How to help my hair hold a curl

As a hairstylist, and especially as a bridal stylist, I am always educating myself, experimenting, and providing tips on how to help curls hold longer and last longer, so I thought I would compile all of my tips in one place! There are many different reasons why your hair may not hold a curl well, even with the right products. Hair preparation before curling is vital! Typically the main reasons your hair may not hold a curl is your hair texture, product use, heat damage, technique, or weather conditions.

Hair type plays one of the most important roles in the ability for the hair to hold curl. If you have super fine or silky hair, the hair will struggle to hold a curl due to the lack of texture. There are a few different methods I use to add texture into the hair in order to support the curls. I first start by applying a mousse to damp hair and blowdrying the hair in order to add extra grit. I will then use a micro crimper prior to adding the curls into the hair to help add additional texture. These two methods help in supporting the curls tremendously, especially for the Hollywood waves style! Adding in clip-in hair extensions is another great way to support the longevity of curls!

Another major factor that will affect your curls is using too much product, not enough product, or the wrong products. You do not want to use a lot of heavy products because this can weigh the hair down and cause the curls to drop. If you do not use any product or very little, your curls will also fall.

The first product you should use is a hydrating product like a lightweight cream followed by a heat protectant, then a liquid hairspray or a medium hold aerosol hairspray before curling. Using these products will help your hair hold the curl while preventing frizz from occurring. Then you can gently comb through your hair with your fingers or a wide tooth comb to break the curls apart without combing them out before finishing your hair off with hairspray. 

Heat damage can also prevent your curls from holding, or even from curling at all. Heat damage happens when you use heat often or you style it without a heat protectant. Damaged hair can look and feel brittle, have split ends, and require extra heat for the styling to hold. The only way to repair your damaged hair is to cut your hair and do regular deep conditioning treatments. The only way to fix your split ends is to cut them. 

Using the right technique and the right tools is vital to ensuring your curls hold. If you have finer hair or hair that struggles to hold a curl, use a 1 inch curling iron and if your hair holds curl better, you can use a 1.25 inch curling iron! A flat wrap or a twist wrap curling technique are the best and most popular techniques for curls that will hold all night long.

The last major factor that will affect your curls holding is something completely out of your control, the weather conditions. Unfortunately, no one can predict the weather so the only thing you can do to completely prevent it, is to stay indoors if the weather is unfavorable. Humidity, rain, or any type of moisture in the air will affect your hair, no matter what you do to try to prevent it. Typically applying a mousse before you blow-dry your hair and applying an anti-humidity product can give your hair some resistance to unfavorable weather conditions!