I am sure you have said at some point in your life "I wish I could curl my hair the way my hairstylist does". As a stylist it seems easy but in reality it is difficult if you don't do it multiple times a day every day for several years. Kind of how an experienced runner makes running look super easy. Same concept.
Today I want to share a few of the common mistakes that you had no idea you were making when curling you hair!
1. Not Using Product
Your curls won't hold with out any product. Especially here in Florida with the humidity. There are a few different products I recommend. A few product you apply while the hair is wet and a few you apply when it is dry.
A heat protectant is a must! This will prevent your hair front getting burnt and frazzled. Some heat protectants are applied when wet and some are applied when the hair is dry. It depends on the product line.
Something else to add when it is wet is a product that creates hold for example a light mouse. I do not recommend using gel. Gel creates a very hard clumpy type result that always looks wet. Definitely not what we are going for.
On Dry hair you will need two types of hair spray. A light hold and a medium or firm hold. The light hold you spray on the hair before curling and brush it through. The medium or firm hold you use when you are done curling all the hair.
2. Always Start With Dry Hair
This seems like a no brainer to me but I also realize that they make flat irons designed to straighten wet/damp hair. If you have one of those please toss it in the trash NOW!
The hair must be dry before starting to prevent damage and help that curl last.
3. Do Not Flat Iron The Hair First
I have seen this done at it blows my mind! When you flat iron the hair you are breaking the disulphide bonds in the hair that give the hair the shape it will keep. The only way to reset the bond is by wetting the hair again. So when a flat iron makes the hair straight and then you curl it with a curling iron the curl will never hold! This also happens when you curl a piece one way and then try to curl it the other way the curl ends up falling flat usually.
4. Curling The Hair The Wrong Direction
There are so many different looks that can be achieved with a curling iron. A lot of it has to do with the direction the hair is curled in. When I am styling my own hair or a clients hair I like to curl away from the face on each side. If we want a beachy type wave I will curl one back one forward and alternate around the entire head. Also pay attention to the way you are clipping the curling iron on the hair. You want to make sure the ens are laying flat and that you are not turning the curling iron to create a kink on the ends of the hair.
5. Sectioning And Iron Size
The iron size and section size depend on the desired curl you want to achieve. Larger sections and larger curling irons create a wavy look. Smaller sections with a smaller curling iron the curlier the hair will be. A rule of thumb is don't take sections larger than the barrel of the curling iron. If the iron is an 1inch iron don't take sections larger than 1inch. If you want the hair more wavy but have a small iron just take bigger sections.
6. Break Up The Curls
Once I worked through all the sections and all the hair is curled I give it all one more spray with the light hold hair spray. Then I take my hands or and extremely wide tooth comb and break up the curls. Leaving the curls intact gives a very dated Shirley Temple type feel and most people do not want that! Breaking up the curls is a more modern up to date style.
Once the curls are loose I give it one final spray with the medium or firm hold hair spray and you are set for the day.
To me most of these seem common sense but for most people these are mistakes made daily when styling their hair at home. I hope you had some Ah Ha moments.
Let me know how many of these mistakes you have made in the past!
Comments