this way – with an extended surface). On a short one, all the hair simply will not fit.
Principle of operation
According to Elizaveta Morozova, a classic curling iron is the best choice. You can experiment with it, control the length and pattern of the wave. With a styler that “sucks” and curls the strands itself, there is less freedom. Often the curls turn out too uniform. But, on the other hand, this option is more convenient for beginners.
Covering and details
Good coating options: ceramic, ceramic and tourmaline, titanium and tourmaline, sericite. The main thing is that it is not metal. It heats up strongly and unevenly and can damage the hair.
The main parts of the curling iron are the stand and the clamp. The first is a must-have . Thanks to it, you will not ruin the table or nightstand on which you put the hot tool. The clamp is a matter of personal preference. Some people find it more convenient with it, some without it.
Temperature conditions
If it is, that’s good. This way you can regulate the heating of the tool. Some hair needs 150-160 degrees. This is the lower limit. If the hair doesn’t curl well, you can raise the temperature to 170-180 degrees. And if the hair is super thick, then even up to 190-200.
How to curl hair with a curling iron
Hair stylist Ksenia Taruntaeva showed a simple method for curling irons with a clamp in her video :
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Grab a section of hair (somewhere just above the middle), holding the tool vertically.
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Twist the curling iron away from your face, making a full turn and sliding it down the strand a little. Twist the curling iron again.
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Using a circular motion, pull the tip of the curling iron out of your hair. Done!
Remember that you can hold a strand of hair on the curling iron for a maximum of 5–10 seconds.
Iron
This is a versatile tool that can be used to straighten and curl hair.
How to choose a flat iron
Length of plates
For curling, you need a flat iron with plates that are not too wide . Otherwise, it will be simply inconvenient to twist the strands. The optimal plate width is no more than 2-3 centimeters. Length – 9-10 centimeters. It is even better to choose flexible “floating” plates. They are not rigidly fixed in the body and when pressed, they move slightly inward, like shock absorbers. Such plates are more gentle: they do not squeeze the hair and distribute heat evenly.
Coating
Here everything is like with a curling iron. Good options are ceramic or ceramic with tourmaline. Hair slides well on such materials and heats up evenly.
Temperature conditions
According to Evgeniya Morozova, the universal temperature for all hair is 180 degrees. If your hair holds a style well or is very damaged, you can try lowering the temperature to 160–150. And vice versa — if your hair is very thick and dense, you can heat the iron up to 200 degrees. But 230 is the maximum.
How to curl hair with a straightening iron
The simplest five-minute option :
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Clamp the strand with the iron and rotate it 360 degrees, sliding down the strand. The tool should be held horizontally.
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At the end, you can slightly “twist” the curl with your hand.
Electric curlers
This is a set: the curlers themselves, clamps for fixation and a box in which the curlers are heated by the mains. It is convenient when the curlers in the set are of different sizes. This way you can do different hairstyles, experiment. And the ionization on the curlers will not allow your hair to frizz from static electricity.
Electric curlers work on the same principle as regular ones. But experts advise to curl dry hair with them. Moisture on the strands or oil on the scalp can sizzle when heated – the hair literally “fries”.
Folk methods
The most obvious is to braid your hair at night and take it down in the morning. Beauty blogger Laineymariebeauty showed something similar in her video. But there are more creative options.
Satin scarf
This method was shown on the hair care channel Luxy Hair. It is a bit like curling your hair with a headband:
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Part your hair straight down the middle and spray with water (you can simply curl it after a shower).
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Comb your hair thoroughly to avoid tangling.
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Take a satin or silk scarf. In general, any will do, but smooth fabric is gentler on hair.
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Place the scarf in the middle of your head. Divide your hair into two sections on each side (the scarf will be right in the middle).
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Wrap the first section of hair around the scarf, then the second section.
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Secure the ends with an elastic band and repeat on the other side. You should end up with two “braids” with a scarf woven into them.
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Each braid can be twisted into a tourniquet at the back and additionally secured with a large soft elastic band. This way the structure will not fall apart overnight.
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In the morning you will get beautiful soft waves.
Socks
This method is somewhat similar to the previous one. For it you will need two crabs and two clean long socks:
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Part damp hair straight down the middle.
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Secure the sock to the top of your head with a clip (the toe of the sock should be at the bottom, and the part where you put your foot should be at the top of your head).
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Take the hair on one side as if you were making a high ponytail. Wrap the hair tightly around the sock. You will get a tight tourniquet. Twist it into a bun at the back of your head and pull the sock over the top to secure it. You can additionally secure it with an elastic band.
Like many other beauty hacks, this method came from TikTok. It went viral there in 2022. Some videos have gained millions of views. This curling iron is suitable for those with long hair. It is very similar to the method with socks:
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Part damp hair straight down the middle.
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Place the leggings on top of your head with the legs facing down.
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Braid your hair around each pant leg. You could wrap it like the socks method, but TikToks tend to braid it .
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The ends can be secured with soft elastic bands, and the legs can be turned inside out to create pouches that will further protect the structure. And the base of the leggings can be pulled over the head like a turban. This is what TikTok blogger montana.coles did . By the way, she showed how this method works on medium-length hair.