IGI Logo

Styling your own hair is not as simple as it appears. When using hot tools, it's easy to get into the habit of doing something that could be damaging your strands without even realizing it. Heat styling can be difficult even for professionals because it can easily result in breakage and damage. If you've ever curled your hair with a curling wand or iron, you've probably made some mistakes.

While the mistakes listed below aren't the end of the world (or your hair), they're not ones you want to make again.

If you curl your own hair frequently, you'll want to avoid these blunders as much as possible shared by Rayed Merchant, Spokesperson, Ikonic Professional.

If you don't use a heat protectant beforehand, you'll burn yourself

You should use a heat protectant on your hair before you use your hot tool of choice. A heat protectant adds a barrier between the tool and your strands to lock in moisture and battle frizz, reducing the damage caused by hot tools. They come in a variety of compositions, but sprays are the easiest to deal with and get the work done.

Increasing the heat setting to an unacceptably high level

It's tempting to set a curling wand's temperature to the maximum setting. After all, the higher the temperature, the quicker your hair curls, right? Sure, but you'll be causing damage to your locks as a result.

Extreme damage can be caused by too much heat in a short period of time. Experts advise against using a heat tool with a temperature of 400 degrees, regardless of how thin or thick your hair is (the maximum on most tools).

It's best if you practice patience and give yourself more time. This is why you should always choose the best curling iron or wand with temperature control. A simple tip to remember is that if your hair starts to smoke, your tool is too hot.

Allowing the curls to fall naturally as soon as they are removed from the tool

Consider what you'll do with the portion of hair you just curled when you remove it from the wand. Most of the time, you just let it fall to your shoulders and move on to the next area.

That's nice, but there's a more efficient method. It will last better and come out stronger if you hold the curl up in the palm of your hand and let it cool that way. Depending on the effect you're going for, you can hold it in your hand or gently pin it up until you're finished.

Using the incorrect tool size for the desired look

Curling wands come in a variety of shapes and sizes for a reason: different shapes generate varied results. If you desire loose curls but usually end up with tight curls after curling your hair, you're definitely using the wrong size barrel.

Choose a barrel with a diameter of one or two inches if you want loose curls. A.75-inch or one-inch barrel will give you tighter curls.

Curling in the incorrect direction is a common occurrence

It's possible that you're curling your hair in the wrong way if you never get the precise result you want. Curl your hair away from your face rather than towards it if you want a more beautiful, wavy look.

Curl each part in the same way unless you want your curls to seem elegant and tight. Curl different areas of your curls in different ways to make them look natural.

Hairspray is only used at the end

When curling hair, many wait until they're done before they use a spritz. They then spritz a torrent of hairspray all over the head. That will work, but if you want your curls to last, you'll need to use hairspray all the way through the curling process.

This is particularly true if you have fine hair that struggles to hold a curl or if your hair is very soft after washing. Spray lightly with hair spray each time you put a segment around the barrel, then let it down.

Too much time spent with the hair styling tool

Many individuals believe that the tighter the curl, the longer it will last. That may be true, but wrapping your hair around a hot hair curling iron for an extended period of time is tantamount to begging for it to burn off. If you leave your hair on the barrel for more than eight to ten seconds, your strands will be significantly damaged.