How To Get Curly Hair ~ AMAZING Tips In Getting Curly Hair. There’s no denying it. Having curly hair adds pizzazz to our whole look. Sometimes, we just want to deviate from the perfect, flawless straight hair we see on ourselves and on almost everyone. Now and then, it’s fun to experiment with different hairstyles. Trying on curly hair is one of them.
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We can achieve a curly look in many ways. You’ve definitely heard of the classic curling iron which we will also get into later. But what if we tell you there are countless other options to get that coveted perm to look?
W/Heat Vs. Without
It’s hard to get out of the habit of heat styling. They’re convenient, highly effective, and just everywhere. You can access them through hair salons or even the comfort of your own home.
But we wonder—is heat styling really bad? Also, is non-heat styling really as effective?
With Heat
We’ve all heard the reports. Using flat or curling irons every day is bad and can literally burn your strands. Perming damages the hair.
All of these are true. We won’t even dispel that.
Using heat is a very popular method of hairstyling. It effectively breaks down and weakens keratin, a protein that holds the shape of the hair. This allows heat-styling tools to temporarily alter the look and shape of your hair.
It’d be nice to look our best every day with heat-styled hair, but just how much heat can our hair withstand before we can say it’s damaged?
According to researchers, our hair’s temperature threshold is inconclusive. There is no universal measurement to exactly tell how much heat we can really handle. It highly depends on various factors like our diet, hair shape, heat styling tools—the list just goes on and on.
Healthy hair can withstand temperatures well around 450˚F. If you have fine hair, dial it down to around 200˚F, not exceeding 300˚F. For thick and coarser hair, 300˚F above can be a comfortable range.
However, these temperatures are all maximum limits where our hair won’t burn. We can all agree that heat really does damage our hair over time, no matter the temperature.
The key is to use heat sparingly. You can’t expect to always look your 100%. Take a break and give your hair a rest. The general consensus is that heat styling should be done no more than once in a week.
Even then, it isn’t likely your hair will be healthy if you follow this regimen. You still need to look after your hair—be sure to give your hair proper nutrients at all times.
Heat-Styling Tools
You’re aware of the consequences of heat-styling. However, some of us still want to give it a go. After all, it’s only for occasions, right?
With Flat Iron
Suppose you don’t have curling iron in your hair arsenal. That’s completely okay! Flat irons can do a similar job.
However, don’t expect to achieve tight curls if you only have a flat iron. Using this tool works best if you want loose curls. Here are the steps below to get it:
- Protect your hair from heat with a thermal protectant spray
- Clip the desired part of your hair with your flat iron
- Twist and pull gently
- Repeat to other areas of hair
Once you’re satisfied with the distribution of the curls, brush and tousle your hair a bit for a unified and natural look. It’s a pretty simple method if you want to give yourself gently, loose curls. Plus, it’s a money saver since you can choose to either flatten or give your hair volume with just one tool!
With Curling Iron
Arguably the most popular method for curling hair is using the curling iron. Interestingly, it’s also a flexible tool that can shape your hair in all sorts of ways—beach curls, ringlet curls, and even full-on straight hair, you name it!
Curling irons have a tube-shaped barrel that allows you to curl your hair in any style possible. You can even use barrels with different diameters to complete the look.
This curling wand set from Amazon might interest you.
Using a curling iron is a tad more complex than a flat iron because of its structure. Flat irons only have heat areas inside the clippers. On the other hand, curling wands have barrels that may burn you the moment you touch it.
If it’s your first time using one, it may be best to practice with the heat option OFF.
Essentially, these are the basics for using a curling wand:
- Prep your hair with a heat protection spray
- Ready to heat your curling iron
- Get a portion of your hair and clip it with your curling iron
- Wrap the length of your hair around the barrel
- Hold it for a few seconds then release
Note that these can be done in a couple of ways. There are many types of curls that require different ways of using hair iron. The steps shown above are just general points and can be tweaked according to the type of curls you want.
You can style your hair with a curling wand in a myriad of ways. Below are some popular curl patterns you might want to try:
Beach waves
Ringlets or tight curls
Tousled loose waves
Without Heat
Natural hair curling methods are healthier alternatives to using heat-styling tools. They are very friendly so you can do non-heat methods anytime you like.
The main point of these methods is to avoid hair damage, not to give you a quick fix. So if you always find yourself saying yes to last-minute plans, maybe using a heated iron would be better.
However, if you have a lot of time to experiment with non-heat methods, the possibilities are endless! The challenge is how you get creative with each method.
Bloggers and Youtubers are getting more and more resourceful with how they curl their hair. Thanks to them, we now have an extensive menu for achieving natural curls sans-heat.
Here are some of the ways we can curl without heat.
Heatless Beach Waves
Beach waves are entirely possible without the use of a curling wand. This is the easiest style to pull off because the main point of the look is an unkempt, laid-back vibe while still looking put-together.
There are different ways you can do heatless beach waves. Here’s a video about it, along with some instructions at the bottom:
Dutch Pigtails. This is essentially putting both sides of your hair in a dutch braid in order to create the pigtails. Start from the root then braid tightly all the way down. Keep them in place overnight then untie them the next morning for your curls to last throughout the day.
Basic Braid. This is basically the same method as the dutch braids but only in a different braid style. You also wait them out overnight to get the best results.
Literal Beach Waves. This is why they are called beach waves for a reason. If you’re by the beach, wet your hair with salt water then scrunch up your hair until it gets curls then let it air dry.
Double Bun
If you just want to add volume and shape to your hair, this is a very easy way to achieve them. All you need are hair ties, wet hair, and sleep. Note that this has to be done with damp hair.
Here are the instructions:
Really simple, right? And not to mention cheap, too.
Halo Curls (Using Shirt)
If you’re wondering about the name, it’s called halo curls because it uses a rolled-up shirt to make a halo for the head.
This method is also a practical way of getting curls but is a bit more advanced and takes a bit of patience as well. Also, this method requires damp hair.
Here are the steps:
The challenging part is to twist your hair around the halo while keeping it in place. Once you get the hang of that, this is a fairly easy method.
If you want tighter curls for this look, you can achieve that by using a thin tank top. The lesser the fabric, the tighter your curls.
Maintenance
Curly hair is essentially drier than straight hair. Oil travels down slower, sometimes even never at all, down along the strands of curly hair. This isn’t a problem for our ladies with straight hair.
Hence, hair care can be quite different for those with curly hair. It’s focused on locking in moisture and reducing frizz.
Shower With Cold Water
Did you know that showering every day with hot water can strip your hair of its natural oils? When that happens, the hair becomes dry and brittle.
Showering with cold water can be such an uncomfortable experience. However, it brings many health benefits. Coldwater seals up the hair cuticle. This means that moisture is locked up as well.
Not only that, but it also improves overall blood circulation within the body as well. A good blood circulation means the distribution of nutrients and minerals all over your body (and your hair!) will become more efficient.
Don’t despair, though. This doesn’t mean we require you to shower with cold water for the rest of your life.
You can simply switch up between hot to cold water during shower sessions. On days you feel extra greasy, you can up the temperature and switch to hot water since it helps open the pores and release oil.
However, always remember to finish rinsing with cold water in order for you to seal the remaining moisture in your hair.
Skip The Daily Shampoo
Curly hair has more fragile strands than straight hair. Most regular shampoos contain a chemical called sodium lauryl which helps clean up everyday dirt and grime in our hair. Unfortunately, sodium lauryl can prove to be harsh on curly hair.
Instead, opt for a mild shampoo so it doesn’t strip off your curly hair’s natural oils. Some even go for a sulfate-free shampoo.
Despite all this, do not skip your conditioner. It may feel greasy once you apply them, but it provides that extra moisture your curly hair needs.
Invest In A Good Comb
Get a wide-tooth comb and use it after shampooing. This will help detangle your hair gently. Avoid pulling or raking. Also, leave brushing your hair altogether. It breaks up your curl pattern and hair strands, making your hair look frizzy and dry.
Use Heat Sparingly
This goes for all hair types, but more so for curly hair. Frequent use of heat will gradually degrade your hair’s properties. And in time, this will give a damaged look to your hair.
If you really have to use heat-styling tools, invest in two important things—your styling tool and a protective spray.
For your styling tools such as flat iron or curling iron, opt for the one with ionic properties like tourmaline or ceramic.
A Few Notes
To cap it all off, managing and styling for curly hair without compromising hair health can be such a breeze if you have the right tools, hair products, and knowledge.
You cannot completely avoid using heat-styling tools for your whole life. On the other hand, we also need to slow down and go easy on our hair.
The key to taking care of curly hair is to condition it and lock in moisture. If we always keep that in mind, styling our hair with heat or without will be way easier.
