Creating any type of curl is simple enough with a good curling iron. The main problem that many people experience is making curls that are too tight for their liking.
Then again, working with tight curls and transforming them into loose ones is easy as well.
With this in-depth tutorial on how to use a curling iron for loose curls, you will have the best tips and tricks up your sleeve. As a result, you will easily be able to create loose and voluminous beach waves in no time.
What You’ll Need
There are a few important things you will need before you get started. These tools will make it much easier for sectioning your hair, for protection, as well as for finishing.
1. Hair Clips
Sectioning your hair is the first step to making beautiful curls. For this, you’ll need to make sure that every strand is touched by the curling iron. By using hair clips, you will have easy access to all parts of your head.
2. Comb and Brush
Using a comb is another important part of sectioning. However, a brush is quite useful as well. How so? Before curling, you will need to make sure any knots are removed, and this can be achieved using a comb or a brush. Also, after you’re finished, using a brush can make your curls much looser.
3. Heat Protectant/Hair Oil
For an added shine as well as for optimal protection, using a heat protectant and/or hair oil is essential. You can typically find heat protectant sprays in department stores and special oils from salons or beauty stores.
4. Hairspray
Ideal for the perfect finishing touch, using a hairspray will keep your curls in their place throughout the day.
5. Curling Iron
Of course, in order to learn how to use a curling iron for loose curls, you will need an iron itself. We recommend finding an iron that heats up to at least 400°F, especially if you have thick hair.
How to Use a Curling Iron for Loose Curls
After you’ve gathered up the tools we have listed above, it’s now time to get into the tutorial. Even if you’re someone who has never used a curling iron before, we are confident that this easy-to-follow guide will become your go-to.
Step 1: Prepare Your Hair
The very first thing you need to do is prepare your hair. Curling dirty hair is going to be much easier than with clean hair, so avoid washing your hair beforehand. The natural oils on dirty hair also offer added protection against heat damage.
Using your brush, work out all of the knots in your hair until you can run your fingers through it without any resistance. At this point, you’re also going to want to apply your heat protectant or hair oil.
Make sure that you focus on the ends of your hair and work the product upwards. Once applied, use your brush to bring the product throughout your hair.
Step 2: Create Sections
Next, use your comb to section off parts of your hair. Part your hair vertically in half, following your natural part, then cut that section in half horizontally. Use two hair clips to keep both upper sections separate from the bottom.
Using another two clips, divide the bottom right section in half horizontally, and then do the same with the left section. By now, you should have two chunks of hair secured at the top and two medium-sized layers secured at the middle of your head. We’re first going to work with two smaller layers at the bottom.
Step 3: Preheat the Curling Iron
Now, you are going to want to plug your iron in and start the preheating cycle, waiting for it to reach your desired temperature. Once it’s hot enough, take a one-inch piece of the bottom layer and wrap it under the clamp of the iron.
As you do this, make sure that you keep the iron at least one to two inches away from your scalp. You can then close the clamp and curl the iron away from the front of your face, holding it in position for three to four seconds.
Step 4: Release the Curl
After the allotted time is up, let go of the curl by releasing the clamp. Then, hold the curl in your hand for an additional two to three seconds.
Step 5: Finish the Bottom Layer
Repeat steps three and four for the entire bottom layer of your hair, making sure to alternate the way that you turn the curling iron so as to create more voluminous curls.
Step 6: Curl the Middle Section
It’s now time to move onto the middle section of your hair. We recommend using the hair clips to hold the curled hair gently away from the uncurled hair. This will make everything much easier to work with and give you better visibility.
Following steps two to four, continue working with the middle layer of your head. Again, remember to alternate the way you turn the curling iron.
Step 7: Curl the Top Section
Finally, it’s time to focus on the top layer of your hair, still following steps two to four. This time, make sure to leave single, one-inch sections of hair framing your face.
Once you have finished curling the majority of your hair, grab the one-inch section of front-facing hair and make sure that you curl it away from your face on both sides.
Step 8: Finish Your Curls
Using your chosen hairspray, finish the look off with a couple of spritzes just to make sure the curls stay in place. During this step, you may also want to look at your hair and check if there are sections that need additional curling.
If you find that the curls are too tight, use the brush to comb through the curls gently until they fall loosely. Then, finish the look off with hairspray.
Final Thoughts
When creating loose curls, the main objective is to leave the hair on the iron for as little time as possible. The less heat your hair experiences, the less curly it will become. You may also find that you’ll need to brush a couple of curls out so that they’re looser. Over time, as you learn many other ways to use a curling iron for loose curls, everything will become much faster and much easier.