Achieving the perfect spiral curls can be a little daunting because many things can go wrong. If you overdo the styling, you could cause heat damage and end up with curls that are far from perfect. But when you have the right styling tool, it’s not so difficult as it seems.
The question of how to make spiral curl perfection rests heavily on the styling tool that you’re using. To curl your hair, you can use tools that involve heat, and this is where the curling iron reigns supreme. There are many kinds of curling irons out there, and you can even go for the curling wand or spiral curling wand instead. You also have hot rollers, flexi-rods, straws, and some no heat options, and of course, you can also go for a perm. Out of all these options, however, the curling iron is what most people go for.
Finding the Right Curling Iron for spiral curls
Before you can start making spiral curls using a curling iron, you need to first make sure that you have the right curling iron in your hands. Getting the best curling iron for spiral curls will depend on your hair type, length, and a lot of other factors. Here are some really great options to begin with:
1. Hot Tools Professional Titanium Curling Iron
Preferred by professional hair stylists and equipped with pulse technology, this titanium curling iron from Hot Tools is one of the best curling irons that you can get. It’s available in 1”, 1.25″ and 1.5″ barrel sizes, and has a ceramic tourmaline styling surface. The rheostat temperature control allows you to work with an entire range of temperatures from 280 degrees (for fragile hair) to 430 degrees (for thick hair). Even if it goes as high as this, the pulse technology allows it to get to that temperature as fast as possible, and stay that way.
Best Features
The best feature of this curling iron is its advanced ceramic, titanium, and tourmaline barrel. The titanium produces even heat distribution but also protects the barrel from corrosion and keeps it durable. The ceramic and tourmaline technology, on the other hand, emits far-infrared heat and negative ions when heated. This helps seal the hair cuticle and reduces frizz. Because of this, you can expect your hair to be shiny and smooth even after you’ve applied the heat to it.
Pros and Cons
Users love the “gets hot fast and stays hot” performance of this curling iron. Aside from that, the heating element or rheostat can “memorize” your preferred heat setting because the on/off switch is separate.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t come with an auto shut-off unlike other curling irons, and that’s something some users miss. However, this doesn’t really take away from its effectiveness as a curling iron and styling tool.
2. BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium Conicurl Iron
BaBylissPRO is well-known in beauty circles all over the world, because of its ability to give you salon-quality results even as you style your hair from the comfort of your own home. The Nano Titanium Conicurl Iron is no exception. It has a unique tapered barrel that gives you enough flexibility to work with different-sized sections of hair.
Best Features
This curling iron has a Nano titanium technology that makes it better than others. This technology enables you to work with advanced surround heat without worrying about having curls that are not smooth and full of frizz. Nano titanium technology is your ultimate styling companion, giving you smooth and shiny curls when you need it.
Pros and Cons
Users love that this heats up really fast, and is relatively easy to use. The tapered barrel is also handy because it gives you the ability to produce different size curls. If you ever wondered how to get tight spiral curls with a curling iron, it’s actually the size of the barrel that can help you with that. With this tool, you get a diameter that goes from 1 – 0.25, and the tight curls can be achieved with the thinner part of the barrel.
It does not come with a heat-resistant glove, so you have to get one yourself or just be extremely careful so as not to burn yourself.
Using a Curling Iron for making spiral curls
The curling iron is the most popular option because it has several benefits that you don’t get with the other styling tools. There’s a reason why professional stylists use curling irons when you have your hair done in a salon, and that’s because this is the best option. The good news is you can do it from at your own convenience and comfort, whether it’s from your own home or from wherever it is you are as you find yourself traveling.
Advantages
Here are some of the advantages that you can get with a curling iron:
- Easy to use
Even if you’re not a professional hair stylist, you can use a curling iron like a pro. Curling irons are relatively easy to use, especially if they’re the good quality ones. Basically, all you need to do is wrap your hair around the barrel. Just be mindful that other curling irons have some features that you need to look at, like those with clamps and grooves.
It’s also good to go for curling irons that have built-in safety features because this is what will make them even easier to use. A safety stand will be handy, and a safety glove can save you from accidental burns. While not all curling irons have this feature, it’s also good if you have an auto shut-off feature. This is in case you leave the curling iron on.
- Instantaneous styling
Good quality curling irons are usually equipped with heating technology that allows you to produce curls in just a short period of time. Often, you will only need a few seconds to wrap your hair around the barrel, and then the heat will do its magic. When you unwind your hair from the barrel, you’ll get instant curls. This is something that you won’t get if you go for the options without the heat because those usually require you to leave the rollers or rods overnight.
- Well-defined, salon-quality curls
Aside from the fact that you get instant curls, you also get curls that look like you just walked out of the salon. With a good quality curling iron, you get curls that are so well-defined. This is also dependent on how you use the curling iron, but a good styling tool will definitely point you towards the right direction.
With curling irons, you can also dictate the size of your curls. Spiral curls are definitely possible, but you have to make sure that your barrel size is thin enough or at least tapered. For the best size curling iron for ringlets, you should have a diameter of an inch or less. Whether that’s ¼ or 3/8, you just have to remember the general principle that the tighter curls are produced by the smaller diameters.
Of course, spiral curls are not the only type of curls that you can produce with a curling iron. You can also go for a more romantic look, with larger waves. Basically, with a curling iron, you definitely have the most control of how the final product will look like.
- Long-lasting curls
Of all the styling tools you can get, the curling iron will give you curls that will last longest. You’ll need minimal hairspray to keep the curls in place because the heat does the work for you and keeps the curls defined throughout the day. When you have the right heating technology, you won’t need all the other setting and styling products to keep the curls in place.
If you look at it this way, a curling iron is definitely an investment. With one tool that’s simple and easy to use, you can produce curls that will last you all day and all night long. Noting all these advantages, the curling iron should definitely be your go-to styling tool.
No Heat Spiral Curls
While using a curling iron is the most effective way to produce long-lasting spiral curls in your hair, there are those who prefer not to use heat. Heat damage is a very real concern when it comes to styling, especially if you do it often. This is why protecting your hair with the right heat protectant products is important, even before you start styling it.
For those who really prefer to curl their hair without the use of heat, there are several other options:
1. Curlformers Deluxe Pro Glam-up Kit
This glam-up kit can give you spiral curls, even if you have extra long hair. What the kit contains is 20 salon-quality Curlformers, which you can use for hair up to 22 inches or 55 cm long. This high-quality product does not contain latex, and it conforms to safety regulations on plastics and heavy metals – from both USA and the EU. This assures you that the product is really safe to use.
Best Features
The best part of Curlformers is the fact that it causes no heat damage. The 20 Curlformers can be used in 2 directions of curl, and they’re made in new luxury colors (dark pink and gold). You also get 1 styling hook, as well as a luxurious shimmery bag. Precisely because there’s no heat to worry about, this can be used for all ages and all hair types. Whether your hair’s thin and delicate hair or thick and oily, this product can help you produce smooth curls each and every time.
What Users are Saying: Pros and Cons
Users love the bouncy curls that the spiral curlformers can create, especially those who would rather not use heat. It’s a quick, painless, and easy way to get spiral curls, and that’s really what sets it apart. The only con, of course, is that because there’s no heat, it won’t last as long the curls produced by a curling iron.
2. Spiral curls using flexi rods
You can also use flexirods to produce spiral curls, and this option doesn’t need heat as well. A good set of flexi-rods will give you same length rods of different diameters. Depending on the type of curl that you want, you can pick the corresponding diameter. The thinner the rod, the tighter the curl.
To use this, you would need to wrap a small section of wet hair around each rod. Starting at the end, you need to wrap your hair in the rod, moving towards the root. To secure the flexi rod, you will have to bend the ends inward.
Once you’re done with everything, you’ll need to tie a satin hair wrap around your head and leave your hair that way overnight. When you wake up the following morning, you’ll have to unwind the sections and spritz it with hairspray to keep the curls all day.
There are many options for flexi rods available in the market today. For instance, you can get the Diane By Fromm 42-pack Twist-flex Rods, or even the Tifara Beauty 42-pack 7” Flexible Curling Rods.
Any of these flexi rods will give you tight spiral curls without risking hair damage. However, you have to remember that for the curls to set, you’d have to leave them on overnight. A curling iron, on the other hand, gives you instantaneous curls.
3. Spiral curls using straws
Other people go for an option that’s not so typical, and that’s the use of straws. The principles are more or less the same, in that you’d have to separate your hair into smaller sections and wrap each section in a straw. The smaller your sections are, the more volume you will get.
This method is messier and produces inconsistent spirals, so it will give you a more tousled look. This option is of course unlike a curling iron, which will give you curls that are well-defined and long-lasting.