This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
Canada: 
Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…
USA: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…
It seems like every time we refresh our email there’s a new hair tool hitting shelves that’s guaranteed to turn our tresses into perfect spirals, corkscrews, and waves with less work, damage, and time. But learning how each of them work, trying to figure out what styling products you should pair with each, and picking one that will work best for your hair type and needs is enough to give anyone a hairache headache.
While most of our social streams show the end results of these hair gadgets — or maybe a before-and-after, if we’re lucky — how to use them can be more difficult to find. That’s where YouTube comes in: The platform is flooded with an endless array of tutorials for every beauty tool on the market.
To help, we’ve rounded up a handful of tutorials that make learning a new gadget or technique easy, from a classic diffuser (for body and undone texture) to flexi rods (best for even, glossy curls), there’s a wealth of hair knowledge ahead.
Tool: Flat Iron
What You Need To Know: Flat irons are usually associated with straight strands, but you can create curls and waves by twisting and twirling the iron as you make a pass over a section, similar to how a balloon string is curled.
Good For: All hair textures, but keep the temperature on the lower side (under 300 degrees to start) if your hair is fine, dry, brittle, or bleached — or you’ll risk major damage down the road.
Product Pick: A heat protectant, to reduce damage, is important for all textures.
The Trick: While you can slide the hair between the plates and twist it 360 degrees to create a curl, try wrapping hair around the iron first — before bringing it between the plates — to make things a whole lot easier. Press play for more.
Video: courtesy of Kayley Melissa via YouTube. Follow her on Instagram @kayleymelissa.
Tool: Hairpins
What You Need To Know: Hairpins (which include everything from bobby pins to metal styling clips) do more than just keep your hair out of the way while you’re washing your face. Pin curls are an easy way to get any texture to hold a curl for longer since the hair sets in the shape you want. Plus, they’re really easy to use and super affordable.
Good For: Anyone, since you can easily pin curl damp hair for no-heat (and no-damage) styling, or heat hair up before or after for more hold.
Product Pick: Anything that promotes or creates volume and hold is well-suited for pin curls.
The Trick: Wrap a piece of hair around two fingers to create the initial loop, then allow the hair to set (either dry fully or cool down fully, if you used an iron first) before removing the clips. Press play for more.
Video: courtesy of The Chic Natural via YouTube. Follow her on Snapchat @chicisnatural.
Tool: Rollers
What You Need To Know: Rollers come in many sizes, shapes, and materials, including plastic and foam (which allow for air-drying), hot rollers, Velcro (which can be used to add volume to a day-old blowout), and perm rods (for tight curls).
Good For: There’s a roller for every texture and need.
Product Pick: Mousse, gel, volumizing spray, and styling cream, depending on your hair texture, all work great to ensure a longer-lasting hold.
The Trick: The secret to getting the finish you want is to choose the right roller size for the look you’re going for. That is, the bigger the roller, the larger and looser the curl. Press play for more.
Video: courtesy of Tyiece via YouTube. Follow her on Instagram @tyiece1.
Tool: Diffuser
What You Need To Know: This technique involves drying the hair without straightening the strand. That way, any natural curl pattern is defined, not removed, during drying.
Good For: Those who have waves, bends, curls, and coils in their hair naturally. Straight hair might not get much of a lift from this technique.
Product Pick: Regardless of your texture, you can apply a curl-enhancing mousse, spray, gel, or serum (whatever you prefer that gives you some hold) from roots to ends.
The Trick: Flip your head over before using your hands to scrunch your strands, pushing the hair toward the roots as you blowdry your hair. This allows for tons of volume and bounce. Press play for more.
Video: courtesy of Alyson Erbach via YouTube. Follow her on Snapchat @alyerbz4.
Tool: Flexi Rods
What You Need To Know: Flexi rods consist of long, foam tubes of varying thicknesses, with a wire down the middle for flexibility. They can be used to create everything from tight coils to loose spirals, depending on the size of the rod you select.
Good For: All hair textures will get results with these rods, but they’re especially great for textured hair and those that find their curls quickly fall flat using other methods.
Product Pick: A volumizing mousse is great for straighter strands and should be applied prior to rolling. On the other hand, a leave-in conditioner or curl cream works well for textured or dry hair.
The Trick: It’s all about direction: Loosely roll the rod up to your roots for classic spirals, or wind the hair around the flexi rod vertically to create corkscrews. Press play for more.
Video: courtesy of NaturalNeiicey via YouTube. Follow her on Snapchat @shaneicecrystal.
Tool: Curlformers
What You Need To Know: This tool set features an array of thin, curled fabric sleeves that you feed the hair through by using a tool that’s similar to a crochet hook. It creates classic spiral curls and corkscrews, depending on the size of the ribbon.
Good For: Every texture, but especially good for thick, curly, and textured hair, since you won’t be heating fine or straight hair enough to achieve a lot of curl.
Product Pick: Those with straight hair can use a curl-enhancing mousse or styling spray to prep hair, while wavy, curly, and textured hair types will get a better finish with a curl cream.
The Trick: It’s much easier to pull damp hair through the ribbon, then allow hair to air-dry (if possible, depending on the weather and your hair type) or sit under a dryer for 30 minutes for bouncy curls. Press play for more.
Video: courtesy of iknowlee via YouTube. Follow her on Snapchat @iknowlee.
Click HERE to read more.
You can publish this article on your website as long as you provide a link back to this page.
Be the first to comment