How To: Curl Hair
- Shape your hair into curls. There are various ways to do this, depending on the type of curl you're going for, how easily your hair curls, and the amount of effort you're willing to put in.
Braids - Easy to do, just need bands to tie braids; comfortable to sleep in; makes curls that are more zigzag in shape.
Curling Iron - Good for making perfect spiral curls; can be time consuming and especially damaging for hair.
Rollers - Time consuming and somewhat difficult to do without the help of a friend (unless hair is short); using different sizes of rollers adds more flexibility in desired style.
Hot rollers (which are applied to dry hair) create more of a soft, romantic look, but the curls don't last as long.
Bobby Pins - "Pin curls" were popular in the 1920s, especially on shorter hair, for making well-defined, skinny curls worn tight to the head.
Straighteners - Even though straighteners (flat irons) are designed to be used to straighten hair, they can also be adapted for creating soft curls, usually curlier at the ends.
Hair Sticks - Instead of wrapping a strand of hair around a roller, you wrap it around a stick, resulting in tighter curls.
Fabric/Rags - More comfortable than rollers; produce effects similar to pins, but fabric is easier to work with and sleep on.
Knots - If you don't have anything to curl your hair with at all, tying it into knots can create curls if done properly.
Apply heat. The heat helps to break any remaining hydrogen bonds. This step is optional. If you curl your hair often, the repetitive application of heat can eventually damage your hair. Hair can be curled without heat, but you'll have to let the hair set for a longer period of time and the curls might not last as long.
You can apply heat with a hair dryer, but don't let the air blow individual strands (particularly shorter ends) out of the curl; place a barrier (such as a bandanna) over your hair when you blow dry.
If you're using a curling iron or hot rollers, you're combining this with the previous step because you're curling and heating at the same time. Keep in mind, however, that even though a curling iron can produce beautiful curls, it's more damaging to your hair than any other method because the higher heat destabilizes the proteins that your hair is made of.
Let the curls set. The new hydrogen bonds that will keep your hair curly only form as your hair dries and cools. If you pull your hair out of the curled shape before it's completely dry and cool then the weight of your hair will break some of the hydrogen bonds and it will not curl as well. If you're using a curling iron, hold the strand in a curled shape until it completely cools. Spritz hairspray to essentially "glue" the hydrogen bonds in place. If you're going for a casual look, you may want to scrunch your hair.
Waterproof your hair. If it's at all humid or rainy where you are (or where you're going) apply a pomade or oil to prevent moisture from penetrating your hair strands. Remember how wetting your hair breaks hydrogen bonds? Now that hydrogen bonds are keeping your hair curly, you don't want moisture in the form of humidity or rain to come in contact with your strands of hair because they'll reset your hydrogen bonds and your curls will be gone like the wind.
If you want your hair to be in soft wavy curls, you can do a variation of pin curls. Divide your hair into 8 sections or so. Slightly dampen and put hair gel on the first section, then twist it very tightly. Once it is twisted as tight as possible, bring the end up to the top of your head. The curl should twist back on itself. Put in two bobby pins, and hairspray it. Once you have done this to all the sections, leave them in until they are dry (about 20 minutes), and then use your fingers to gently arrange curls into desired form, being careful not to separate them so much you create frizz. Voila, beautiful curls!
Some quick curly Hair facts Hair is mainly made of a protein that is called keratin. It is made of the same thing that nails are made of. The only difference is the difference in color due to the presence of Melanin.The color of the hair varies with the quantity of melanin present on each strand. Hair can be black, red, brown and chestnut in color. As we grow old, the pigment present in the follicles begins to disintegrate that results in gray or black hair.
You may wonder why you have curly hair. Well, the answer lies in genetics. Within the hair protein compound are sulfide atoms. When the sulfide atoms stay close together, they develop a bond called disulfide bonds. But if they are placed further from each other and yet form the disulfide bond, then these strong bonds will have a tendency to bend the protein, and thus it results in curly mane. If you want to perm it artificially then there are various chemicals and tools available. The perms alter the number of disulfide bonds present in the hair. However, chemically curled hair is not permanent. The part of hair that grows after you perm your hair will not have the curly effect. So you ill have to repeat the procedure after six months or so.
