When you first start styling your hair at home, even the simplest hair tools can make you feel overwhelmed. The same goes for curlers—there are a ton of them, and it is not always easy to use them on yourself.
No need to worry though. This guide on how to curl hair with a clamp curling iron will teach you the easiest way to make the perfect curls and waves.
The first thing that you have to think about before curling your hair is what kind of curls you want to get.
Depending on your preference, you have a few tools to choose from: clamp curling irons, clampless curling irons or curling wands, triple barrel curlers, automatic curlers, and hot rollers.
You probably get it by now—there are a few choices to be made before you start the curling process. But for now, we’ll focus on the clamp curling iron.
So if you are all set and ready to learn how to use a curling iron, I do not want to keep you waiting any longer! Grab your curling iron and I’ll teach you everything you need to know about the tool and how to use it. Let’s get started!
What Is a Clamp Curling Iron?
As I mentioned before, there are a few hair tools that can be used for curling. Today, I will focus on the clamp curling iron that I consider the easiest to use because of the clamp that it comes with.
In case you do not know, the clamp curling iron is essentially a curling wand with a clamp attached to it. This clamp can be used to make hairstyling a lot easier since you do not have to hold the hair strand with your hand. You wrap it around the barrel and then secure it with the clamp.
How to Use a Curling Iron
The clamp curling iron is one of the easiest tools to master and use on your hair. There are a ton of these curling irons that you can find in stores or online, with most of them coming at very affordable prices.
Some of them are packed with features for easier hairstyling, although these usually come at a slightly higher price. I suggest that you invest in a good clamp curler because it can help style your hair perfectly without damaging it at all.
When you use a clamp curling iron to curl your hair, you should expect to get tighter curls that look more like ringlets. These curls are different from the ones you get from the clampless curling iron, which look more like waves than curls.
If you ask me, I recommend that beginners start by using clamp curling irons to curl their hair. With these curlers, you do not have to worry about burning your hands or face, and the clamp will hold the hair strands and finish half of the work for you. It is honestly one of the greatest hair tools ever created, and if you use it properly, you will be able to create perfect natural-looking curls in no time!
If you are not a beginner but a hairstyling professional, you might think that this guide is not for you. However, that is not really the case. I recommend that you follow the step-by-step guide I give you to remind yourself of what to do while curling your hair and what to avoid. It is always good to take a look at your technique and see which parts of it might need some improvement or adjusting.
Now, once you get the curler in your hands, you will need to learn how to use it. So let’s see how you should curl hair with a clamp curler to get the best results!
How to Curl Hair with a Clamp Curling Iron
Clamp curling irons are amazing—not only do they protect your hair from too much damage, but they also protect your skin. You see, when using curling wands, it is much easier to burn your fingers or your face. If you want to limit the chances of that happening, all you need to do is switch to using the clamp curling irons instead.
With that being said, I want to share the curling technique that I use on my hair whenever I use my clamp curling iron. It is easy and effective, and the curls last for hours.
You will not need to retouch them too soon or worry about them disappearing from your hair.
This technique that I’m going to share with you includes five easy steps that everyone can follow. It will not take too much of your free time or too much effort—it is perfectly designed to give you the desired results in practically no time.
I do not want to spoil the excitement and overshare before I even get started, so let me get right into the first step:
Step 1 – Prepare your hair
The good thing with curling hair is that you do not need to wash your hair immediately before styling it. It could be one or two days since you last washed your hair, but that is okay—the curling process will work just fine!
If you want to, you can always do the curls on freshly washed hair. In that case, I recommend that you wash your hair with lukewarm water and a good sulfate-free shampoo. Scrub the scalp really well, shampoo and rinse, then air-dry your hair. Make sure that it is completely dry before you start using your curling iron.
Immediately before you curl your hair, you should detangle it and make sure that it is as smooth as possible. Apply some heat protective spray as a precaution because there is a chance the clamp curler might burn your hair a bit.
Once you apply the spray, you can move on to the next step.
Step 2 – Divide your hair into sections
If your hair is short and fair, you can also skip this step and move on right to the next one. However, if you have thicker, more textured hair, dividing it into sections is key to styling it properly.
After you brush your hair, you should divide it into as many sections as you need.
The bigger the section, the wider your curls will be, so think about the curls you ultimately want to get when you divide the hair.
Finally, leave one section and clip the rest away before you start styling. I recommend starting by curling the back of your hair and moving on to the front.
Step 3 – Curl your hair using the clamp curling iron
This is where the fun starts! If you are dying to try the clamp curling iron, it is finally time to do so.
Take the section of hair you left out in one hand and the clamp curler in the other. Place the curler towards the middle of that section, but make sure that the clamp is in front of the stand and the barrel is behind it. Then, start rolling the strand around the barrel, wrapping the ends of the hair as well.
Once your entire strand has been wrapped, press the clamp and let it secure the strand in one position. The heat from the barrel will help form the curl. It will take anywhere from 10 to 15 seconds for the curl to fully form, so make sure that you remove the curler after that timeframe.
Release the clamp, and let the hair strand fall on its own without pulling the hair with the curler. Repeat this process for your entire head of hair, moving from one section to the other without rushing. When you come to the face-framing sections, remember to curl them away from the face.
Step 4 – Brush your hair
If you feel like your curls are too intense and you would want them to look a bit more natural, you should brush through them with a comb. You can even try teasing some of the inner sections to give your hair a more voluminous look.
No matter what you do, you should not pull on the hair strands too much because that can cause your curls to look deformed. You should be as gentle as possible!
Step 5 – Finish off with some hair spray
When you are finished curling, you should spray a bit of hair spray just to make sure your curls stay intact for as long as possible. Flip your hair around and let the strands find their place on your head. You can wear your hair like that, add some hair accessories, or make some braids—do not be afraid to get creative with it!
Also, check out the best flat irons that are great for curling.
Frequently Asked Question on Clamp Curling Irons
So I have covered the entire process of curling your hair with a clamp curler. As you can see, it is pretty simple and easy. It also does not take much time or any additional hair products aside from things that you would regularly use.
Before I wrap this guide up, I want to share a few more key pieces of information that I think you have to know. They will come in handy once you start using the clamp curler regularly.
Let’s get to that information!
How do you prevent clamp marks when curling hair?
Sometimes, even if you try to be as careful as you can, you will still see some clamp marks on your hair when you curl it. They do not look good, so you need to know how to avoid them!
First of all, you should make sure that your hair is not wet or even damp when you style it—it needs to be completely dry. Then, you should not press too much with the curling iron on your hair strand.
Finally, you should try holding the curler vertically and as gently as you can. If you combine these things, you should be able to style your hair without any side effects!
What can I rest my curling iron on?
If you leave your clamp curler on any surface for too long, it could burn the surface, so you need to be careful. Still, you cannot hold it in your hand all the time, so you will need to find something where you can put it on.
I recommend using a heat-safe tray or maybe investing in a heat-resistant mat that is created especially for this purpose.
You can easily find many of these mats online, and they do not cost that much. So if you use hot tools often, you should invest in one and protect your surfaces!
Using a Clamp Curling Iron Has Never Been So Easy!
It takes only a few steps and a bit of your free time to create curls that will surely turn heads when you walk down the street. Do not be afraid to give the clamp curlers a try—they are very safe and easy to use, and they will give you long-lasting hairstyles that you will love!
Let me know if you have ever used a clamp curler before and which one is your favorite. I cannot wait to hear all about your experience with the tool and if you would recommend it to others who are still thinking about buying it!
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