Tips for Curling Hair

Feel good curls, sexy curls, gorgeous looking tangles swishing along as you walk, sure we expect parading eyes of envy and admiration. Curly hair gives a cute-some look to your hairdo and a sure looking-young feeling. Now a little insight of the hair chemistry shows that, the natural curls in the hair are made by two types of chemical bonds, disulphide and hydrogen bonds. Some are blessed with natural waves and curls with ample disulphide bonds in hair, for those who don't, cheer up, there are ways to mold the hydrogen bonds in your hair, for impressive curls, ruling a day or two, without spending a fortune on chemical treatments. This article on curling hair tips, gives you all possible options to curl hair, be it long, short and of any texture. Pamper them, from naturally curling them to using a variety of tools and techniques.

Natural Curls
If you are a no-chemicals person, use these tips to get curls without heat or chemicals.

• Pipe Cleaners or Chenille Stems: Get these soft, easy to use craft tools, roll them up with tangle free, damp hair. They are soft, and most unlikely to make you feel uncomfortable as you sleep. Get beautiful locks as you wake up the next day.
• Rags: Don't look surprised. Using strips of cloth is also a way to curl hair. They are soft and you can almost sleep on them without any hassle. Use strips of cloth, use a length that will help you roll them for the desired curls. Now roll them like narrow tubes. You can roll the hair around them and then dry them for soft curls of hair.
• Braids: Braid your hair when it's wet. You can use different types of braids to get naturally curly and wavy hair, once it is dry.
• Knots: An easy way to curl hair is by knotting it. Brush hair thoroughly, and divide in small sections. Create a knot with this section (wrap it in your fingers and pull the ends through). Use a bobby pin to hold the knot. Repeat for the entire head. Pat some water on the knots. Use a dryer, set it to warm and low drying. Dry each knot for a few seconds and remove each knot. Use some hairspray if you want to hold the curls.

Curling Iron
Different types of curlers are available that you can use to curl hair. With practice of these styling tools, you can create locks of admiration, without hassle.

• Spiral Curls: Get a classy hairdo with these curls. Brush the hair and apply a heat resistant cream. Divide the hair in 1½-inch wide sections. Wind each section around the curling iron, start from a few inches away from the roots, wind till the tip, in any direction, hold for a few seconds (8-10 seconds) and release. Finish with a good hairspray.
• Pin Curls: For a sophisticated look, try these pins curls with your hair. Brush your hair and divide in 2 inch wide sections. Roll the hair with a heat protectant on the curling iron, from the tip towards the roots. Stop at around 2 inches away from the roots, hold for few seconds and release, pin the curls to your head. Repeat until you cover the entire head. Release the pins once the hair is cool. Finish with hairspray.
• Waves:Create bouncy soft curls with these tips for curling hair with curlers. Brush dry hair with protectant and divide into 1 inch sections, loosely wind each section around the iron, from the roots to the tip, roll in any direction, and release after few seconds. Use a good hairspray for styling.

Straighteners, Rollers and More
You can also try rollers, for various curly hair styles.

• Hot Rollers: You get two types of hot rollers, with heater coils or steam activated hot rollers. They come in variety of shapes and sizes. They may require longer time than a curling iron, but are easy to use. Divide your hair in 3 parts, brush dry hair with hairspray. Now roll these hot rollers towards the back of the head. Cover all 3 sections with the same procedure. Wait for the curlers to cool down (at least 10-12 minutes). Remove rollers and style using your fingers and hairspray.
• Foam Rollers: Depending on the size of curls you want, divide the hair in sections. Brush hair and coat with mousse or hairspray, use the correct amount of mousse. Wind the segment of hair tightly in the foam roller, from the bottom to the top. Use bobby pins if required to hold them on the scalp. You can blow dry hair, and keep the rollers for the required time. Remove the roller slowly. Style using fingers.
• Straighteners:Use a good hairspray before using straighteners to curl hair, as they are very hot. You can get curls that last for a good 5-6 hours using a hair straightener. Always spray hair with heat protectant, and brush hair thoroughly. Divide into square sections depending on the size of curls you need. Hold the iron close to the scalp, make sure you do not touch the scalp, (as the iron is very hot, you don't want to burn the scalp). Now close section of hair in the iron , flip it again on itself, like a half turn. Move the iron slowly, for more defined curls, from top to the ends. Finish with hairspray.
• Hair Sticks: Try these easy to use hair sticks for curly hair. Choose hair sticks according to the length and the thickness of your hair. Divide your hair in segments, roll each segment on the stick from the bottom to the top. Once close to the scalp, roll the stick to create a spiral. Keep the sticks overnight. Use hairspray in the morning to keep the curls intact.
• Steam Setters: If you want locks that last without using a curling iron or straighteners, use steam setters for perfect curls. Just roll your hair in whichever way you wish with rollers, and treat the curls in a steam setter for about 7 -10 minutes.

You now have a wide range of options to curl hair. Let us look at some tips to curl thick hair. Styling this kind of hair is tough, as the hair is thick and does not take up on styling products easily. Wash the hair with a good amount of leave-in conditioner, brush it thoroughly, make sure it is dry before you start curling them. Divide hair in small sections, curl them with a curling iron or straightener. Hold the iron for 30-40 seconds for perfect curls.

Few tips to remember:

• Always wet your hair before curling, except in case of using a curling iron or hot roller and straighteners. Hair should be damp, and not dripping wet.
• When using hair sprays, gels and mousse, use an adequate amount. Excess use may make hair hard and sticky.
• While applying heat to the hair, be careful and do not overdo it. Also, when using hair dryer on rollers and curls, make sure the curls remain intact and don't blow out of the curl. You may use a barrier for the same, a scarf of a bandanna.
• Over heating hair and frequent use of hair irons may damage the hair.

Follow these simple tips to get luscious curls. They are sure to add to your beauty and confidence. Go girl... flaunt those curls!