How to Get Spiral Curls

Making Spiral Curls with a Curling Iron or Wand

Wash and condition your hair. If you have naturally curly or wavy hair, apply a leave-in conditioner. If you have straight hair, skip the conditioner and use a detangling spray.

Comb out your hair and apply a product. If your hair is naturally curly, use a curl-defining gel. If you have naturally wavy hair, try mousse. For straight hair, go for curl-enhancing gel.

Divide your hair into two sections along your part. You can use a center or side part, whichever you prefer for styling. Tie off the section you won't be working on first into a loose ponytail.

Dry your hair. You can let your hair air-dry or dry it with a diffuser, lifting your hair at the roots to encourage volume.

Separate a 2-inch piece of hair from the back of the loose section. Start from the back of your head and grasp a small section from the lowest layers.

Wrap the hair around a heated curling iron or wand. Start from the root of your hair and the tip of the curling iron. Wind the hair around the iron, gradually wrapping down to the base of the iron (where the handle is). Note that your hair is not clamped into the curling iron or wand, but rather twisted around the barrel.

Hold the curler with the strand in place for at least ten seconds. Avoid holding it for too long - you don't want to fry your hair! You may need to experiment with how long to hold your hair around the iron, as this varies depending on hair type. Start by holding for 10 seconds, and gradually increase that by a few seconds at a time until you get a curl that holds.

Repeat the curling process for the remainder of the section. Work from back to front, starting with the lower layers and finishing with the upper.

Untie the other section and repeat the curling process with it. Move the section you've already curled to the front of your shoulder to keep it out of the way.

Work your fingers gently through your curls. Let your curls cool completely. Then, separate the curls as much as you like. If the curls are tighter than you wanted, keep in mind that within a few hours they'll relax a bit.

Apply a little pomade or styling wax. Take just a little bit of product, rub it between your palms to soften, and work gently into your hair with your fingertips. This helps define the curls and keeps them soft. Using styling wax instead of hair spray avoids the crunch and frizz that can come from sprays. However, if you prefer hair spray, spritz your curls with a light- or medium-hold spray.

Making Spiral Curls with a Flat Iron

Wash and dry your hair. You can let it air-dry or use a blow drier. Your hair should be completely dry before you begin curling. Avoid adding products at this point. Flat irons are most effective on hair that is clean and smooth.

Part your hair and comb out any tangles. Make the part where you want it in the finished style.

Grasp a small section of hair. It can be 1- to 2-inches wide. Start from the front of your head or in the back, whichever is easiest for you.

Open a heated flat iron and place it about 3/4 of the way up the strand. If you want your curls to start higher, place the iron closer to the roots. You should be holding the flat iron vertically, with the tip pointing upwards. Your flat iron needs to be thin (think 1-2 inches) with a rounded barrel. The heat from the iron heats up the barrel just enough to curl your hair.

Close the flat iron and twist away from your face. Make just one twist.

Slowly draw the iron downwards to the ends. Hold the twist you made in the previous step and gradually pass the rest of your hair through it. You may need to experiment with how slowly you go here. Holding the flat iron longer at the top ensures a full curl, rather than just curls at the ends. The longer you hold, the more curl you'll get. Don't open the iron at any point here: it should remain clamped shut.

Repeat Steps 3–6 with the rest of your hair. Work in small sections.

Run a pick or your fingers through your hair. Let your hair cool completely so that it is not warm to the touch. Then, loosen the curls if you like, or keep them tighter.

Add a bit of pomade or wax to finish. Add volume and definition by warming a small amount of product in your palms and working it through your curls with your fingertips.

Finger-Curling Your Hair

Start with damp or dry hair. If you've just washed your hair, you can towel it down and let it air dry for about 30 minutes or rough dry to remove most of the moisture using a blow dryer so that you start with damp hair. Be aware that the pinned curls need to dry completely before you release them.

Comb out your hair and divide it into four equal sections. The sections should be divided along two axes - a center part and a line crossing from ear to ear over the crown of your head. In other words, you'll have two front sections starting at the crown and passing down along the side of your head, and two back sections, one left and one right. If it's easier for you, put each of the sections in a loose ponytail, leaving the one you'll be working on loose. If you have shorter bangs that you don't want to curl, do not include them in the sections.

Apply a small amount of curling gel to the first section. Starting with a front section, smooth a bit of product from the roots to the ends. The gel will help your hair hold the curl.

Lift the section of hair and start twisting it from the root. Lifting this way helps maximize volume and curl. Twist the hair away from your face. For the right sections, work clockwise; for the left, counterclockwise.

Continue to twist the section around itself, winding it in a coil around the root. Twist the entire piece of hair, all the way to the ends, and tuck the end in when finished.

Secure the coil with a few bobby pins. Use as many as you need to ensure the hair stays in place. When you finish, you'll have four coiled buns on the top of your head.

Allow the curls to set for a few hours. A full air dry can take 3–4 hours to completely set, so the longer you allow your coils to set, the better hold you will have. You can sleep in the buns if you wish. Make sure the hair is completely dry before unwinding it. You can speed up the process if you want by using a diffuser attachment on your blow dryer on the coils.

Unwind the coils. Use your fingers to gently separate the tight coils into looser curls.

Finish with a little more gel. Scrunch a small amount of product into the ends of your curls for definition and hold.