How To Curl Hair with a Curling Iron

This is an overview of how to get that beachy/wavy hair everyone loves by using one of the most common hair styling tools: the curling iron.

Step 1  

Start by prepping you hair with a heat protector. Start combing or brushing you hair. After your hair is all brushed and prepped, turn on the curling iron.

Step 2  

Let the curling iron heat up for several minutes. (Do this in advance if you know you won't have time to wait.) Make sure that your hair is brushed with a comb, if not, you hair will look like it is tangled in the curl.

Step 3  

Open the curling iron by holding your four fingers around the handle while pushing your thumb down on the moving part of handle.

Step 4  

Clip the curling iron onto a half an inch strand of hair at the top part of your hair, the part closest to the root, by lifting your thumb.Then slide it down to the tip of your hair. Be sure to stop before it completely slides off. Pull iron down to the tip of your hair.]]Start curling your hair in the direction you want it to curl in, for example curve it under if you want an inward curl.

Step 5  

Continue to curl your hair until you reach the top part of your hair and hold it there for 10 seconds.

Step 6  

Slowly and gently start to uncurl your hair until you reach a point where you can press your thumb down again without your hair holding your curling iron shut. (The slower you let it come down, the longer the curls will hold.)

Step 7  

Open and close the curling iron until you ease it out of your hair.

Step 8  

Repeat the steps on all of your hair that you want curled.

Step 9  

Use fingers to tousle hair. Also use hairspray and a comb to slightly tease hair to create volume.

Tips

• Naturally letting the hair fall, with no brushing after, and tousling with your fingers, leaves the best result.
• It may be necessary to tousle hair throughout day if curls combine to create big curls and not curly hair.
• It may not work the first time but don't give up. Try again.
• The smaller the hair in the curling iron the smaller and tighter the curl.
• If you curl each strand for longer than 1 minute it will cause heat damage.
• Curling creme applied after shower will help hold the curl (not mousse - too heavy for the curl to hold).

Warnings

• The curling iron is hot. It will burn you if you touch it.
• These directions can work in two ways: achieve fabulously kinky natural looking curls, or cause your hair to frizz up like a ball. If your hair frizzes clip the top half to the crown of the head using a barrette.
• Don't plug in your curling iron near water. It could fall in and hurt someone nearby.
• Curling irons get extremely hot, so be careful not to burn your head, ears, fingers, or neck, and watch out not to scorch your hair.
• Don't leave in curling irons for longer than the instructions recommend.
• Make sure to always unplug the curling iron after you're finished.

Things You'll Need

• Towel
• Hair styling products : curl enhancing spray or shampoo, and smoothing serum to use on damp hair.
• Small barrel curling iron
• ice (in case you burn a finger or two)
• hairspray (to hold in curls)