It’s time to become best friends with your curling tongs! There are a variety of different curling tongs that create curls of different size and tightness.
“You can change the whole texture and personality of your hair in just a few minutes with curling tongs”, says Mezei Jefferson, a salon educator.
Here’s how to find the right look for you!
Spiral Curls
These curling tongs have raised ridges on the barrel. To create the telephone-cord curls of Mariah Carey or Sarah Jessica Parker, simply twist your hair around the spiral pattern. The closer the grooves, the tighter the curls. For cascading ribbon curls with volume at the roots, choose a spiral iron with a tapered barrel.
Tips:
- Work with diagonal sections of hair to get closer to your scalp and create small bouncy curls.
- After you curl a section of your hair, pin it to your scalp to keep your curls intact as you continue styling the rest of your hair.
Loose Curls
Megan Fox rocked retro glamour at a recent awards’ show with romantic, wavy texture. To create this look, choose spring curling tongs with a barrel size of at least 1 inch. Spring curling tongs are a great tool for novice curlers; the clip helps you keep a firm grip on your hair as you work.
Tips:
- Begin working from the middle of the hair shaft. Roll hair in the direction of your scalp. Then open the clip and feed in your ends.
- To protect hair, use as little heat as needed. Start with a temperature of 150°C. If that doesn’t give you the hold you want, gradually move on to hotter settings, increasing heat by 5°C at a time.
Waves
Double- or triple-barrelled curling tongs give you that just-back-from-the-beach look you’re craving in the middle of winter. This is the tool to choose if you want the tousled tresses of Taylor Swift.
Tips:
- For an authentic beachy look, start with day-old hair rather than just-shampooed locks.
- Apply a light holding spray before curling, and then work with horizontal sections of hair, rolling up to about 1 inch from your scalp.
By Shelley Levitt for The Style Glossy.
For more hair tips and tricks, check out our style section to help you look and feel glamorous!
