Best Way To Curl Your Hair

Introduction - Best Way To Curl Your Hair

Whether you were born with stick straight strands, loose waves, natural ringlets or tight coils, you may have wondered at some point about what's the best way to curl your hair?

Even people with natural texture such as curls, coils or waves search for answers on how to define, refine, shape and manage their natural hair loops.

When it comes to curling your hair, there isn't one absolute best answer. The best way to curl hair for one person may not be the best way for others.

There are a wide range of variables which have to be considered before determining the best way to curl your hair.

Hair Curling Variables

The following variables have to be considered:

1. What is your natural hair type, texture, length and condition? Is your hair naturally straight? Or is it curly, wavy, coily or a combination of textures?

2. Is your hair fine, medium, thick or very thick?

3. Does your hair contain layers or is it all one length?

4. Is your hair chemically treated, colored or damaged? Do you wear fusion or similar style hair extensions?

5. How long do you wish for the curls to endure in your hair?  Are you looking for an iron clad set or just a few hours of ringlets?

6. Does your hair curls easily or does it require a lot of work?

7. Are you looking for a quick curling method?  Are you willing to put in the time it takes for picture perfect curls?

8. What's your budget? Do you have unlimited funds for hot tools, curling devices and related products?

Types of Curling Methods

In theory, all types of curling methods should work on all types and textures of hair. In practice this may not be true.

Listed below are the primary ways hair may be curled:

1. Wet sets on damp hair utilizing traditional pin curls or a wide range of traditional or non-traditional rollers.

Depending upon the ultimate shape of the curls you desire, one type of curling device may be preferred over another.

Wet sets may be air dried or dried with a blow dryer turned on different settings (low, medium or high heat).  Wet sets may also be dried under a bonnet or {{asin=text=hood style hair dryer}}. Wet sets can also start under the dryer and then allowed to finish as an air dry.

When combined with the proper styling creams and/or gels, wet sets create easily controlled and very dependable, long lasting curls. Wet sets can truly work on every hair length, type, texture and condition.

Use wet sets to define, refine, control and sculpt natural curls, waves, coils or a combination.

Due to the vast array of curlers ranging from pin curls, foam rollers and rags to straws or pipe cleaners, curls can be created on the shortest to the longest hair lengths.

Super short pixies can be curled with pin curls and waist length or longer tresses can be curled with old fashioned rags.

Allowing hair to air dry is the least damaging way to curl while drying with heat can be potentially more damaging, but generally less so than utilizing a blow dryer set on a high heat.

2. Heat drying combining blow dryers with attachments.

Hair which is naturally textured (curly, wavy, coily or a combo) can be heat curled with the help of a diffuser attachment (long or short finger or sock).

As each section is dried with the diffuser or curl enhancing attachment, natural curled texture is formed. Once all of the hair is curled utilizing a {{asin=dpB0052BHMOO,text=diffuser}}, a curling iron can be used to spot curl sections of hair which didn't curls to the desired tightness.

Hair can also be twisted around fingers to form tighter clumps.

3. Heat drying with round brushes.

Heat drying can also be accomplished on all types of hair including naturally straight, wavy and curly, by combining a blow dryer with one or more round brushes.

As the hair is systematically dried, the round brushes are used to create curls.

After each section is round brushed and dried, the hair can be rolled around fingers into loops or barrel style curls and allowed to cool and set.

Styling sprays can help set the curls for longer life.

4. Heat styling with hot rollers or irons.

Hair which is naturally straight may curl best when first blow dried with a round brush before being set on hot rollers or curling irons to create curls.

Once the hot rollers have completely cooled, the hair can be re-pinned into large faux rollers to set.

Optionally, hair which is initially set on hot rollers, can be spot curled with irons and pinned into place to cool after being removed from the rollers.

Conversely, hair can be blow dried and then curled with hot irons. The newly curled sections can either be allowed to cool in place or be reformed and  pinned into place to set.

General Rules Of Curling

There is an exception to every rule.  In the majority of cases, hair which is naturally curly, wavy or a combination, is best curled with a wet set utilizing a rag or spiral roller set or by combining a cup style long diffuser with a blow dryer.

Naturally straight hair which doesn't easily form or hold curls benefits from wet roller sets. Or from round brush drying followed up with hot irons or rollers. It may take longer to create curls in straight hair than naturally textured. With the correct styling products and tools any hair can be curled.

Layered hair tends to be more challenging to curl than hair which is all one length. This is because individual layers must be curled and shaped unlike hair which is all one length.

Short hair which is thin or fine is most easily curled with 1/2 to 1-inch barrel curling irons. Make sure to curl hair so the ends blend naturally into the rest of the hair to avoid sticking out. For a more random curl, experiment with traditional pin curls set on damp strands.

Short naturally textured hair which is medium to thick may curl best with a variety of round brushes combined with a blow dryer.

Long naturally straight hair will generally hold the best curl with a wet set.

Chemically treated or damaged hair will benefit from wet sets allowed to air dry since heat can be drying and damaging to fragile tresses.

Summary

Remember, the smaller the section of hair you curl, the tighter the result. The longer you leave curlers in place, the curlier the strands will be.

Styling products can make or break curls. If you apply hair spray right before wrapping pieces of hair on hot rollers, it will result in a well-defined curls.

To find the very best way to curl your hair always carefully consider your hair type, texture, length, current condition and overall hairstyle goals.

Blog Dedication:  To Hunter for his unwavering support, love and encouragement.  Thank you for making me see the silver lining in every dark cloud.