For many years, curlers have been the preferred tool for producing gorgeous curls. Using curlers can give you long-lasting results without causing the damage that heat styling tools frequently do, whether your goal is tight ringlets or soft waves. However, not all curlers are made equal, and the kind you select can have an impact on how your curls appear.
Today’s papillotes, or curlers, come in a variety of styles and each offers a different way to curl hair. Knowing the differences between velcro curlers, flexi rods, and foam rollers can help you get the look you want. It’s critical to make an informed decision because each option works best for different hair types and lengths.
We’ll look at the most popular kinds of curlers in this post and walk you through using them correctly step-by-step. We have what you need, whether you want soft, beachy waves or a lively, voluminous look. Now let’s explore the world of curling hair with curlers!
- Types of curlers
- Wooden
- Metal
- Plastic
- Rubber
- Foam rubber
- Boomerangs
- Velvet
- Thermal
- Velcro (“hedgehogs”)
- Papillots
- Spiral curlers, including bobbins
- Ways and techniques of curling
- Horizontal
- Vertical
- Spiral
- Video on the topic
- #curlers papillotes #longhair
- Hair perm on boomerangs! Tatiana Bashmakova can teach you all the intricacies of curling hair!
Types of curlers
Numerous factors influence the quality of curls, including hair type, length, and curling technique. Additionally, the choice of curlers has a direct impact on the outcome. The same gadgets can help you look fresh every time.
Wooden
Eco-friendly materials don’t damage the strands. The hair needs to be dry and clean before applying these products. Wet hair will cause the wood to become moist, which will prolong the process. Additionally, wooden devices quickly become dirty because they readily absorb fat from the head. It is nearly hard to clean them. After five to seven procedures, it is preferable to replace the curling with new ones.
You should first give the curls some mousse or foam to help them last longer. In thirty minutes, after using a hairdryer to dry your hair, you can enjoy gorgeous curls. Curlers, whether straight or spiral, are typically made of wood, which results in tiny curls that resemble African hairstyles.
Metal
Applied to wet hair. The strands dry more quickly thanks to the mesh structure. These gadgets are robust and long-lasting. The diameter of the curlers determines the size of the wavy curls; the bigger, the more voluminous.
Using a hairdryer to dry curls on metal products is not advised. They exacerbate hair breakage when heated. It is therefore preferable to hold off until the hairstyle naturally dries, which should happen in a few hours.
Take note! Split ends are caused by using metal curlers frequently. When the strands come into contact with metal, they become electrified.
Plastic
Devices that are portable and lightweight can be frequently cleaned, making them hygienic. Generally speaking, this is not necessary because plastic products do not absorb fat or collect dust. They don’t electrify curls or harm the structure of the hair shaft.
You must use clamps, rubber bands, or sticks to secure the devices. Due to the possibility of curls developing creases, the first option is less ideal.
Using plastic curlers to style hair requires several hours, particularly for long and thick hair. Whether you use a hair dryer (15–20 minutes) or air dry your hair (1-2 hours) will determine how ready the hairstyle is. The styling product, which gives the curls elasticity and prolongs their beauty, also has an impact on the outcome. The devices’ diameter determines how big or small the curls will be.
Rubber
Rubber curlers have unique qualities when it comes to curling hair. The products have an unusual shape, so the curls arrive somewhat flattened. You can obtain curls of varying sizes by selecting the appropriate size.
Foam rubber
Because they are gentle, they can be used at night without disturbing sleep. This benefit becomes a disadvantage, though, if the curling technology is off: the ends protrude and the curls appear angular.
The foam curlers must be bent at the required angle in order to secure the devices. This brings up another drawback: the products break easily after repeated use.
Boomerangs
Boomerangs resemble colorful, rubber or foam sticks. They are frequently used at night because they don’t require extra fixators. connected in the same manner as rubber foam. All hair lengths are suitable, with the exception of very short hair. Boomerangs should be longer the longer the strand.
Suggestions. Keep in mind two guidelines if you leave curls created with boomerangs or foam rubber products overnight. The strand needs to be more tightly curled. More security must be applied to the ends than in other situations.
Velvet
In beauty salons, professionals use this. enables you to curl bobs and even medium-length hair. You cannot sleep with a curled head because curls are fixed with special sticks. It is preferable to use a hair dryer to dry your hair or to let it air dry for a few hours during the day. Visit our website to learn more about velvet curlers and who can benefit from them.
Thermal
Thermal curlers come in two varieties:
- those that are dipped in hot water;
- electric, which are often singled out as a separate group.
These products work well on medium-length hair and short strands. Using them to curl lengthy curls is not advised. Here, the heat received isn’t always sufficient to create lovely curls.
Thermal curlers can curl hair strands in 15 to 20 minutes with a certain level of skill. Some women take advantage of this benefit and curl their hair in the morning, right before work or a special occasion. However, these products cannot be abused.
Regularly coming into contact with hot objects can be detrimental to your hair’s health, particularly if it is thin, damaged, or brittle. The fact that the curls are transient is another drawback.
This method is one of the quickest for curling hair because it uses hot rollers to curl dry hair.
Velcro (“hedgehogs”)
You can use them to achieve more volume or just gorgeous waves. The outer coating makes it simple to attach without the need for clamps. Fits all types of hair. The only exceptions are long, damaged, or extremely thick hair strands. In the latter scenario, additional fasteners will be needed in order to use "hedgehogs." Velcro secures the head for two to three hours.
Papillots
They can be constructed from silicone, rubber, foam, or fabric. They resemble bundles that are 2 to 5 centimeters in diameter and up to 20 centimeters long. By twisting tiny paper strips into tubes, you can create paper papillotes at home. You won’t be able to add more volume to your hair with them. However, the ends will be flawlessly curled. On our website, you’ll find additional methods for curling your hair without the use of curlers or curling irons.
Spiral curlers, including bobbins
You can get tiny curls from them that resemble those from a perm. However, they are challenging to use and need assistance from others. composed of plastic and wood. Additionally, there are soft spiral products that have hooks and unique covers that help create curls. This type of set is known as "magic curlers."
Take note! Long hair should be curled for at least eight hours, or ideally, the entire night. It is worthwhile to select soft curlers (foam rubber, velvet, boomerangs, papillotes) without stiff fastenings for this purpose.
It’s crucial to comprehend the many kinds of curlers—such as foam, velcro, or heated rollers—and how each can produce different looks, such as loose waves or tightly coiled ringlets, in order to properly curl your hair. Selecting the appropriate curler for your hair type, prepping your hair with the right products, and learning the fundamental curling techniques—like evenly wrapping sections of your hair and leaving the curlers in for the appropriate amount of time—are the keys to getting the best results.
Ways and techniques of curling
Let’s look at a few different methods for curling hair with curlers.
Horizontal
Women who wish to achieve more volume and lustre in their hair can use this technique. Ideal for any length of hair. Use thermal or plastic products that are hard for the horizontal curling technique.
Order of action:
- Wash your hair with shampoo and conditioner.
- Carefully remove excess moisture with a towel.
- If necessary, apply a styling product.
- Gently comb your hair.
- Divide it into 3 parts: one on the crown, 2 in the temple area.
- Start the curling process from the crown area. Select a thin strand above the forehead. Its width should be comparable to the width of the curlers.
- Lift the strand up. The correct position is perpendicular to the crown.
- Comb the selected hair, and then place its ends on the curlers.
- Press the strand, twist in the direction from the forehead to the crown, slightly pulling it towards the face.
- Make sure that the future curl is curled to the roots. Then the traces of the clamp (if any) will not be noticeable.
- Twist the middle part of the parietal zone, from the forehead through the crown and to the back of the head. You should get a kind of path of curlers located parallel to each other. Separate not thick strands.
- In the same way, curl the hair from the temporal areas.
- When everything is ready, put a net or a cap made of nylon on your head. Dry your hair with a hairdryer.
- Wait until the curls cool down after the hot air.
- After this, unwind the curls starting from the back of the head, gradually moving upwards.
- Comb them from the ends to the roots.
Suggestions. The naturally curled curls are preferable. There’s a belief that the hairdryer causes the curls to break off quickly, making the hairstyle short-lived.
Vertical
The technology works best to create curls that droop and flow from top to bottom; it is not ideal for giving hair volume. You can use curlers or any other curlers that create a lovely curl, even soft ones, to curl your hair in this manner. Any length of hair as long as it is 12 centimeters or longer can use the vertical method.
Order of action:
- Wash, slightly blot hair. If necessary, apply styling product.
- Gather curls into a ponytail on the crown.
- Separate a wide strand at the very bottom, at the back of the head, using a horizontal parting.
- Divide it into several thin ones, making vertical partings.
- Curl your hair in any direction. Hold the curlers vertically.
- After finishing the first horizontal row, proceed to the next one: separate the wide strand again, then make several narrow ones out of it, curl. And so on until the end, until the head is completely curled.
- Put on a net, dry the curls with a hairdryer.
- Wait until they cool.
- Remove the curlers, starting from the bottom.
- Carefully separate the curls with your fingers or a comb with rare teeth.
- If necessary, spray your hair with hairspray.
For curling, hair mousse is the best product. It creates elastic, doesn’t weigh curls down, and doesn’t adhere to them.
Spiral
One kind of vertical technology is this approach. Only spiral curlers—either soft or hard—and papillotes are used for it.
Advice: You can use a styling product to extend the "life" of your curls if needed.
Order of action:
- Divide pre-washed damp hair into 4 parts: in the crown, temples, back of the head.
- From each of them, in turn, select thin strands and curl. Start from the back of the head.
- Move from the roots to the ends.
- When you have curled the entire head, dry it with a hairdryer or leave it to dry naturally.
It’s not that hard to curl curls on curlers yourself if you follow some advice and watch some themed videos. Experience will bring with it dexterity and skill. Short and medium-length hair is the easiest to curl at home. Long hair typically requires outside assistance because it takes a lot of time to style and then unwind.
It is not advised to curl hair on your own at home with hard spiral curlers. This is a challenging, drawn-out process. It might be out of your control without the assistance of an assistant or professional knowledge and skills. However, there is opportunity to create a variety of curls for every occasion with other types of curlers.
Unsure which to choose between perm, carving, or bio-curling? You might find the following articles helpful:
- which is better carving or bio-curling;
- what is the difference between bio-curling and perm;
- we study the differences between carving and perm;
- bio-curling for long hair: what is it, pros and cons;
- features of hair care after bio-curling;
- what is Japanese perm, its advantages;
- how long does perm last on long hair, types and stages of the procedure.
Type of Papillotes | Curling Method |
Foam Rollers | Start with slightly damp hair, wrap strands around the roller, and secure. Leave for several hours or overnight for best results. |
Velcro Rollers | Wrap dry hair around the roller, let it sit for about 30 minutes, then gently remove for soft curls. |
Heated Rollers | Heat the rollers, then wrap dry hair around them. Leave for 10-15 minutes, then remove for bouncy curls. |
Flexi Rods | Wrap damp hair around the rod, twist it, and bend the ends to hold. Leave until hair dries for defined curls. |
Magnetic Rollers | Use on damp hair, roll tightly, and secure with clips. Let hair dry completely for smooth, structured curls. |
A classic method for getting gorgeous, long-lasting curls without overheating your hair is to use curlers. Getting the right curler and knowing how to use it correctly are crucial, whether your goal is soft waves or tight ringlets. Depending on the look you want, each type of curler—from heated curlers to foam rollers—offers a different set of advantages.
It’s crucial to take into account the curlers’ size, how you section your hair, and how long you leave them in while curling your hair. Larger curlers are fantastic for voluminous waves, but smaller sections of hair work best for tight curls. You’ll eventually learn exactly how long to leave the curlers in for the desired effect because practice makes perfect.
The curling technique that works best for your hair type and desired style is ultimately the most effective one. You may always have a method to achieve gorgeous, bouncy curls by trying out various curling irons and methods to see what suits you the best.