Curling hair–whether it’s by a wand, rollers, or overnight methods–is one of those things that always seems to be a good idea. Like, in theory. But, in practice, it often ends up being a little bit less of a good idea. Maybe you accidentally singe off some of your hair with your curling wand, or your rollers make some curls look flat and others totally insane and out of control. Or, perhaps, your hair looks great–for about thirty minutes. Until they all fall out, and your hair looks exactly the way it was before you even began curling it.
Some people seem to have hair that holds curls with little-to-no apparent effort (Gurl’s Editor-in-Chief, Jessica Booth, is well-known both for her excellent hair-curling skills and disdain for anyone who struggles with it) and others, well, do not. I am part of the latter group, despite the fact that my hair is thick and full and sort of wavy on its own and, for all intents and purposes, should stay curled throughout the day. But, as it turns out, there are a lot of easy ways to make sure that your hair stays curly. So, if you struggle with keeping your curls in place all day, check out these easy ways to make them stay:
Some people seem to have hair that holds curls with little-to-no apparent effort (Gurl’s Editor-in-Chief, Jessica Booth, is well-known both for her excellent hair-curling skills and disdain for anyone who struggles with it) and others, well, do not. I am part of the latter group, despite the fact that my hair is thick and full and sort of wavy on its own and, for all intents and purposes, should stay curled throughout the day. But, as it turns out, there are a lot of easy ways to make sure that your hair stays curly. So, if you struggle with keeping your curls in place all day, check out these easy ways to make them stay:
1. Try not to over-condition your hair:
Conditioner might make your locks feel silky and smooth, but it can also make it difficult for your hair to hold a curl. So, if you know you’ll be curling your hair later, try to use a little less conditioner than you usually do.
2. In fact, consider not washing your hair on the days you’ll be curling it:
If you washed your hair on the day you want to curl it, that’s fine–just make sure to prep it by spraying it with some hairspray, mousse, or dry shampoo beforehand. This will give your hair some texture that makes it easier to hold curls.
4. Consider your hair’s length:
4. Consider your hair’s length:
If your hair is super long, it’s possible that its weight is dragging down your curls. Plus, damaged hair doesn’t tend to hold any kind of styling well, so it might be worth going in for a trim if it’s been a while since your last cut.
5. Use a small-barrel curling wand:
If you’re using a curling wand (which is best for achieving a ringlet effect in the hair), don’t get one with a big barrel, since big, wide curls tend to fall out easier. Instead, try to get one that’s three-quarters of an inch or an inch–this way, your curls will be smaller and able to hold their shape better.
6. If you use rollers, keep them in for a long time:
Like, much longer than you probably think. POPSUGAR advises leaving hot rollers in until they cool down, which could take a couple of hours. So, if you want to make your curls last all day, give yourself a solid amount of preparation time.
7. Pay attention to temperature:
If you’re using hot tools, make sure you get the kind that tells you exactly how hot it is. As a general rule, if you have fine hair, the temperature should be about 250 degrees, and if you have thick hair, it can be up to 350 degrees. Just make sure not to surpass 400 degrees, which will create a lot of damage for any kind of hair.
8. Make sure your wand is made the right way:
5. Use a small-barrel curling wand:
If you’re using a curling wand (which is best for achieving a ringlet effect in the hair), don’t get one with a big barrel, since big, wide curls tend to fall out easier. Instead, try to get one that’s three-quarters of an inch or an inch–this way, your curls will be smaller and able to hold their shape better.
6. If you use rollers, keep them in for a long time:
Like, much longer than you probably think. POPSUGAR advises leaving hot rollers in until they cool down, which could take a couple of hours. So, if you want to make your curls last all day, give yourself a solid amount of preparation time.
7. Pay attention to temperature:
If you’re using hot tools, make sure you get the kind that tells you exactly how hot it is. As a general rule, if you have fine hair, the temperature should be about 250 degrees, and if you have thick hair, it can be up to 350 degrees. Just make sure not to surpass 400 degrees, which will create a lot of damage for any kind of hair.
8. Make sure your wand is made the right way:
If you get a curling wand, try to get one that’s made out of ceramic or tourmaline. Both of these will help to disperse heat more evenly throughout the hair, which will help prevent damage and frizz.
9. Make sure you curl separate sections of your hair:
As in, clip up separate sections of your hair and do each piece individually. This can be a hassle, but it ensures that you won’t have that one random flat piece of hair that you forgot to curl.
10. Pin it after you curl, too:
After you curl a section of hair, wrap the curl up and pin it to your scalp. This prevents your curl from losing its shape immediately.
11. Overcompensate a little bit:
Any kind of curl is going to fall out slightly on its own. So, when you first start curling, don’t be afraid to make it really curly–after a a few minutes, it’ll calm down a little bit.
12. Don’t touch it up as much as you’d like:
After you finish curling your hair, don’t totally blast it with hairspray–while this might be tempting, it will probably just weigh your hair down more than anything else, causing your curls to fall out.. Instead, give it a light spritz of hairspray or texture spray, which will help keep the curls in place without making them sticky or limp
9. Make sure you curl separate sections of your hair:
As in, clip up separate sections of your hair and do each piece individually. This can be a hassle, but it ensures that you won’t have that one random flat piece of hair that you forgot to curl.
10. Pin it after you curl, too:
After you curl a section of hair, wrap the curl up and pin it to your scalp. This prevents your curl from losing its shape immediately.
11. Overcompensate a little bit:
Any kind of curl is going to fall out slightly on its own. So, when you first start curling, don’t be afraid to make it really curly–after a a few minutes, it’ll calm down a little bit.
12. Don’t touch it up as much as you’d like:
After you finish curling your hair, don’t totally blast it with hairspray–while this might be tempting, it will probably just weigh your hair down more than anything else, causing your curls to fall out.. Instead, give it a light spritz of hairspray or texture spray, which will help keep the curls in place without making them sticky or limp
