by Carrie Eckles

Created on: May 16, 2010   Last Updated: January 26, 2012

Some people are fortunate enough to be born with a mass of perfect curls. For those of us who weren’t born so fortunate, the secret to luscious tendrils lies in a very simple device: the curling iron.

Curling your hair with a curling iron can be very intimidating if you’ve never done it before. After all, most irons get really hot, so it’s important to always exercise safety. Still, the process is easy enough, and can be divided into six simple steps.

Step 1: Prep Your Hair

The first thing you need to do before curling your hair with a curling iron is to prep it. After washing your hair, you may want to apply volumizer or some other hair product before drying. Different products achieve different results. Usually, if you plan on curling your hair, the most common products to apply are: volumizers, root lifters, heat protectors, or de-frizzing agents. The decision between products should be based on two things: your hair type and the end result you want to achieve.

Whichever product you use, it’s important to read the labels. Follow the directions carefully; some products aren’t meant to stand up to high heat and aren’t suitable if you intend to curl your hair.

Step 2: Dry Your Hair

Since curling irons run off of electricity, it’s very important to make sure your hair is thoroughly dry before using one. Not only is damp hair hard to curl, it’s downright dangerous.

Air drying your hair is always an option, but most women prefer to blow dry, since it’s a time-saver. Refer to the first step before blow-drying; make sure the hair products you use are designed for heat. Another benefit of blow-drying over air drying is that a blower dryer helps induce volume and lift: a desirable trait for a curly mane.

Step 3: Prep the Iron

It’s extremely important to check the manual of a curling iron if you’ve never used that specific iron before; different irons work differently and have different features. As with any appliance, it’s always best to be comfortable with the product you’re using.

General safety measures should be taken. The instructions that came with the iron will be more specific, but a good rule of thumb is to never use a curling iron near water; again, it runs on electricity, and misuse of the iron can result in electric shock.

After you turn the iron on, allow it to heat thoroughly (your iron’s instructions should explain how to tell when the iron has reached optimal temperature).

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