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How to Make Your Hair Curly With a Curling Iron

Feb 23, 2011 / By Jessica Cook

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Pep up your straight hair with a curling iron to create soft waves or tight spirals.

Photo: Jupiterimages/Pixland/Getty Images

Women always want to know what the hair is like on the other side of the fence. Girls with straight hair wish for curls, and naturally curly beauties wish for slick-smooth tresses. If you have curl envy, fire up your curling iron and try a curly hairstyle for size. You can make your hair curly with a curling iron in a few simple steps, whether you want to spice it up for a night on the town or you want to change your hairstyle for good.

Start with dry, clean hair. Massage a curl-enhancing gel or mousse into your hair, starting 1/2 inch from the root and going all the way to the tips.

Separate your hair into four main sections -- two in the front and two in the back. Clip each section up by twisting it with your hands and holding it in place with a hair clip.

Start with one of the back sections. Unclip the hair and separate out a 1-inch-wide section. Comb through this section and clamp it into the curling iron, smoothing down to the tips and curling all the way back up. Hold in place for 10 seconds, then gently release the curl.

Repeat Step 3 with the rest of the first section of your hair, then repeat with the other three sections. Hold the curling iron parallel to the floor for traditional curls, or point it straight up and down for a spiraled-curl look.

Gently run your fingers through your hair to release the curls from their curling-iron structure, keeping them curled but giving them a more natural look. Spray your hair with hairspray to keep the curls in place all day.

1.Hair gel or mousse

3.Comb

5.Hairspray

2.Hair clips

4.Curling iron