Q&A for How to Curl Hair with a Curling Iron

Yes, there are several substitutes for heat protectant that won't make your hair smell bad. Some good examples include argan oil, coconut oil and leave-in conditioners. You can also consider using a silk or satin pillowcase to reduce friction and protect your hair from damage while you sleep. There are also heat-protectant sprays formulated to not smell or that have a pleasant scent. Test all new products on a small area of hair first.

It depends on the texture of your hair, how long it is, and how wide the sections you curl are. It can take as little as 30 minutes to as long as 2 hours. Keep in mind that with more practice and experience, you will be able to curl your hair faster.

It is not essential but it is preferable as it helps to ensure that your hair will not get damaged. Without it, your hair will likely reflect the damaging effects of heat faster.

You don't have to, but it helps make the curls last longer as they cool down.

There is really no way to know which one is best for your hair unless you try them, but looking up reviews online before buying might be helpful to you.

It can burn your hair. You may want to use a heat protectant to stop that from happening.

There is no specific age for curling hair. You never *have* to do it. You can start curling your hair once in a while for special occasions at any age, but you may want to ask a parent for help if you're younger than 12 or so.

You should never use hair spray before curling your hair. It makes the hair crunchy, and adding heat to that can damage it severely. Wait until you are done styling your hair to use serum or hair spray.

Really good name brands are Hot Tools and Beachwaver.

You can use curling cream if you want, but do not use too much because it puts more weight on the hair and takes longer to set.

A wand or a very thin curler would be best to get those American classic curls!

Try putting the curling wand on a higher heat setting or holding the curling wand in your hair for 2-3 seconds longer than you usually would. Practice also enables you to do your hair more quickly.

It is a spray that protects your hair from getting damaged by the heat of the curling iron.

You don't necessarily "have to," but it does make the process easier and less time-consuming.

You should leave thick hair in the curling iron for no more than 7 seconds or else it will burn your hair.

No, a straightener is a flat iron that makes your hair flat with heat. A curling iron is the tool used above.

If you use a sleep protectant it will keep the curls in place. You can get sleep protectant hair product at Beauty 101 stores or hair salons.

When you buy your curling iron it should come with a mat and you can rest it on there. If not there should be a holder attached to the iron that you can use. If there isn’t either of those then make sure you try and keep the heated part of the curling iron of a surface or away from a surface that is easily damaged.

It really depends on your type of hair.

If you want it to keep form for longer, yes. But this isn't completely necessary, especially if you want something closer to messy/casual waves.