Curling with a curling iron: features and techniques

Svetlana Belousova , hairdresser-fashion designer, top stylist, teacher of the highest category with 30 years of experience, ABC judge

Curling is the process of winding strands onto a heated styler. Curls with this styling will last until the next time you wash or wet your hair.

The variety of curling irons in different shapes for styling is enormous:

Automatic

Cylindrical

Spiral

Conical

Triangular

Square

Oval

The temperature is adjusted depending on the client's hair type.

220 °C - heavy long hair or gray hair.

190–210 °C - normal and natural.

170–190 °C - discolored/porous.

Optimally, you should hold the curling iron until the spray varnish evaporates. If styling is done without it, then no more than 10 seconds on each strand.

Types of curling irons

Cylindrical . Stylers of this type have the same diameter at the base and at the end. They are suitable for curling hair of different lengths. For short haircuts, it is better to choose small-diameter curling irons and vice versa.

Conical . The diameter decreases from the base to the end of the curling iron. Medium and long hair can be easily curled with this curling iron. This curling iron is not suitable for short hair - the curl is characterized by a narrowing at the end of the strand, it will be barely noticeable, and the ends will stick out in different directions.

Oval . Use it to create flat curls. Suitable for hair with a length of 25-30 cm, it is not recommended to use it on short haircuts, as curls look untidy.

Automatic . The variety of automatic stylers is growing every day. Some stylers automatically pull the strands inside the device, while others, when fixing the ends, wind the strand around the axis of the styler. For the first type, the hair length should be at least 20 cm.

Triangular or square . Non-standard look compared to others. The strands look accordingly - like a triangular or square spring. Suitable for medium-length hair, since long hair will not hold its shape well, and short hair will not be long enough.

Cheating techniques

Vertical curls can be made with a medium-diameter or conical curling iron. In the second case, the spirals will come out textured: wide at the roots and more elastic at the tips.

You need to select a strand no more than 5 centimeters wide and pull it at a right angle to your head, and then twist the strand from the ends to the roots.

The result of horizontal curling is cool, bouncy curls. The hair needs to be twisted in a spiral.

The heated strand must be wound around the device, holding it horizontally. After 5–10 seconds, carefully release the tool.

General universal rules

Only dry, clean hair should be curled.

Treating your hair with a heat protectant will protect your curls from exposure to high temperatures.

The strands are twisted from ends to roots.

Do not hold the curls on the curling iron for more than 5-10 seconds.

You need to start wrapping from the back of the head and sides. We put the bangs and the top of the head last.

You can comb the finished hairstyle only after all the curls have cooled.

If you need to add volume to your hair, first treat the root zone, slightly pulling the base of the strands, and then curl the ends.