Curling irons and crimping irons were all the rage when I was in high school. I’ll never forget the teased up bangs and long frizzy curls. What were we thinking? As a stylist, I still use a curling iron for a lot of beautiful styles that are completely ‘in’ style. Here are ten things that you can do with a curling iron.
When you curl your hair, always start with dry hair. Any dampness will fry your hair, leaving it dry and frizzy. It’s a great idea to use some kind of a heat protecting spray to prevent damage to your hair. You’ll need a few clips, some hair spray, and a rat tail comb. Clip your hair up and start at the bottom, working with a small section of hair at a time. After hair has cooled, spray with hair spray from a distance of eight to twelve inches. If you use a professional quality curling iron, be very careful not to heat the hair for too long or you will risk burning it off. Always be careful not to burn your skin!
Straighten your hair. Your hair won’t come out as perfectly straight as it will with a flat iron, but it will work. Start with small, thin sections of hair and a large barrel curling iron. The larger the barrel, the better. Start at the root and grasp a small section of hair with the curling iron. Slowly and steadily glide the iron over the hair shaft, just as you would a flat iron. If you would like a little extra volume, pull the iron straight up at the root, follow an invisible circle as you glide the iron out and down over the hair. This will give you a volumized, soft, straight look.
Make loose “S” curls. Start at the bottom with medium-sized sections of hair. Use a large barrel curling iron. Starting at the root, crimp a section of hair with the curling iron but do not wrap it around the barrel or glide over the hair. Just hold it in one place for a few counts. As you release the hair, you’ll see a half circle shape in the hair strand. Take the same section, turn the curling iron over and crimp the hair again, right next to the circle. Hold for a few seconds. When you release the hair, you’ll see an “S” curve. Continue down the entire strand of hair until it is filled with “S” curves, then start a new section. Although this is a time consuming way to curl your hair, it makes a beautiful and unique statement.
Create long, loose waves. Use a large barrel curling iron and wrap large sections of hair around the barrel. The larger the barrel, the larger the curl. Hold for a few seconds. The longer you hold the iron in place, the more crisp the curl will be. Let the curls cool, spritz with hair spray. After it dries for a few seconds, run your fingers through the curls to loosen and break them up to look like long, loose waves.
Create small, tight curls. For smaller, crisper curls, use a tiny curling iron. The smaller the iron, the smaller the curl. Take very tiny sections and leave the hair in the iron longer. Just be extremely careful not to leave the hair in the iron too long or it will burn!
Design a texturized, tousled effect. This is one of my favorite effects when creating party hair. Use two or three different sized curling irons, exchanging them randomly throughout the head. You could even leave some pieces straight, if desired. The result will be a variety of curls that you can pick through and shake out to create all kinds of unique, fun texture.
Make beautiful spiral curls. To make spiral curls, spray that hair with workable hair spray first. Curl small sections from the ends toward the root, wrapping from one end of the iron to the other. Imagine you are wrapping the hair the shape of a slinky, like a long coil rather than a tube. Hold the iron in place for a few counts, and then release carefully. After the curl has cooled, spray again. Separate with fingers if desired.
For other curling iron effects, try curling the ends up your hair up, in a flirty flip. Or, curl all the ends under for a smooth, old fashioned pin-up kind of style. A trendy look right now is to make loose waves, starting a few inches away from the roots for a soft, seventies look. Or just curl the hair around your face, just enough to soften it. Best yet, get really creative and design your very own signature curling iron style with a combination of techniques.
