Curling Irons

Styling Saturday

There are many options out there in the curling iron world.  Spring or marcel  barrel, corded or stove iron, barrel color, size and shape, and brand.  With so many options, how does one choose?  Let's start with the first set of options. 

Spring Iron

Marcel Iron

What is the difference between spring and marcel?  Marcel irons have a free swinging clamp which require the user to open and close manually.  Spring irons have a spring that closes the clamp tight around the hair to create an easier use for the user.  Most people feel comfortable with a spring iron because they have less to concentrate on  with the curling iron so they can concentrate on their hair more.  Some stylists feel more comfortable with a marcel because of how they can wind the hair into the iron.  Personally, I can't trust myself with a marcel because I have a tendency to grab for the end of the iron and most marcel irons do not have a protective piece over the tip of the hot barrel.  I will always burn myself, guaranteed.



Next options are corded and stove. The average person only knows of corded irons.  But the old school style of iron didn't have a cord because electricity wasn't free flowing.  Instead, you would place your iron in a stove and allow the stove to heat the metal of the barrel.  Presently, you can buy a kit of different size barrels so that you have a multitude of options to suit every type of curl you could want.

You'll see all kinds of sizes of irons, ranging from 1 /4" to 3".  Each barrel gives a distinctive look.  Logically, the smaller the barrel, the smaller the curl.  Also, the larger the barrel, the more volume you'll get.  The smaller the barrel you choose, the longer the curl will last.  If your hair has a tendency to fall within hours of curling your hair, you may want to try a smaller barrel iron.  The larger barrels curls won't hold as long, but they work great when you're just trying to get a "romantic curl" look.

BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium

Hot Tools Ceramic

There are a variety of barrel options now.  Most of the time, if you see different colored barrels, it's because they are made of different materials.  You have options of the standard gold barrel, ceramic, tourmaline, and nano titanium.  Ceramic seems to be a favorite because it has the ability to produce a softer heat than the original metal barrels do.  It also keeps the heat more evenly distributed throughout the iron because it doesn't get hot spots like the metal ones can. The Nano Titanium is also beginning to pick up in popularity.  I have a BaByliss C-Shaped iron that works well that is made from Nano Titanium.  With tourmaline, I had a flat iron once that had tourmaline plates and I didn't feel like it straightened well enough, but for less curly or coarse hair, it would be fine.  It might not have been the heat source that was the problem, but it felt like an inferior product to the CHI ceramic flat iron that I was used to.

Curling wands have also gained in popularity.  It's a straight barrel with no clasp to grab onto the hair.  You just wind the hair around the barrel to create a completely different look of curls.  Usually the wand is sold with a glove to protect your fingers when curling.  If you don't want to buy a separate iron for these types of curls, you can always wind your hair around the curling iron you already own.

The options for brands are limitless in today's world of variety.  Some of the brands I trust have been listed already.  Hot Tools makes a good curling iron with many different barrel materials in a large variety of barrel size options.  Another preferred brand is BaByliss.  I had a blow dryer from this brand and it was an amazing appliance.  It worked great and I would recommend the brand to anyone.  CHI is also a brand that makes a trustworthy product.  I use their blow dryer and flat iron at work.  They use ceramic technology for their heating elements.  There are store brands that function well enough to get you by if you haven't tried an iron that is of a better quality.  Revlon, Remington, Conair and Gold 'n Hot are brands that have irons that function well enough, but you may have to hold the iron on your hair longer to get the curl to set properly.
















You also want to make sure you have a proper setting spray.  It will protect your hair from the heat, while holding the curl in for a longer period of time.  One of my personal favorites is from Aquage.  This is a brand that you will only see in privately owned salons, not in corporate chains.  They have two options depending on how much hold you want.  For a softer hold curl, use Beyond Body Thermal Spray.  For a more intense curl with strong hold, use Working Spray.

Another brand that has good styling sprays is Redken. They also have a softer spray and a firmer spray. Their Spray Starch is at a hold level of 15 out of 25. It's a spray that helps to protect your hair from heat damage and eliminates static. It "starches" in the curl pattern of the iron you use.  Then, there is Redken's Hot Sets.  It has a hold level of 22 out of 25, and it will give you a much stronger curl, while protecting it from the heat of the iron. 

If you have hair that is very resistant to curl, you may want to choose a firmer holding spray to give it more staying power.  Finish with a hairspray to hold it in place.  One of the best I've seen, so far, is Sebastian Shine Define.  It is a flexible holding hairspray that gives curls shine, definition, and bounce.  It also helps to hold curls in for longer than other, similar sprays.  Other hairsprays work just fine to hold your curls in place, too.




I hope that this gave you more information than you ever thought there was about curling irons.  I'll have another post at another time that will give you tips and tricks on getting the curl you want.  Check out my Facebook page for more updates and tips or specials at the salon.  Kelly Conner, Hair Stylist