Having dead-straight hair can be a blessing, but when you slave over your hair curler only to have the finished product drop out after a few minutes – it feels like a curse.
Luckily for you, you don’t have to live in a perpetual state of hair-frustration forever.
Here are seven tried and true methods to lock your style in for longer (maybe even a couple of days if you’re really lucky).
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Style prep
After you’ve washed and conditioned your hair, don’t just jump straight to the blow-dry.
To help your hair have some grip and volume, make use of a volume mousse and a style prep to make sure your curls don’t just drop straight out.
bh love: Aveda Be Curly Style-Prep, TIGI BED HEAD Big Head Volume Boosting Foam, Redken 5th Avenue NYC Pillow Proof Blow Dry Express Treatment Primer, Goldwell Kerasilk Bodifying Volume Mousse
image credit: @lozcurtis
A good blow-dry
Now that your hair is prepped and ready, it’s time to get to drying.
The laziness gets to us all sometimes and it seems like airdrying is our best bet, but if you’re planning on curling you really can’t skip the hair dryer.
Using a round brush, blow-dry your hair as voluminously as you can and it will create the ideal base for curls.
bh loves: ELEVEN Australia Large Round Brush, TONI&GUY Styling Brush, Remington Keratin & Argan Oil Nourish Hair Dryer
Image credit: @maneaddicts
The right sized curling barrel
A very common curling mistake is thinking any curl barrel will work for your hair – not the case unfortunately.
Try investing in a curling set with multiple barrels, like the VS Sassoon Miss VS Total Curl, so you can find the perfect size for your hair type as well as the style you’re going for.
If you have long, thick locks a mini barrel isn’t going to work well on your hair, and vice versa for short hair with big barrels.
bh loves: VS Sassoon Miss VS Total Curl – VS2021BA, muk Curl Stick 2.0
image credit: @nattdesu
Pin your curls while they cool down
If you aren’t doing this already, this step is a real game changer.
As you curl each piece of hair, twist the curls up and pin them up, spritz them with hair spray and leave them for as long as you can (at least until they’re cool).
This will really help the curls set into place and give them longevity.
bh loves: Lady Jayne Section Clips, Lady Jayne Super Hold One Touch Clip
Image credit: @hair_byameliarose_x
A hardcore hairspray
I’m sure you’re already using a hairspray after curling, but if your curls are still dropping out super quick, you might not be using one powerful enough.
Look for hairsprays that say ‘firm’ and ‘strong’ hold, as they will have more of the power you’re looking for than ‘flexible’ formulas.
bh loves: JUSTICE Professional Firm Hold Hairspray, Johnny’s Chop Shop Power Hold Hairspray, Schwarzkopf Extra Care Strong Styling Hairspray, Redken Forceful 23
Dry shampoo
If you’re only using dry shampoo to conceal your greasy roots, you’re missing out.
Dry shampoo gives your hair a boost of volume that makes your hair look far thicker than it has any right to.
If you use it before you curl, it gives your hair some extra grip that curls love, helping them stick around for longer.
bh loves: Batiste Dry Shampoo – Sweetie, Klorane Dry Shampoo with Nettle Tinted, Schwarzkopf got2b Fresh It Up Extra Fresh Dry Shampoo
Image credit: @torriwebster
A silk pillowcase
If you want your curls to hang around for a couple of days, you need a silk pillowcase to take care of them while you sleep.
While regular cotton pillowcases may de-stress your strands, a silk one won’t cause damage, ensuring the curls last even longer.
bh loves: Lilysilk 22 Momme Terse Silk Pillowcase
image credit: @pgeeeeee
Haven't tried any of the tricks mentioned above but love to have strong and long lasting curls.
Great tips bh, I live by clip your hair until it cools rule
Great tips and a very interesting article.