How to Curl Short Hair: Pro Hairstylists' Easy Steps

Table Of Content

• Drybar High Tops Self-Grip Rollers
• Runway-approved fashionable short hairstyles that will inspire your next look
• TRESemmé Day 2 Fresh & Clean Foaming Dry Shampoo
• Your Guide To the Curtain Bangs with Curly Hair Trend
• Ion Titanium Pro Curling Iron
• E-girl Hairstyles: Are You Brave Enough to Try TikTok’s Latest Hair Trend?

With the proper hot tools and techniques, you can master a lot of ways to curl short hair. If you need even more tutorials on how to curl a pixie cut, follow me on Instagram for additional short hair styling inspiration. You’ll also need items that are specific to the method you choose, such as hairpins, rags, a heat protectant product, curling iron, curling wand, or flat iron. These hair curlers do so much more than style your hair overnight — they help it dry, too. This eliminates the need for a curling iron and blow dryer, so you'll save both time and money by using these instead.

Drybar High Tops Self-Grip Rollers

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They're made of sponge and velvet, an absorbent duo that's comfortable enough t sleep in. Plus, they have built-in velcro straps that keep everything in place — no clips necessary. Every set comes with eight curlers and you can choose from blue or pink. While some may think that curling short hair is impossible, our guide proves that it’s not only possible but that it can be easy to do when you’re armed with some knowledge and the proper tools. Any of the methods we talked about above can help you get started with curling your short hair and achieving the short curly locks that you’ve always dreamed of. Fending off heat damage is as simple as spritzing on a heat protection spray.

Runway-approved fashionable short hairstyles that will inspire your next look

For bob- and lob-length hair, a curling wand with a one-inch barrel works best—anything larger won't work for your short hair, and anything smaller will make the ringlets too tight. If you're on BeautyTok, you likely saw heatless curls become a trend overnight. The technique involves wrapping your hair around silk rods (and even socks or bathrobe ties), going to bed, and waking up with supermodel curls.

TRESemmé Day 2 Fresh & Clean Foaming Dry Shampoo

You can’t use the same types of curling tools that work for long or medium-length hair. When shopping for a curling iron or round hot brush that will get you the exact type of style you’re looking for, you have to be meticulous about doing research. I often use a flat iron to twist my strands and achieve piecey, perfect waves (one of my fave hairstyles, btw).

Curls with a flatiron

When it comes to curling short hair, locks that can make a full revolution (and then some) around a wand are generally considered easier to curl. These lengths are long enough to form—and hold—a style, and bonus, actually look extra-cute and fresh with a bit of texture rather than when just worn straight. If you’re looking to change up your short hairdo with some fun, flirty curls, look no further than our simple guide below on curling short hair with a wand and a flat iron. In recent years, curling wands have taken over the hair tool industry.

Your Guide To the Curtain Bangs with Curly Hair Trend

You’ll also learn some pro tips on how to keep your curls looking good all day and will get some style ideas for your short curls. If your curls are too bouncy for your liking, (a common occurrence with short hair) quickly run your flat iron over your curls to make them less bouncy and more like loose waves. Grab your flat iron — ideally, one that doesn’t have super wide plates and hold the tool downward to clamp the top section of your hair. Twist the flat iron away from your head and hold for a few seconds. Slowly drag the flat iron down toward the ends and release for an instant curl.

If you have thick, stick straight hair you may have a hard time getting your curls to last whereas damaged strands can get their curls to last for days. Curls on hair with some texture and hold have a much better chance of lasting. Whether that’s your current hair type and texture or aided by the products in your routine, it can really make a difference in how long your curls last.

E-girl Hairstyles: Are You Brave Enough to Try TikTok’s Latest Hair Trend?

Heatless pin curls are a great way to create tighter curls and more volume in your short hair without ever touching a curling wand. There are many reasons why your hair can’t hold a curl, especially when you have short hair. For starters, you may have too much product in your hair and excess styling products can weigh down your hair and shorten the life of your curls. On the other hand, you may not have enough product in your hair to hold the curls. There is no right answer to this question because it largely depends on your hair type.

Pro Tips for Styling Your Curls

Finally, keep all your hard work in place by spraying the TRESemmé Superior Hold Hairspray all over your locks. Sign up to our newsletter and get exclusive hair care tips and tricks from the experts at All Things Hair.

Certain hot tools may not even be able to hold the required amount of hair necessary to create a style on yourself. Starting with the bottom half of your hair first, it’s time to start curling! Usually, the bottom half of your hair will be pretty short, so do your best to add in bends to tie the look in with the longer top half. Take 1″-inch-or-so sections of hair, clamp each between the flat iron, then twist outwards as you gently tug it downwards. When curling short hair with a flat iron or any tool for that matter, the size of both your sections and the iron are the most important factors.

This set of five jumbo hot rollers is convenient for home and travel alike, and great for longer hair. But if that won’t quite cut it, you can also choose from options with additional rollers. Stylists love these hot rollers, which provide smooth, shiny curls and take only a few minutes to set.

Just adding this little step to your routine will really help them to last longer. Taking small sections of hair (approximately 2 inches-wide) from the front section of your head, use a small-barrel curling tong to curl your hair. It’s important to use a slimline tong, as large-barrel ones aren’t typically made with short hair in mind. To get that fuller look, they recommend using a tool like the T3 AireBrush Duo attachment with a smaller brush circumference. You can also use your fingers or comb to fluff up hair near the roots to give your style a little lift. Finish with a light mist of hairspray or other styling product if you want.

But most importantly, pick a barrel size that's on the thin side for the best results. If the barrel is too thick, you won't have much success getting any sort of wave or texture. Using a flat iron to curl your short hair may have a little bit more of a learning curve than using a curling iron, but it is possible to do.

Below, we’re giving you the scoop on how to curl short hair with a flat iron and curling iron, plus heatless curl techniques you can get your short strands curly with different options. When you want to curl really short hair, you need to start with freshly washed hair. Once your hair is fully dry and set, you can fluff and style your hair as necessary and finish with hairspray or another styling product. But when it comes to styling short hair with curls, you might find yourself with more questions than answers.