7 Curling iron mistakes you’re makin’…

 I’m a sucker for big, wide, fat curls. Who isn’t after all?! We all know I’m infamous for that “chelseycurl” with the flat iron, but in all honestly a lot of my clientele has trouble getting that down and tend to opt for the curling iron. There’s nothing wrong with that, and sometimes I myself, am a fan of a voluptuous head of curling iron curls, they look a little bigger, sexy & more glamorous.

So let’s cut to the chase….Here’s some common mistakes you’re making with your curling iron that aren’t giving you your best curl:

1. You’re using the wrong size barrel.

If your finding your hair isn’t holding a curl it’s probably because your using a curling iron that’s too large. Most people think the bigger the barrel the bigger the curl. In my book, it’s the bigger the barrel the faster your curl will fall before you walk out the door and the grumpier you’ll be all night. Size totally matters when it comes to your hair, a 1inch curling iron is the perfect universal size to me, if you want a bit of a bigger curl use a larger amount of hair. One inch sections are usually my go to, just a FYI. 

2. You’re starting from the bottom of your hair and curling in the wrong direction, I.E. Shirley Temple.

This is cute when you’re six, not when you’re 26. Start at the root when you clamp, this gives you more volume as well. Most of the time we want a more natural sexy look, this means we curl everything AWAY from the face. You’re going to be winding the hair down and around the wand of curling iron in a clockwise direction on the right and counter clockwise on the left. For those with the long bob going on, or those that want a more messy beachy look, that’s when you are going to want to alternate directions of curls throughout the head, but still leave the front inch around the face curling AWAY from the face and to the back of the head. This is soooooo vital. 

3. You’re using a curling iron you got on clearance at CVS or Sally’s. 

My famous words, you want your hair to look how it looks when professionals do it? Then you need to use what the professionals use. There’s a reason why it works. End subject. Here’s the iron I recommend relentlessly, Paul Mitchelle express ion curl.4. Your misusing the clamp.

I loved when they came out with the curling wands. It was the funniest thing ever to me, helllllooo, did anyone catch on that you can just wrap your hair around the barrel of your curling iron you already own and not open the clamp? Voilà, you have your very own two in one wand/curling iron. However, by using the clamp you can create many different looks. When going for more glamours curls, make sure the ends of your hair are tucked under the clamp. If you’re going for a more messy/beachy look, you’re going to leave about 2inches of the ends of your hair OUT of the clamp. Or, as I said before, forgo the clip all together and wrap hair around as you would a wand. 

5. You’re holding the iron on for too long or not long enough. 

The little trick I like to use is after about 3 seconds touching my hair on the outside of the curling iron to make sure it’s warm. This brings us back to sectioning as well…if your taking too big of a section your not giving your hair the opportunity to have the heat evenly distributed. We’ve all seen the YouTube video where the chicks hair falls out, don’t be that girl, there’s no need for this to be held on your hair any longer then 10 seconds and steer clear of the highest setting, it’s unnecessary. 

6. You’re not prepping your hair. 

Brings me back to #3 – want it to look how it looks when we do it? Use what we use. Herbal essences ain’t cutting it as a styling product. I love to use a moose like Kérastase’s Densimorphose or Shu Uemura’s Ample Angora and evenly distribute from scalp to ends with a wet brush before I blow dry. We could all use a little extra texture. People with a more fine head of hair that see they have trouble holding a curl should spray a layer of hairspray BEFORE curling the hair, running a wet brush through after so it’s moveable & spraying a layer on even during or after cooling (see below).

7. You’re not cooling your curls and are running your fingers through them right away.

My number one pet peeve- let it chill! If you want your curls to stay you have to let them cool in the shape you let go of them in. I always let my hair sit while I do my make-up then I run my fingers through my hair right after I get dressed or even before I leave the house. Sure, I look like Shirley Temple for a hot minute while I get ready, but it’s only my dogs who get to see it ; ) 

Hope these easy steps help some of my girls that struggle with curling, always remember you can give you hair any shape you want if you work it the right way! 

XoXo | Chelsey Rae