Overview
Short hair can be so much easier than lots of long locks, but sometimes you might feel a bit hemmed in by your length. Grab a curling iron to infuse some novelty into your style. Even if you only have a few inches of hair, curling irons kick your look into gear for day or night.
Ringlets
Ringlets are classic. When you have a short crop, you can still wrangle your hair into spirals with a curling iron. Choose a small barrel for tight curls that spring around your head or try a looser look with one or two twists per section, using a larger barrel. The key to ringlets is that they spin downward vertically from the roots. Angle your curling iron to shape curls around your brow, cheekbones or the silhouette of your neck.
Flips
A simple flip at the end of straight hair cut into a bob or a wedge makes a big style difference. If your hair is all one length, you can use your curling iron to flip the ends toward or away from your face. If you have asymmetry or different lengths, curl your hair inward. Make sure you grab the ends evenly in the curling iron barrel to avoid a clamped fish-hook look.
Volume
Curling irons do more than curl hair. They can volumize short hair without getting too spirally. Use a wide-barrel iron on the lowest heat setting to puff hair out at the crown. If you like a little more polish, you can pull out hair from the sides and nape of the neck, too, so that all of your hair is equally volumized. Flip the ends under very gently, so that your hairstyle's silhouette flows consistently. Use a round brush to finish this look.
Heat
Heat is dangerous! When you have short hair, you can't snip off the ends to remove heat damage because it ruins your look, but breakage shows up on you quickly. Use a ceramic curling iron or look for one that has infrared heat. This helps the heat distribute evenly and gently across the hair shaft. Always spray a heat protectant on hair that you curl, too. If you apply it while your hair is wet, then blow dry, you're more likely to get full protection from your curling iron.
