Fine hair is perhaps the most difficult to curl because the wrong curling wand will give you curls that wouldn’t last long if it manages to give you curls at all. With the right curling wand, however, you can transform fine hair to beautiful waves that will last you a long time. Read on to find out how to identify these curling wands, what brands to get, and how to use them and make your fine hair curl the way you want to.
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How to Find the Best Clipless Curling Iron for Fine Hair
Whether you’re looking for a curling wand for short fine hair or for long fine hair, the first thing you need to look at is the temperature settings. This is because of all types of hair textures, fine hair is prone to damage the most. The hair strand itself is fine and even the tiniest amount of heat can do so much damage to it, so what you need is to go for a curling wand that has a low enough setting.
Aside from the heat, you should also look at how fast the curling wand becomes hot. You will need one that heats up really fast because your hair can’t afford to be exposed to too much heat for a very long time. You need a curling wand that can do the job in a jiffy because this keeps heat damage to a bare minimum. Of course, there are other things you can look at, such as brand reputation and what other people are saying about a certain brand or model.
Our Picks: Top Curling Wands for Fine Hair
Below are some of the best curling irons that you can use for fine hair. These clipless curling irons are ideal not just because of the heating technologies that they carry but because of their temperature settings as well. You have to be very picky when it comes to curling fine hair because you don’t want to damage your hair before you even see it curled properly. These curling wands are made by trusted brands in hair care, and depending on your preference, you can just pick from any of them:
The Beachwaver Rotating Curling Iron
The Beachwaver Pro gives you a curling iron that’s probably one of the easiest to handle. It’s engineered for fast and incredibly easy styling, and this is done because of the rotating function. It comes with a 5.5” ceramic rod that has the ability to give you 3 different types of curls. This is also because you have 2 rotation speeds to choose from, which you will dictate depending on the length of your hair. A digital temperature clock allows you to lock the heat settings from 290°F-410°F.
What Makes It the Best Curling Iron for Fine Hair
What makes this the best for some is the same thing that sets it apart from the rest: its ability to rotate. Basically, you just have to press either the left or right arrow to get it to rotate in the direction that you want. With the home button, you can reset the clamp to the beginning position.
Pros and Cons:
Those who have tried this curling iron before really love the fact that it has a small clamp, which can hold sections of hair in place. Especially for those with fine hair, this is the usual problem that causes kinks and uneven curling. Some have even mentioned that they’re so happy because their curls can last for days. The only con is that some find it to be on the expensive side, even if it’s really worth it.
Chi Arc Ceramic Curling Iron
Another curling iron that happens to rotate is this ceramic one that’s made by Chi. The self-rotating barrel can help alleviate the discomfort in your wrist, and it also removes the human error of uneven curls because of the way you wrap your hair around the iron. The reset button is also handy because it returns the barrel back to its original position.
What Makes It the Best Ceramic Curling Iron for Fine Hair
The 1” ceramic barrel heats up in as fast as 30 seconds, but the best part about it is that you can easily adjust your heat settings using the digital temperature display. This LCD digital display gives you full control, minimizing heat damage.
What Users are Saying:
The curling iron is lightweight and easy to use, especially because all you need is to press a button and it rotates by itself. This feature is what most users are raving about because it’s really what makes this incredibly easy to use. The only setback is that the barrel clip could use a little more length, and this means you could only work with a certain quantity of hair at once. While this wouldn’t matter for fine hair, it’s a different story if your hair is thick and long.
Sultra The Bombshell Curling Rod
From its speed alone, Sultra’s curling rod already gives you something that you won’t get from most of the hair curlers that you’re used to. It basically allows you to create the 1-inch curls you want in half the time it would take you if you use a traditional clip curling iron. This is because of its rapid heat-up function, which can go up to 380°F.
What Makes It A Good Curling Wand for Fine Hair
The Sultra Bombshell stands out from all the other options available because of its ThermaTru ceramic technology, which basically generates far infrared rays. This is important especially for fine hair because it mends and defends your hair while you’re styling. This technology smoothes the cuticle and locks in the curls as you simply wrap, release, and repeat.
What Users are Saying:
Users have commented about the ease of use that this curler gives them, together with the no-tangle swivel cord and the styling glove that it comes with. It also has an internal auto shut-off safety switch, so you don’t have to worry about leaving it plugged. The problem with this though is that you can’t really adjust the temperature, so you have to be really quick in using it.
NuMe Classic Curling Wand
Salon-quality hair is what you’ll get with this tourmaline-infused curling wand from NuMe, one of the world’s most recognized beauty brands. This sleek hair curler is black in color and looks like a professional stylist’s tool. It’s also engineered for superior performance, so you can only expect the best from this tool.
What Makes It Work on Fine Hair
This is best for fine hair because the ceramic-coated barrel is infused with tourmaline. This gives it the ability to heat hair really fast, which results in zero damage. Throughout the barrel, you get negative ions, and these ions condition the hair. This is why with this curling wand you can really expect soft and romantic waves.
Pros and Cons:
Even those with fine hair that normally couldn’t hold a curl have a lot of good things to say about this product. For one, the curls last all day and all night, which is something that those with fine and hard-to-style hair really appreciate. This doesn’t seem to work the same way for those with thick hair, though, who think the product could do better in terms of the time it takes to heat up.
Remington Keratin Therapy Curling Wand
Remington’s clip-free curling wand comes either in the 1” variant or the 1 ½” variant. Both are equally effective in curling hair, and the size just gives you some variety depending on how much hair you’re curling. Both have a 30-second heat-up time that makes it ready for use immediately. While it can go to as high as 400°F, there are 30 heat settings to choose from so this works even for fine hair.
What Makes It the Best Curling Wand for Fine Hair
What makes the Remington wand stand out is the fact that it’s made of keratin-infused ceramic, which means that it uses keratin technology to curl your hair. You get curls while also getting keratin protein plus heat protection, and because of this, your hair is kept healthy and damage-free. The ceramic barrel is a great guide for the hair, curling it without snagging or even flattening your hair cuticle.
What Users are Saying:
Most users love the clip-free design, because the problem with the clip in most curling irons is that it tends to put dents in your hair. This just results to smooth hair all throughout. Some just wish there’s a digital display to inform you of how hot it’s getting because it can get pretty hot at 400.
Hot Tools Professional Flipperless
This flipperless curling wand from Hot Tools has a 1 ¼” barrel that heats up really fast and in an even manner. It goes to as hot as 430°F, but you can also go as low as 280°F if you have fragile and fine hair. Other hair types like normal (330°F) and wavy (380°F) can also go for other temperature settings. The 8-ft swivel cord makes it almost like a pro’s styling tool.
What Makes It the a Good Curling Wand for Fine Hair
The pulse technology that this curling iron comes with allows it to get hot and stay hot as long as you’re using it, but it also comes with instant recovery. It also has nanoceramic technology, which allows the curling iron to emit far infrared energy and seal the curls without causing frizz.
Pros and Cons:
Many users are satisfied with this curling iron as far as the actual process of curling is concerned. Without question, it’s really effective in giving those beautiful, frizz-free curls. Frizz is a common problem that’s encountered every time you style, but not with this product. One minor problem is that it’s not that suitable for travel, as it doesn’t come with a dual voltage and can only be used with 110V. It also doesn’t have an auto shutoff function, so you have to be extra careful when using it. It does, however, come with a foldaway safety stand and an extra long cool tip for safe use.
So, which of these will you choose?
If you think finding a curling wand is difficult, think about finding one that works for fine thin hair. Most styling tools work well for normal hair, but it’s different when your hair is extra fine.
Because extra fine hair is more prone to damage, you also have to take extra care when styling it. For this reason, you can’t just use any kind of curling wand as you would if your hair were thick or even normal. The best curling wand for fine hair is actually one that is designed specifically for fine straight hair.
Another thing you have to understand is that there are types of hair that can hardly hold a curl no matter how many styling products or tools you use, especially if you use the wrong ones. You will need the best curling wand for hard to curl hair, so you will have to understand how to pick out this styling tool from all the available options.
Check out these hair tutorials from other bloggers:
- Emily from Freckled-Fox.com: Easy Everyday Curls Hair Tutorial
- Anna from AnnaMcclurg.com: How to Curl Your Hair in Less Than 20 minutes (she used the Nume Curling Wand in her tutorial)
- Kate from TheSmallThingsBlog.com: How to use a curling wand
- Christine from 15MinuteBeauty.com: Long lasting curls: A Hair Curling Tutorial & Wand Review
- Dee from LaBelleMama.com: Bayliss Soft Waves Curling Wand Review and Tutorial
How to use curling wand on fine hair
Fine hair is not that easy to style, especially because it’s usually so straight and wants to remain that way. How to make curls last in fine hair is a common problem that’s encountered by even the most seasoned stylists, and this question remains even if you already have the right curling iron to work with. You may already have chosen the best size curling wand for fine hair, but you need to take note of these steps on how to use this tool properly:
1. Prepare your hair properly.
Fine hair is prone to damage, so you need to prepare it properly by using a volumizing shampoo. If you can, try skipping the conditioner or at least go very light on it. If you put too much conditioner, your hair will be very slippery and this will make it difficult to curl. A heat styling product will also help protect your hair from the heat that you’re about to subject it to, and you should never skip this step if you value your hair.
Lastly, don’t forget the mousse. A mound that’s the size of a tennis ball will help prep your hair especially if it’s the thickening kind, and this will help hold the curl in place.
2. Pick the right temperature.
Once you’re ready to curl your hair, it’s also important to get the curling wand temperature for fine hair correctly. If you use something that’s too hot then you will end up with really dry and damaged hair. The curling irons that have been recommended here come with low-temperature settings, and this is what you should use. Most curling irons have a low temperature of 280°F, but this article even recommends that you go lower than 200°F if you can. This is especially true if your fine hair is also fragile and color-treated.
3. Curl only once, and in opposite directions.
Avoid using the curling iron on the same section of your hair over and over again since this will cause unnecessary damage. Even if your hair is fine, you should still divide it into smaller sections, albeit this will mean fewer sections than if you have thicker hair. Once you’re ready to curl a section, do this only once for ONLY 2-3 seconds each time. This is also why it’s important to get a curling wand that heats up fast because you want it to work right away.
Another useful tip is to curl sections of your hair towards opposite directions. This will give it the illusion of volume, which is really what you want if you have thin and fine hair. You can also add volume by using a fine-toothed comb to tease portions of your hair.
4. Give the curls enough time to set.
For your curls to last, especially if you have fine hair, you need to give it enough time to set. Never fall into the temptation of touching your hair right away because you will lose the curls as fast as you created them. While your hair is still hot, you need to clip each coil of hair to your head with metal prong clips. You can give this a blast of strong hold hairspray and allow this to cool down in this position for about 10 minutes, as this will do the trick in setting your hairstyle. A blast of cool air will also help in setting your hair in place.
5. Tousle your curls.
Once your hair has cooled down for 10-15 minutes, you can remove the clips and shake it out. Hang your head back and have fun tousling your hair using your fingers. Don’t overdo this step, though, because throughout the day your curls will naturally loosen. So leave the curls tighter than what you want it to look like because it will naturally fall as you go on with your day. If you have some texturizing spray, give your hair one final spray to ensure extra hold.
Image Credits: Deposit Photos