How to Curl and Style With a Curling Iron

The curling iron can be a very useful tool to add pizazz to your hairstyle. If your hair is limp and lifeless, a curling iron can help give it some volume and life. If your hair is too straight, a curling iron can add waves or curls for a different look. Curling irons can be used on short, medium-length or long hair. They come in different barrel sizes (small, medium and large) which you choose according to how tight you want the curl. The smaller the barrel size, the tighter the curl and vice versa.

Things You'll Need

• Wide-tooth comb
• Hair clips
• Optional styling products: hair serum, flexible-hold hair spray

Instructions

1. Start with clean, dry hair. If you are using hair serum, apply to hair before you start to style it. Divide hair into sections, making sure to separate the top sections of hair (crown) from the bottom sections.

2. Turn curling iron on and wait a few minutes until it heats up completely.

3. Hold curling iron by the handle and press down with your thumb on lever to open.

4. Wrap the hair you want to style around the curling iron barrel. Remove your thumb from the lever and slide down the hair until the ends are clipped against the barrel. Then, roll hair onto curling iron in the direction you want the curl to go until curl is one-half inch away from scalp.

5. Place the wide toothed comb at roots to keep heat away from scalp.

6. Hold curl for about 10 seconds, then open slightly and carefully slide hair out.

7. Once you have removed the curling iron, wind the curl around your finger and pin it close to the head using a hair clip.

8. Repeat the steps above until you have curled all the hair. If you wish, you can spritz each curl with flexible-hold hairspray as you go or you can spray the whole head once you have finished curling all the hair.

9. Remove all hair pins. Use your fingers to loosen curls and arrange the hair as you like.

Tips & Warnings

• Begin on one side of the head and work your way around the back to the other side or you can curl the back of the head first, then the sides and the front. Just be sure to always curl the bottom half first, regardless of what side of the head you are working on.

• If you want spiral curls, twist half-inch sections, clip the ends of the section you are curling onto the barrel of the curling iron and roll hair.

• Use 1-inch sections for looser waves.

• The purpose of hair serum is to add shine; flexible hold hair spray helps set the curls without making hair stiff.

• Remember not to touch barrel as it will be very hot.

• Take special care around ears to prevent burning skin.