Transitioning from straight hair to curly hair isn’t entirely as simple as it sounds, especially if your locks are naturally pin-straight. Interestingly, it isn’t a mystery. Al you need is to get the right hair styling tools and products, and you’re good to go. Let’s go over the step-by-step on how to make straight hair curly.
How To Make Straight Hair Curly
Making straight hair curly is easy and simple if you follow the steps below
- Use a Curling Iron
Get a 1 in (2.5 cm) iron for medium or short-length hair. If your hair is slightly a bit past your shoulders or shorter, you could use a thinner 1 in (2.5 cm) iron for your hair. A thicker iron will most likely not give you the number of curls that you want. Curling irons are easy to find. You can shop for them online or at a beauty store. A larger 1.25 in (3.2 cm) thick iron is most suitable on hair that’s past shoulder length. Using a thinner iron may not curl all of your strands each time you roll it up.
- Apply Hairspray or Volumizing Mousse
Go ahead to apply hairspray or volumizing mousse on your dry brushed hair. Your hair doesn’t need to be freshly washed before you can begin curling it, but it should be dry and free of tangle. Use hairspray or volumizing mousse to coat your hair with a thin layer. Ensure you cover the ends of your hair with the hairspray or spray since those areas are always the first to lose the curl.
- Set the Iron’s Temperature
The setting of the temperature of your iron should be done according to the thickness of your hair.. If you have a curling iron that allows you to change the temperature, you should set your iron at a lower temperature if you have fine hair. Placing high heat on fine hair can cause damage to it.
For thick hair, set your iron at a higher temperature so the heat gets to all of your hair each time you roll it. If your hair is in-between fine to the medium thickness or is color-treated, set your iron to 93°C (200 °F) or below; while for thick hair, you can set the temperature between 93°F to 149 °F.(200°C to 300°C).
- Divide Your Hair Into Sections and Start Wrapping
Take a 1 in (2.5 cm) thick section of hair and wrap it around your hot iron. Then, grab a section of your hair between your fingers and wrap the entire strand vertically around your iron once it’s finished heating. If you have an iron with a clip, you can wrap your hair from the bottom, ensuring that you clip the very end of your strand in the same direction as you are wrapping the strand up.
Alternatively, if you have a wand iron, you can begin either at the top or bottom of your hair. For more looser waves, begin close to the top (wherever you want the waves to start) and wrap your hair around the wand. Most importantly, ensure you leave a bit of hair out at the ends. For tighter curls (using a wand iron), start wrapping at the bottom and use the upper parts of your hair to cover the ends and keep them close to the iron.
- Wrap Your Hair For More Volume
Wrap and hold your hair on the iron horizontally for more volume. The way you wrap and hold your hair on your curling iron affects the type of volume you get with each curl. For tighter curls with more volume, wrap your hair horizontally around the iron and hold it firmly in a horizontal position.
For curls that are looser curls with less volume, wrap each strand of your hair around the iron vertically, and hold the iron in a vertical position. Allow the hair to remain wrapped around the iron for 8 to 10 seconds. People are often tempted to keep their hair wrapped around the iron for a longer time, hoping that it will get curlier.
Unfortunately, that does not make your hair curlier, but it only does damage to it. 8 to 10 seconds is ample time to heat each curl around your iron and get your desired curls. You can always go back and redo a curl if it’s not holding the way you want. Just apply more mousse or hairspray to the strand before re-curling it.
- Pin Each Curl Up
Gently pin each curl up to keep it locked in, allow it cool, and stay close to your head. Get a bobby pin, duckbill clip, or a single prong clip and gently insert it into the curl close to your head to keep the curl up while it cools. You can leave your curls pinned up while you finish curling the rest of your hair with your iron to save time and keep those finished curls out of your way.
When you’re done, release each pin from your cooled curl and coat your hair with your hair spray to get them to hold firmly in place. If you have very fine hair, ensure you apply just a thin layer of spray on your curls. Your hair doesn’t necessarily need much spray to hold it together.
Besides, too much spray can weigh fine curls down and make them come out. You could try an anti-humidity hairspray if you live in an area with a warm and humid climate, to keep your curls in when you go outside.
- Avoid Brushing Freshly Curled Hair
Make sure not to brush your freshly curled hair. However, you can gently tousle your hair with your fingers or with a hairpin to spread them out and style them, especially if they are staying too tightly in the shape of the iron for your liking. But, if you want to remove your curls or create more volume, don’t comb or brush them. Plus, brushing your curls may also cause frizz.
Conclusion
You’ll do better if you go to your stylist to make your straight hair curly. That way, you get access to more professional and basic tools. Observe the hair care tips for curly hair when you’re finally done getting the look. And look beautiful as ever!