At the ends of the curls or from the roots, you can easily make small curlsif you have a curling iron or curlers at hand. Such devices are known to damage the hair, leading to delamination of the shaft and breakdown of the structure.
There are some simple ways to curl your hair with interesting life hacks, without using heating devices or curlers. Before choosing one or another gentle method for creating soft waves and elastic curls, it is worth learning about the features of winding for long or medium hair.
Medium length hair
It is easy to make small curls from the roots even at home, without using the usual tools - curling irons and curlers. With the help of such devices, you can give the shape of an elastic curl, but when heated, they make hair brittle, having lost its healthy appearance.
Curlers also tend to tangle the hair with frequent use, so they also spoil the hair over time. As a temporary effect, you can pre-apply thermal protective agents or use more expensive ceramic-coated appliances.
But you can achieve beautiful waviness at medium length not only in the usual, but also in alternative ways:
- with pins or invisible ones;
- using an elastic head bandage;
- winding using rubber bands;
- tying several plaits;
- make curls with paper;
- Create curls using sushi sticks, cocktail rolls or pencils.
Whichever life hack is chosen, it is important to pay attention to hair preparation before winding it up:
- Shampoo, rinse with conditioner, or use conditioner to moisturize, protect hair from tangles and to easily detangle strands.
- Dry the strands thoroughly with a towel, it is not recommended to use a hairdryer, so as not to cause additional stress to the hair.
- Apply a special agent to the curls - texturizing cream, foam, medium hold gel to create volume at the roots.
The best tools for modeling curls for medium hair:
Name | type of product | approximate cost |
Joanna professional curl enhancing mousse | Styling mousse | RUB 350 |
Biolage R.A.W. Matrix | Styling cream | RUB 1550 |
Stay High 18 Redken | Volumizing gel mousse | RUB 1,500 |
Every Green Modeling Spray Gel Dikson | Modeling spray gel | 750 RUB |
Paul Mitchell Curls Twirl Around | Curl modeling cream | 1350 RUB |
After preparing your hair, you can start winding the strands. If curls are done at night, the hair must be left slightly damp, then by the morning the hairstyle will turn out to be more effective, and the shape of the curls will last longer.
Long hair
Curly hairstyle for long hair has several advantages:
- With its help, you can easily hide facial imperfections.
- Curls will help make your look more feminine, exotic and harmonious.
- On medium hair, the bouncy curls last longer, but on long strands, the waves will look more natural.
- Curls give the hair volume at the roots, which is especially true for fine and thin hair.
- Curled locks on long hair are a great base for any evening hairstyle.
Before you start creating a fashionable hairstyle, you should know that too curly and voluminous curls are not suitable for those with large features. They will visually expand the proportions, making the face even rounder.
There are many ways to curl long hair without using special devices, but using simple improvised means:
- Make lush afro curls from braids.
- Create large curls with a bun.
- Modeling gentle waves using tissue scraps.
- Use your fingers to turn straight strands into curls.
Also, a beautiful curl shape can be achieved using an iron and a pencil. Before you start winding with a thermal device, it is important to prepare the strands by treating them with a special protective agent so as not to damage the structure of the hair shaft.
Iron and pencil
To make small curls at the ends or from the roots can be quickly and easily - using an iron and a pencil. This technique allows you to create a fashionable salon hairstyle at home, vertical curls are voluminous and springy.
To create romantic curls with an iron and a pencil, you need to follow a simple instruction:
- Prepare the curls by washing them with shampoo for the type of hair and rinsing with balm.
- Dry with a towel, apply a special agent on slightly damp strands - foam, mousse, gel-cream, so that the curls better fix their shape when winding.
- Divide hair into separate equal strands. To create small curls, thin strands are taken, for large and voluminous waves - wider.
- The iron must be warmed up to operating temperature. Each strand is twisted onto a pencil, retreating from the root of 1-2 cm. Then, with an iron, it is slowly drawn along the entire length, holding the tool for 1-2 minutes.
- After the curl is formed, it should be fixed with varnish or wax.
To protect hair from the negative effects of high temperatures, it must be pre-treated with a heat protectant.
If, after winding, you need to comb the curls, it is better to use a comb with rare teeth to make the curls look as natural as possible. It is better to start twisting from the temporal region, gradually moving towards the crown.
It is more convenient to hold the pencil at a slight angle. For owners of hard and thick hair, for a spectacular long-term result, you can use a varnish of the strongest fixation, and clamp the wound strand with an iron for 3-4 minutes.
Straightening iron
With a thermal leveling device, you can make a stylish evening hairstyle with beautifully curled curls. To make the waves look natural, and the hairstyle itself remains neat, it is necessary to prepare the hair for thermal manipulations. The strands are thoroughly washed with shampoo and balm, treated with a thermal protective agent.
After the hair is dry, you can proceed to the main stage:
- Heat the iron to the desired temperature, no more than 200 degrees, so as not to singe the ends.
- Divide the hair into several sectors, the thinner the strand, the more expressive the curl.
- With an iron, grab a strand perpendicular to the head, retreat slightly from the root.
- Rotate the straightener 180 degrees and slowly draw along the length of the strand, turning the tool around its axis, and then vertically.
- After winding, separate the hair into curls with your fingers and spray with a fixing agent.
There are several ways to wind on the iron, but each of the life hacks has one principle: the slower the movements are performed, the steeper the curl will turn out. Bringing the straightener to the ends, you need to twist them a little, but the hairstyle looks no less stylish with a smooth wave from the middle and straight ends of the strands.
Pigtails
The simplest classic way to create small curls at any length is braiding. This method allows you to create an original stylish hairstyle that resembles an afro-perm. After weaving, a wave is created along the entire length.The effect depends on the weaving method and the thickness of the braid. The principle is simple: the thinner the braids, the more voluminous the hairstyle will turn out.
Making curls with braids is simple:
- Prepare hair - wash, dry with a towel, comb with a wooden comb.
- Prepare fixing solution in a small bowl. To do this, you need to dilute a little water and a cosmetic product - foam, varnish, gel.
- Divide hair into separate strands, braid each one. It is more convenient to divide your hair into several sections, so the hairstyle will look neater.
- Braiding each braid, moisten it with a solution, it is more convenient to apply it with a sponge to thoroughly saturate the strands. Fix the braid with ribbons or elastic bands.
- Leave the braids for 4-5 hours, then undo and without a comb, use a texturizing agent to model the locks.
Braiding your braids overnight and experimenting with braiding can achieve different effects. For example, with French braids, you get light natural waves, and after the classic thin braids - the effect of an exotic African curl.
Paper
You can make small curls from the roots using paper. This will require several sheets - according to the number of curls.
The instruction is simple:
- The sheet is rolled according to the curler principle.
- A strand is wound on a paper base from the tip to the very root.
- The wrapping is fixed with an elastic band or strong thread.
Using a primitive method, you can create Hollywood curls, you must first dry your hair so as not to wet the paper and not break the shape of the base.
Hairpins and invisible
Small afro-style curls can be created using ordinary metal hairpins and invisible hairpins.
Algorithm for creating spiral curls:
- Divide damp, clean hair into small strands and moisten each with a fixative (foam mousse, gel).
- Wind a strand onto the hairpin, stringing it in a zigzag manner.
- Fix the twisted strand at the roots with an invisibility.
It is more convenient to start winding from the bottom of the head, moving gradually to the crown. After the hair under the wrap has dried, after 3-5 hours you can gently dissolve the curls, fix the hairstyle with varnish.
Cocktail tubes
A fashionable voluminous hairstyle with small curls without harm to hair can be done using cocktail tubes. To create it, you will need 20-30 plastic straws and invisible clips to fix the curl. When starting to curl, the hair must be washed, dried, applied to the curls with mousse or styling spray.
The algorithm is as follows:
- Divide the entire mass of hair into strands using a comb with a sharp end-knitting needle.
- Twist each strand with a tourniquet, and then wind it onto the base with a spiral to the middle of the tube.
- Fold the straw in half, securing it with a clip or rubber band.
It is necessary to keep such a wrap for at least 3 hours or leave it overnight. After that, gently dissolve the elastic spirals, model the strands and sprinkle them with varnish to fix the hairstyle.
Threads
You can make small curls from the roots with improvised means, one of the simplest is with a thread. This will require a strong sewing thread, folded in half, its length should be greater than the strand.
The rules are simple:
- A small section of the hair is gathered into a strand and tied at the base.
- Then the strand is twisted until a small flagellum is obtained.
- The bun is fixed with the remaining end of the thread.
The more such bobbles you get, the more magnificent the hairstyle will come out. For a natural effect, the tourniquets are staggered. It is recommended to wrap at night, in the morning the bundles are unraveled, curls are modeled with your fingers and fixed with a spray.
Rags
Curling on rags is the most gentle way to create curls, does not break the hair structure, creating beautiful waves and curls. It will take a lot of scraps to create a hairstyle. It is better to use a knitted base - an old T-shirt or shirt, which is cut into ribbons 2-3 cm wide and 7-10 cm long.
You can wind the strands directly onto fabric ribbons or use an additional layer of rolled paper. Before curling, the hair must be washed, lather or sprayed with a curling spray.
The algorithm is as follows:
- Divide the hair into small strands.
- Wind each strand on the papillote with a "snail", securing it from the tip and moving towards the root.
- Tie the cloth tightly on top of the knot.
This method of wrapping is the most comfortable at night, since the cloths do not interfere with sleep.
Covering your head with a scarf or hat will enhance the effect. In the morning, each element must be unraveled, curls formed with your fingers and the hairstyle must be secured with a spray varnish. The old method is simple and budgetary, does not injure the structure of the hair shaft and does not cause discomfort during sleep. With rags, curls are always elastic and effective at any length.
Practical tips for creating curls
Alternative ways of creating a curly hairstyle without curling irons and curlers are available, simple, convenient and inexpensive.
There are several secrets and practical tips that will help you get an effective salon result at home:
- Before winding the hair, be sure to wash it, as the curls are "taken" only on clean curls. Do not use products with weighting elements of the structure - oils, masks, keratin balms. It is enough to apply a conditioner or a light balm to the hair after washing.
- If an iron is used, it is necessary to treat the curls with a thermal protective agent.
- Curling is done on slightly damp hair. Strands that are too dry, even with the most gentle methods, can be damaged when twisted.
- When using the option with pigtails, you should braid them tightly enough, stepping back 1-2 cm from the root to get a beautiful expressive wave along the entire length.
- To stiffen the hair, apply a solution of lemon juice diluted with water to the hair before curling.
- It is not recommended to use a comb for modeling curls. It is better to form a curl with your fingers and fix it with a spray.
- When using the rag method for curls, it is important to pay attention to the quality of the fabric. Synthetics should not be used, as they tend to slide, which interferes with the formation of a beautiful curl.
To prolong the curly effect from several hours to several days, you should fix your hair with varnish. It is not recommended to use extra strong fixing products, as the strands may end up looking sticky and untidy. For naturalness and volume, it is enough to spray the curls and root zone with a spray of low or medium fixation.
It is easy to quickly make small or large curls along the entire length from the roots. Elastic curls at any length will adorn a fashionable look. To do this, it is not necessary to use the usual methods - a curling iron or curlers. By experimenting with simple tools at your fingertips, you can create a spectacular salon hairstyle with a bouncy curl without damaging the bar structure.
Video about small curls
Afro curls without curling iron and ironing: