Real Talk: It took me YEARS to figure out how to curl my hair correctly! And by correctly I mean with the results I was looking for.
Until I was 25 I had never touched a curling wand; my mom never used one and barely used a traditional curling iron, so I didn’t grow up learning how to style my hair with one. But, last year I decided to finally give it a try and ordered a basic curling wand set from Amazon. Game. Changer.
Yes, it took a little time and effort up front to get all of the correct tools and learn how to use them correctly, but once I did it made my life so much easier!! I can now do my hair in less than 30 min (total time, will explain more later) and it comes out looking just the way I wanted!
Below I will share all of the tools I use to curl my hair and walk you through my process!
Styling Tools
Hair Products
Before drying my hair I use a couple different products:
First I use comb my hair using a thick, wide tooth comb. This helps minimize breakage since wet hair is super fragile.
Next I put some Moroccan oil in my hair. I have naturally very curly hair so this helps to smooth and minimize frizz.
Next I use a heat protection spray to help minimize damage while styling my hair. I really like the one from Dove and it’s super affordable! It also helps smooth and shine your hair.
I will explain this more in the process below, but after I dry my hair I spray in some dry shampoo at the roots to help build volume. Dry shampoo is not only great for when your hair is dirty, but it also can be used to help prevent dirtiness and add volume & texture to your hair!
After I curl my hair I HAVE to use hair spray or it will not hold, aka my naturally kinky-curly hair will try to breakthrough. I use Pantene’s Non-Aerosol Hairspray in Extra Strong Hold (#4). Don’t let the name get you, it doesn’t make your hair super stiff!
Hair Dryer
For Christmas last year my family got me the Dyson Hair Dryer, and I love it! It cut my drying time in half and my hair comes out really soft and shiny.
Round Brush
I got a really basic round brush from Amazon to blow out my hair. I like this brush because the bristles don’t overheat and it has little holes all throughout the barrel which allows air to flow through it. This helps speed up the drying process and, again, makes sure the brush doesn’t get too hot.
I always used to dry my hair with a flat brush and the round brush is WAY faster and easier to use. After getting the hang of it I was kicking myself for not trying one sooner!
Curling Wand Set
My curling wand set is from Amazon and super affordable! It’s an amazing starter set for someone who is just learning to use a curling wand or just wants a good basic set.
The set comes with the curling wand base, 5 attachment pieces (all different sizes), a small straightener, and a heat resistant glove. I’ve been using mine for a year now and it’s held up really well!
Curling Process
Step 1: Dry My Hair
So… since I have naturally really curly hair, if I want my hair to be smooth at my scalp when I curl it with the wand blowing my hair out is a MUST! If I let my hair air dry and then try to straighten it at the roots it just doesn’t work as well / look as nice (aka it gets frizzy and kinky). If you don’t have naturally curly hair you may be able to skip this step and let your hair air dry overnight instead!
I dry my hair using my Dyson hair dryer and the smallest attachment piece to get an even air flow to my brush. I put the top half of my hair up into a clip and dry the bottom section using my round brush from Amazon. I then take down the bottom half and dry it next.
Step 2: Dry Shampoo
After I blow-out my hair and brush it through, I add a little bit of dry shampoo before sleeping on it. This helps to soak up oil overnight and give it some volume / texture to work with when I curl it the next day. I use the Batiste dry shampoo with a hint of color for my brown hair. I noticed when using traditional dry shampoo I got a grey / ashy look and this dry shampoo takes care of that.
Step 3: Sleep On It!
I’ve found that my hair styles better and holds the curls longer when I sleep on my clean hair before curling it. Not necessary, but it works for me!
My hair after I’ve blown it out and slept on it
Step 4: Prep for Curling
When I’m ready to curl my hair I get out my small straightener and curling wand with the barrel I want. I usually set my straightener to 75% strength and I turn my curling wand to level 2. Note: If I’m re-curling hair I’ve already styled I use level 1 on the curling wand.
I also get out my hairspray and a flat brush. I brush out my hair and then put the top half up in a bun with a hair clip.
* If I notice my hair is a little greasy from sleeping on it I just spray with a little dry shampoo before putting half of it up.
Step 5: Straighten at the Roots
If you don’t have curly hair you may be able to skip this step!
To make sure my hair is smooth at the roots (and not kinky from my natural curly hair), I use the small straightener that came in my curling wand set and quickly straighten my hair at the roots. It takes less than a minute, I just got around my head in small sections and run the straightener from the roots down about 2 inches.
Step 6: Start Curling!
I always start with the hair closest to my face and do it in sections about 1 inches think.
I take my section of hair and wrap it around the wand going away from my face. I hold it there for 5-8 seconds then shake the hair off the barrel, lifting the curling wand up and away as I do this. I always use my right hand to hold the barrel and my left hand to wrap my hair around it.
* If you are a beginner to using a curling wand, make sure you use the heat protective glove on the hand you use to hold your hair to the wand! I’ve burned myself a few times and let me tell you it is NOT fun.
After curling a section of hair don’t touch it!! Just let it sit and cool as you do the other sections.
Step 7: Spray with Hairspray
This step is A MUST for me! Like I stated earlier, if I don’t use hairspray my curls won’t hold. I don’t use a ton either, a little goes a long way!
I first do a spray towards my roots and lightly run my fingers over it to smooth the hair out. I then spray towards the curls and then gently push or “crunch” them upwards.
DO NOT run your fingers through your hair or brush out the curls at this point!
Step 8: Repeat Steps 5 – 7 with Top Section
Go ahead and let the top section down and repeat steps 5 & 6.
* If you have really thick hair you may need to do it in 3 sections instead of 2
Step 9: Separate Curls
After you are completely done curling your hair and spraying with hairspray, it’s time to separate them so they don’t look so ‘stiff’. I don’t EVER brush out my curls because it makes my hair frizz up. Instead I just gently run my fingers through the curls and pull them apart.
After separating the curls spray one more time with hairspray and you’re done!! 🙂
* Note: You can always add in teasing at the roots with a teasing come or texture spray! I don’t typically do this because it causes my hair to kink up at the roots.
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Ok guys, that is my entire process from start to finish!! Typically my curls will last anywhere from 1-3 days depending on how I sleep on them. I typically re-curl them on day 2 or 3 and they will last another 2 days or so (with the help of dry shampoo of course).
I’ll be coming out with another post soon about how to train your hair so you don’t have to wash it as often, so check back later!
For reference, it takes me about 10 min to dry my hair and about 15 to curl it with the curling wand, so just under 30 min total!
XOXO
Amanda
