How to Curl Short Hair

Curling short hair is sometimes a challenge because your hair is not long enough to manipulate easily. But what if you still want to curl your short hair for a special occasion or just to change your hairstyle? Before you curl your hair, remember to prepare a styling spray, a heat protectant and a good comb. Next, you’ll curl your hair with a hand curler or straightener. If you don’t have styling tools, using bobby pins, pencils, and pens all work.

Table of Contents

Preparing for styling

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Spray texture product onto dry hair. Start with a spray of a texturizing product that will give your hair volume and hold. This product will help short hair retain its curls for a long time. You just need to spray it all over your hair. Run your hands through your hair so that the product is evenly distributed throughout your hair. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Texture spray is a perfect choice when your hair has just been washed because it helps keep the hair in place.
Shop for texture products at hair products stores or order them online.

Use extra gel or spray to protect your hair from heat and blow dry. Choose a spray product if you have thin hair as it often makes hair thicker. Use a gel if you have thick hair. Spray/swipe this product all over your hair to make sure your hair stays shiny and doesn’t get damaged by curling. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Buy heat-protective hair gel or spray at your hair product store or order it online.
Let the product dry on your hair for 1-2 minutes.

Brush hair. Choose a good comb to gently comb from the roots to the ends. This helps the product to protect the hair from heat impact evenly over the entire hair and ensures that the hair is not tangled. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

If you have thin hair and want to make it thicker, you can comb it with a round brush.

Clip the top of the hair. Tuck the hair above the ears and secure with clips. This step makes it easier for you to curl the hair underneath. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

If your hair is too short, the top section won’t be long enough to clip it up. For this case, you don’t need a hairpin.

Use a hand curler or straightener

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Choose a curling iron with a bar about 1.3cm wide. This type will ensure the right clip to create curls on short hair, but not too big for the length of the hair. You can buy a hand curler online or at a hair product store. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

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Use a straightener with a surface about 3cm wide. You can buy straighteners online or at a hair product store.

Take a section of hair about 2 to 2.5cm behind the ear. Hold the curler with your dominant hand.

If you have very short hair, you may only get less than 2.5cm of hair at a time. Try to get some hair in the front.

Wrap your hair in the clip for 1 to 2.5 turns and point away from your face. Carefully wrap the hair tightly around the clip, about 1.3cm from the hairline. ^{[6] X Research Source}

If your hair is very short, you can just wrap it around the clip once. However, you need to wrap your hair at least 1.5 times to create wavy curls. To create the curls, you will have to wrap your hair around the clip 2.5 times.

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Hold the hair around the clip for about 30 seconds for thick or medium-thick hair. For natural hair, you would set the temperature of the curler between 175°C – 200°C. If your hair has been dyed, you should not set the temperature above 200°C. For thin or heavily treated hair, you should choose a low temperature between 175°C and 190°C. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

If your hair is thin, hold it on the curling iron for 10-15 seconds. ^{[8] X Research Sources}
You can count to calculate how long your hair will stay on the curling iron. In addition, you can also set a timer to ensure the hair is kept on the curling iron for the right time.

Grab the hair as you release the clip and hold the hair in your hand for about 3-5 seconds. After 30 seconds of holding your hair, slowly release your hair and pull the curler out. Hold the curl in the palm of your hand for about 3-5 seconds to hold it. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Adjust the curl direction of the curls. If you have curled one strand of hair outward, you will curl the next curl towards your face. Changing the direction of the curls will make the hair more voluminous. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Make sure the sections of hair that you use to curl are even and change the direction of the curls so that the hair looks even.

Curl from side to side of the bottom section of hair. Continue curling and only take 2.5cm of hair each time. Work on the front part of the hair in turn and then gradually move to the other side of the hair. Try to create curls of the same size and shape. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Repeat the same procedure for the top section of hair. Remove the hairpin and start curling the top part, taking only about 2.5cm of hair at a time. Remember to pick and hold curls to create style. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Be patient when curling very short sections of hair at the front. Wrap a loop of hair around the clip and be careful not to burn your fingers.
If the top section has very short hairs, you can try curling your hair up and wrapping it around the clip. This will add volume to the top hair. However, many people consider this “bubble style” to be outdated.

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Wait 1-2 minutes for the hair to cool down. When you’re done curling your hair, leave the curls alone and wait for them to cool down. Try not to touch or move the curls to keep them in place. ^{[13] X Research Source}

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Use your hands to make the curls slightly tangled. After the hair is no longer hot, you will use your hands to lift the hair sections upwards. Next, use your hands to loosen the curls. You can also push the front section of hair to the side and smooth it with your hands. This will make your hair look a bit messy naturally. ^{[14] X Research Source}

The best way to untangle curls without losing frizz is to run your hands through the roots and massage your scalp.
Avoid using a comb to tangle your hair as this can straighten the curls.

Use bobby pins and round tubes

Start when hair is still wet or damp. This method is suitable when you have just showered and your hair is still wet. You can also wet your hair using a spray bottle of water. Wet or damp hair is easier to curl into curls. ^{[16] X Research Source}

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Use a round tubular object to help you wrap your hair in two loops. You can use pens, pencils, or even tubes of mascara. Choose a round tube tool that is just the right size to help you wrap your hair in two loops to create beautiful curls. ^{[17] X Research Source}

You can check if the item will fit by trying it on. If you can get two hair loops on your chosen item then this is the right tool to use.
You can also use a variety of items of different sizes, such as pens with a small diameter and a mascara tube with a larger diameter. This way, you can handle your hair flexibly and curl shorter sections.

Wrap the hair about 2.5cm around the selected object. Hold the section of hair between two fingers. With the other hand place the selected tool above the hair. Next, roll your hair into two loops facing the outside of your face. Roll until the round tube is brought close to the hairline. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

If your hair is very short, you only have a few centimeters of hair to work with. In this case, try to get a section of hair just enough that you can roll into the round tube at least one turn.
Roll your hair back, away from your face to make it look more bouncy.

Remove the round tube. Use your fingers to gently push the tube out of the wrapped hair. At this step, you can push the tube out of your hair easily. ^{[19] X Research Source}

When pushing the round tube out, use your other hand to hold it so that the hair does not come out.

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Use bobby pins to hold the curled hair. You use one hand to hold the hair and the other hand to do the hairpin. Clip 1 to 2 clips onto the hair roll to keep it in place. ^{[20] X Research Sources}

Using curling irons is best.

Continue curling the rest of your hair. Take another section of hair and curl it in the same way. For the shorter section of hair, you will use a smaller round tube to curl the hair, making sure the hair wraps around the round tube at least one turn. ^{[21] X Research Source}

For more natural curls, try changing the direction of the curls. For example, if you have rolled one section of hair away from your face, you would roll the next section towards your face.

Use your thumb and index finger to curl the bangs or smaller sections of hair at the front. If you want to curl short bangs or short hair in the front, simply use a small diameter object to wrap your hair. Hold the hair with one hand and place the round tube in the end of the hair with the other hand. Hold the tube round with your index finger and thumb when curling your hair. After that, you just need to remove the round tube and clamp the hair that has just been rolled. ^{[22] X Research Source}

You may only be able to roll short sections of hair one round around the round tube. That’s okay because the hair still has frizz.
You can roll short sections of hair back, away from your face to create volume. If you want curls to adorn your face, you will roll your hair forward, toward your face. However, if you have bangs, this can create an outdated hairstyle.

Use a scarf to wrap your curled hair. Once you’ve rolled all your hair and secured it in place, use a silk scarf to wrap it around your hair. Tie a shawl at the back of your head to cover the curls. ^{[23] X Research Sources}

The scarf will help keep your hair from getting tangled when it dries.
You can also use a shower cap if you don’t have a scarf.

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Wait for curls to form after 2-4 hours or overnight. Since this method does not use heat, you need to wait for the curls to form naturally. After a few hours, your hair will be dry even if you wear a towel or you sleep with a shawl to dry your hair overnight. ^{[24] X Research Sources}

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Remove the hairpin and remove the hair with your hands. Once the curls have formed, you will carefully remove the clips one by one. Next, carefully separate your hair with your fingers so that it looks a bit messy and natural. You can also make your hair bounce slightly or run your hands through it. ^{[25] X Research Sources}

Do not use a comb to comb your hair as this will straighten the curls.

Hold curls with a hold spray. Spray a hold product on your hair to hold curls in place. Spray only a small amount so that the curls are not too stiff or brittle. Run your hands through the curls one more time for a natural messy look.

Things you need

Use a hand held curling iron or straightener

Hair texture spray
Spray or gel to protect hair from heat
Comb
Hairclip
Hand-held curling iron with clamps approx 2-2.5cm . wide
The straightener has a surface of about 3cm.
Hair hold spray

Use bobby pins and round tubes

Tongs for toothpicks
Round tube objects like pens, pencils or mascara tubes
Shawl or shower cap
Hair hold spray

Steps

Preparing for styling

Use a hand curler or straightener

Use bobby pins and round tubes

Things you need

Use a hand held curling iron or straightener

Use bobby pins and round tubes

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